Apple’s Supply Chain Reportedly Preparing for New Macs Launch

Apple’s supply chain partners are preparing for the launch of new iPhones and Macs in the coming months, as revealed in a preview of a DigiTimes report (via MacRumors).

Industry sources indicate that leading semiconductor backend houses, including ASE Technology Holdings (ASEH) and CHPT, are expected to experience sales growth in the third quarter of 2023.

This surge is attributed to Apple’s preparations for the launch of new iPhones and Mac devices, according to the Taiwanese publication.

Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has recently claimed that the first Macs featuring the M3 chip may hit the market as early as October 2023. This aligns with the supply chain’s current activities in the third quarter, indicating that preparations are well underway.

The initial Macs with the M3 chip are likely to include the 13-inch MacBook Pro, 13-inch MacBook Air, and 24-inch iMac. Moreover, the Mac mini and 15-inch MacBook Air are also expected to receive updates with the M3 chip at a later stage.

Although Apple has not officially announced the M3 chip, it is widely anticipated that the chip will be manufactured using TSMC’s advanced 3nm process.

This technological leap is expected to offer significant improvements in performance and power efficiency compared to the previous M-series chips, which were built on TSMC’s 5nm process.

Furthermore, the upcoming iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max are also expected to feature the A17 Bionic chip, also manufactured using TSMC’s 3nm process.

Additionally, rumours suggest that new iPad Pro models equipped with the M3 chip and boasting OLED displays may be launched in the first half of 2024.