At the end of June , I said that we probablywon’t be arrive any new Macsfor the rest of the twelvemonth , base on reports that Apple ’s chips cycle had been touch by production way out . However , new paper indicate that Apple could release new Macs this fall .

According to Bloomberg ’s Mark Gurman , Apple may release new Macs this Octoberthat feature the M3 chip . Either Apple and TSMC ( the chip producer ) have been able-bodied to direct the output upshot , or thereports of a delaywere overstated . In any case , Gurman describe that the first Macs to get the M3 are the iMac , the 13 - inch MacBook Air … and the 13 - inch MacBook Pro .

The 13 - column inch MacBook Pro ! It ’s the misfit of Apple ’s Mac lineup , but if there ’s any doubtfulness that Apple is truly behind this MacBook simulation , that doubt can be laid to repose should an M3 update see the light of twenty-four hours . Even so , I still ca n’t understand why . For its price and what you get , there are expert MacBooks in Apple ’s card .

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The M3 13-inch MacBook Pro will likely start at $1,299, which is $200 more than an M3 13-inch MacBook Air that offers similar performance.

The MacBook Air is a better buy

The M3 update will not be your typical Mac update . The M3 will be made using the 3 - millimicron manufacturing cognitive operation , which allows for a high junction transistor denseness in the chip compared to the enhanced 5 micromillimetre M2 and the standard 5 nm M1 . That could produce a performance increase that ’s more than the common 20 to 25 percent from coevals to generation . The M3 may also be more power efficient , which mean longer barrage living for MacBooks . ascertain all about the potency of the M3 .

The M3 13 - in MacBook Pro will likely start at $ 1,299 , which is $ 200 more than an M3 13 - inch MacBook Air that offers similar performance .

Foundry

13 inch M2 MacBook Pro

The M3 13-inch MacBook Pro will likely start at $1,299, which is $200 more than an M3 13-inch MacBook Air that offers similar performance.

Let ’s take that Apple will not change the price of the MacBooks when the M3 arrives . The 13 - in MacBook Pro starts at $ 1,299 , while the 13 - inch MacBook Air ( which is also getting an M3 upgrade ) set forth at $ 1,099 . Two laptops with the same chipping declare oneself the same carrying into action ( based on our testing of the M1 and M2 mannikin ) , but the melodic phrase is $ 200 cheaper .

Now , when I say “ the same performance ” I ’m speak about the general , everyday tasks that most the great unwashed use these laptop mannikin for . The 13 - column inch MacBook Pro has fans to maintain an optimal temperature . The MacBook Air does not , so it could restrain its operation during CPU or GPU - intensive tasks , such as a long 4 K video render – but if you ’re doing that kind of project , you ’re better off spend the extra money on a 14- or 16 - inch MacBook Pro .

The 13 - inch MacBook Pro ( leftover ) does n’t seem like the 14 - column inch ( right ) or 16 - column inch MacBook Pro .

13-inch M2 MacBook Pro (left) and the 14-inch M1 Pro MacBook Pro

The 13-inch MacBook Pro (left) doesn’t look like the 14-inch (right) or 16-inch MacBook Pro.

Old design

Apple considers the 13 - inch MacBook Pro as part of the pro batting order with the 14- and 16 - inch MacBook Pro , but if you put the three laptops side by side , you would n’t think they were part of the same lineup . The 14- and 16 - in simulation feature sleeker designs that search more summary , and it has smoother curves that give it a refined look . The displays have pocket-size bezel and a camera notch at the top that reminds people of the iPhone .

On the other bridge player , the 13 - inch MacBook Pro has a innovation that ’s several days old , with harsh edges and much bigger bezels because they had to be that big to accommodate the tech being used back in 2017 . Even if you rive the 13 - inch MacBook Pro out of the pro comparison and model it next to a MacBook Air , you know what ? The compare go worse because the Air has more in common with the 14- and 16 - inch MacBook Pro than the 13 - inch MacBook Pro – the Air , at first glimpse , actually calculate like it belongs in the Pro lineup .

The 13 - inch MacBook Pro does n’t even have an vantage when it come to porthole . It has two Thunderbolt 4 / USB - C ports and a phone jack , the same as the MacBook Air .

M1 MacBook Pro Touch Bar

For fans of the Touch Bar, it’s the 13-inch MacBook Pro or bust.

For fans of the Touch Bar , it ’s the 13 - inch MacBook Pro or bust .

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The reasons why Apple keeps it around

Macworld columnist Jason Snell last year compose some theory onwhy Apple kept the 13 - inch MacBook Pro around during the raise to the M2that still hold to a future M3 climb .

The first possibility is recycle ; Apple bed to promote recycling and using the 13 - in MacBook Pro year after year epitomizes that . Perhaps more important to Apple is that the longer a design is enforce , the more profitable it is to make . Since the 13 - column inch MacBook Pro innovation has been around for several geezerhood , it must bring Apple a respectable profit , even with cow chip upgrades .

Another theory is that the 13 - in MacBook Pro has some feature film not found in the MacBook Air : a cooling devotee , a more or less gravid battery than the 13 - inch MacBook Air , a better three - microphone array , and the Touch Bar . But these features tend to address a very specific client base , not the majority . Then there ’s merchandising . The 14 - in MacBook Pro starts at $ 1,999 , but the 13 - inch Pro brings the entree peak to the pro lineup down $ 700 . So the troupe can say its MacBook Pro starts at $ 1,299 , which makes it a more toothsome marketing point .

That weigh to shoppers who do n’t pay stuffy attending to what they ’re buy . But there are likely more than a few 13 - inch MacBook Pro owner who have buyer ’s remorse , specially now that the 15 - column inch Air has arrive for the same price . Once you take a closer look and liken prices , specifications , features , and performance , you ’ll obtain that Apple offer better choices than the 13 - inch MacBook Pro , and that ’s not going to modify when the M3 version arrives .

But it seems like Apple is never go to give up on the 13 - inch Pro . The M3 role model will likely have the same quondam design , same price , and same Touch Bar , and that ’s the way Apple likes it .