M3 MacBook Pro, Air models expected in early 2024, but one is missing

Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has some fresh news for Apple fans. In the latest Power On newsletter, Gurman talks about an executive change within the company and Apple’s plans for its Vision Pro headset line, which includes a cheaper Vision Pro model and a second-gen Vision Pro that’ll be smaller and more comfortable. 

Gurman also discusses a new system that Apple will be rolling out soon that allows stores to load the latest software onto iPhones without ever opening the box, so customers can walk away with an unopened iPhone equipped with the latest iOS version.

New iPads, iPad Airs, and iPad Minis are in development with faster chips, and iPad Pros are on the way next year with OLED displays, improved designs, and faster chips. And finally, after M3 MacBook rumors have gone back and forth talking about a release date, Gurman has fairly concrete proof that M3 MacBook Pro and Air models will arrive next year.

When will M3 MacBooks launch?

Everyone (including Gurman earlier this year) initially thought Apple’s M3 MacBooks might be launching in October, but recent rumors pushed that potential launch to sometime in 2024. Now, it seems we may finally have a specific timeframe to latch onto in 2024 thanks to Gurman’s latest updates in the Bloomberg newsletter.

Gurman reports that Apple’s 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models equipped with M3 Pro and M3 Max chips have reached the DVT stage, or the Design Validation Test stage. Put simply, being in this stage means the MacBook Pros are nearing mass production. Gurman estimates “a consumer release between early and spring 2024” that matches the previous year’s timing for a MacBook Pro release.

M3 MacBook Air models should also be releasing in 2024, but not as early as the Pro models. Gurman was informed that 13-inch and 15-inch M3 MacBook Air models have only recently reached the EVT stage, or the Engineering Verification Test stage. According to Gurman, this “[puts] them on schedule for between spring and summer of next year at the earliest.” 

Interestingly, Gurman makes no mention of a release date for the 13-inch MacBook Pro with an M3 chip. According to a rumor earlier this year, there’s confirmation that a 13-inch MacBook Pro with an M3 chip exists. We even made a list of changes we’d like to see in an M3 13-inch MacBook Pro.

So why was the 13-inch Pro model left out of Bloomberg’s newsletter? There’s the slim possibility he simply forgot to mention it. Or, it could possibly be releasing sooner or later than the other models, but he wasn’t able to divulge that information, so he left it out entirely. 

It’s even possible the 13-inch model could not be coming anymore, but seeing as it’s Apple’s most popular size, this doesn’t seem that likely. Until we hear more, the most likely guess is that the 13-inch model has a different release window, but it could be sooner or later than the release window for the 14-inch and 16-inch models.