Kuo: Apple’s 14-Inch And 16-Inch MacBook Pro Refresh Could Stick To 5nm Chips

Apple’s upcoming 14 and 16-inch M2 MacBook Pros could ship with 5nm chips, according to information from analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. Kuo believes that the newly refreshed Macs will go into mass production in the fourth quarter of this year.

That timescale means that it is unlikely that they will use the new 3nm chips that Apple partner and chipmaker TSMC has been working on.

That’s because, as Kuo points out, TSMC has previously said that its 3nm chips won’t begin to impact the company’s revenue until the first half of 2023.

New 14″ and 16″ MacBook Pro with new processors will enter mass production in 4Q22. Given TSMC’s guidance that the 3nm will contribute revenue starting in 1H23, processors of 14″ and 16″ MacBook Pro models may still adopt the 5nm advanced node.

This does however go against previous claims by other outlets that suggested a 3nm chip would be used for the production of the M2 Pro and M2 Max — two chips that are likely to power the new MacBook Pros.

The move to 3nm could help reduce heat and power consumption compared to 5nm parts, although it wouldn’t necessarily mean an increase in speed alone. As MacRumors points out, the current M1 Pro and M1 Max chips found in the current high-end MacBook Pros are both 5nm parts.

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