M3 Pro Launch Timeline Disclosed In Latest Report, Apple Testing Out 12-Core CPU Variant With More Efficiency Cores

There is some positive news surrounding Apple’s M3 and M3 Pro, at least according to the latest development, as we have got to know the supposed configuration of the chipset and its possible launch timeline. In short, we might get to see those super-charged MacBook Pro models slightly earlier than usual.

Apple reportedly increasing GPU and unified RAM support for the M3 Pro

Disappointingly, the M3 Pro is not expected to launch this year, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman in his ‘Power On’ newsletter, and his latest prediction aligns with a previous rumor, stating that the M3 SoC will be delayed until next year. This means that Apple’s first 3nm chipset for 2023 will be the A17 Bionic, and it is said to exclusively be found in the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max. He provides sufficient information on the M3 Pro below.

“So what does the M3 look like? Well, at least one version in testing has 12 CPU cores, 18 graphics cores and 36 gigabytes of memory. That’s according to data collected by an App Store developer and shared with Power On. The CPU, the chip’s main processor, is made up of six high-performance cores that handle the most intensive tasks and six efficiency cores that kick in for operations that need less power.”

According to Gurman, the M3 Pro could be announced in early 2024, which can mean in the first quarter of next year. For this base configuration, we noticed that the number of performance cores is unchanged compared to the M2 Pro’s base version, but it does have more efficiency cores. This rumored specification could mean that Apple wants to focus more on increased battery life with the refreshed 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro, as TSMC’s 3nm process could also deliver better performance-per-watt. This will negate the need to add unnecessary performance cores and sacrifice battery life in the process.

This base version of the M3 Pro may also be found in the rumored 14.1-inch iPad Pro, and the unchanged number of performance cores found in the tablet could help keep its temperatures from going overboard. Overall, the 12-core CPU is a slight bump compared to the 10-core M2 Pro, which only means that the same treatment would likely be given to the M3 Max and M3 Ultra.

Also, just like the M2 Pro, Apple is expected to have a higher-tier version of the M3 Pro with increased CPU and GPU cores, but as of right now, that information is unavailable to us. Seeing as how the new Apple Silicon versions are not expected until early 2024, there is a lot more information that we may stumble upon in the coming weeks, so stay tuned for more updates.

Written by Omar Sohail