Apple's First 3nm Chips for MacBook Pro Expected to Enter Production This Year

Another report today claims that TSMC plans to begin volume production of 3nm chips later this year for use in upcoming MacBook models and other products.

M2 Pro and Max Feature
"Backend firms are upbeat about demand for the upcoming MacBook chips, which will be built using TSMC's 3nm process technology, with production set to kick off later this year, according to industry sources," reads a paywalled preview of a DigiTimes report.

TSMC is unlikely to generate substantial revenue from 3nm chip production overall until at least the first quarter of 2023, according to DigiTimes.

This information lines up with a report last week from Taiwan's Commercial Times, which said TSMC would begin production of 3nm chips for Apple by the end of 2022. That report claimed that Apple's first 3nm chip may be the M2 Pro chip for Macs and added that the A17 Bionic chip in next year's iPhone 15 Pro models would also be a 3nm chip.

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman expects the M2 Pro chip to be used in the next 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models, and in a new high-end Mac mini that would replace the current Intel-based configuration. Gurman believes that Apple plans to announce multiple new Macs at an October event, but it's not entirely clear if this would include new MacBook Pro and Mac mini models or if Apple will wait to announce its first Macs with 3nm chips in 2023.

The entire M1 series of chips and the standard M2 chip are built on a variation of TSMC's 5nm process. Apple's transition to 3nm chips would unsurprisingly result in improved performance and power efficiency in upcoming Macs and iPhones, as Apple seeks to preserve its performance-per-watt lead over competitors like Intel.

Related Roundup: MacBook Pro
Buyer's Guide: MacBook Pro (Buy Now)
Related Forum: MacBook Pro

Popular Stories

ios 26 1 slide to stop

iOS 26.1 Brings Back 2007 Feature in New Way

Friday October 31, 2025 1:40 pm PDT by
The upcoming iOS 26.1 update includes a small but helpful change for iPhones, and it could prevent you from running late to something important. Specifically, when an alarm goes off in the Clock app, there is a new "slide to stop" control on the screen for turning off the alarm. On previous iOS 26 versions, there is simply a large "stop" button, which could be accidentally tapped. The new ...
M5 MacBook Pro

Waiting for New Macs? Apple Just Shared Bad News

Friday October 31, 2025 7:32 am PDT by
Apple has just given a strong indication that it will not be releasing any additional new Macs for the remainder of the year. Apple's CFO Kevan Parekh dropped the hint during the company's earnings call on Thursday:On Mac, keep in mind, we expect to face a very difficult compare against the M4 MacBook Pro, Mac mini, and iMac launches in the year-ago quarter.Parekh essentially gave a heads up ...
iPhone 17 Pro Cosmic Orange

8 Reasons to Wait for Next Year's iPhone 18 Pro

Thursday October 30, 2025 4:42 am PDT by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models at the same time, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 18 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. One thing worth...
iOS 26

6 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 26.1

Wednesday October 29, 2025 4:22 am PDT by
Apple is about to drop iOS 26.1, the first major point release since iOS 26 was rolled out in September, and there are at least six notable changes and improvements to look forward to. We've rounded them up below. Apple has already provided developers and public beta testers with the release candidate version of iOS 26.1, which means Apple will likely roll out the update to all compatible...
Apple Foldable Thumb

iPhone Fold: Launch, Pricing, and What to Expect From Apple's Foldable

Friday October 31, 2025 8:52 am PDT by
Apple is expected to launch a new foldable iPhone next year, based on multiple rumors and credible sources. The long-awaited device has been rumored for years now, but signs increasingly suggest that 2026 could indeed be the year that Apple releases its first foldable device. Below, we've collated an updated set of key details that have been leaked about Apple's foldable iPhone so far. Ove...
Coffee Burgundy and Purple iPhone 18 Pro Mock 1

Leaker Outlines Potential New Colors for iPhone 18 Pro

Friday October 31, 2025 8:28 am PDT by
Apple's iPhone 18 Pro models could be available in new rich and warm color option, according to a known leaker. The Weibo user known as "Instant Digital" today suggested that next-year's iPhone 18 Pro models will be available in at least one of the following color options: Coffee, purple, and burgundy. The iPhone XR, iPhone 11, iPhone 12, iPhone 14, and iPhone 14 Pro were all available in ...
apple tv hd

Apple Launched Its Big New Vision for TV 10 Years Ago Today

Thursday October 30, 2025 8:58 am PDT by
Apple launched the Apple TV HD, the Siri Remote, tvOS, and their accompanying App Store a decade ago today, marking a major overhaul of the device. The new vision for the Apple TV was unveiled on September 9, 2015 during Apple's "Hey Siri" event in San Francisco, where CEO Tim Cook introduced the device with the statement, "The future of TV is apps." The announcement represented a major...
Apple Logo Spotlight

Report: Apple to Launch These New Products in 2026

Sunday November 2, 2025 5:34 am PST by
Apple is planning to launch at least 15 new products in 2026, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Gurman outlined what to expect from Apple in 2026 in the latest edition of his "Power On" newsletter. He said the company is heading "into one of its most pivotal years in recent memory," with the rollout of major new Apple Intelligence features, intense regulatory pressure on the App Store,...
iOS 26

Apple This November: iOS 26.2 Beta, Rumored New Products, and More

Thursday October 30, 2025 12:42 pm PDT by
Tomorrow is Halloween, and then November is upon us. Below, we outline what to expect from Apple next month, as the slower holiday season approaches. Apple is expected to kick off November by releasing iOS 26.1, iPadOS 26.1, macOS 26.1, watchOS 26.1, tvOS 26.1, and visionOS 26.1. With beta testing now wrapped up, the updates will likely be released this Monday, November 3 or Tuesday,...
iOS 26

iOS 26.1 Coming Soon: New Features for Your iPhone and Release Date

Monday October 27, 2025 7:55 am PDT by
The upcoming iOS 26.1 update includes a handful of new features and changes for iPhones, including a toggle for changing the appearance of the Liquid Glass design, "slide to stop" for alarms in the Clock app, and more. Below, we outline key details about iOS 26.1. Release Date Given that Apple has yet to seed an iOS 26.1 Release Candidate, which is typically the final beta version, the...

Top Rated Comments

icanhazmac Avatar
42 months ago
Just make my M2 Mini already.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TheYayAreaLiving ?️ Avatar
42 months ago
It would be nice if Macbook Pro comes with a 17" or 18" screen. Apple can easily differentiate the M2 Max MacBook Pro sizes by increasing the screen. I will instantly buy it.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Peter_M Avatar
42 months ago
A Mac Mini M2 Pro would be amazing, but please make it large enough to avoid any kind of noticeable fan noise, and let the user be able to choose up to 64gb of RAM. That would be my "perfect" Mac.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
_Spinn_ Avatar
42 months ago
It still amazes me when I think of how small 3nm actually is.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
PBG4 Dude Avatar
42 months ago

After "max" is "ultra". M1 Pro -> Max ->Ultra

Question is: what's next after ultra? :D
Ludicrous of course
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Apple Knowledge Navigator Avatar
42 months ago
Will be interesting to see how Apple uses 3nm, perhaps a blend of increased battery life and performance. As it is the 5nm Pro chip (from my experience at least) runs so cool and fast that I can't imagine what 3nm would be like.

I wouldn't hold out for a purchase, mind.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)