No M3 13-inch MacBook Pro at 'Scary Fast' event, says Gurman
Despite previous predictions of an M3 refresh for the 13-inch MacBook Pro at Apple's October event, a new report says it's still in development and is unlikely to be unveiled soon.
Apple's current 13-inch MacBook Pro
The 13-inch MacBook Pro has seemed an oddity in Apple's lineup, despite being updated with an M2 processor in 2022. It's the last remaining MacBook Pro to have a Touch Bar, for instance, and in terms of price and performance, the MacBook Air and the 14-inch MacBook Pro appear to be the better buy.
Nonetheless, it has been reported that a refresh is coming for the 13-inch MacBook Pro, to the extent that it's codename of J504 is known. At points, that model has been predicted for before the end of 2024.
Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicted that at one point, as did Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Gurman also recently reported that stocks of the 13-inch model were low, potentially suggesting a looming refresh.
But now Bloomberg has changed its position, and says that it is unlikely that a 13-inch MacBook Pro will be unveiled at the "Scary Fast" event.
Bloomberg says that the model is not ready for launch, and adds only that when it comes, it will have the base version of the M3 processor.
Gurman does believe that the event is exclusively about Macs, however. He says he is not anticipating any AirPods, or iPad updates.
Apple's "Scary Fast" event is on October 30, 2023, and will be streamed from 5:00 PM PT, 8:00 PM ET.
Read on AppleInsider
Comments
1. Until he gets it right, or
2. Until Apple stops using his "predictions" to ferret out leakers.
13" MBP M3 for education
iMac M3 for everyone
13" M1 Air discontinued
13" M2 MBP discontinued
14" & 16" MBP no change
Mini/Studio no change
1.) I don’t think anyone has predicted that 24” iMacs might be upgraded not only with M2 but also with M2 Pro and M2 Max SOC as “scary fast” options. I’d expect the M2 Max will be faster than the base M3.
For the iMac 24”, that could be a “scary” fast option of interest for many—including folks with a Studio Display they already have or would get so they’d have a two monitor system with power in the tank.
There could be an introduction of a 27” or 30” or 32” iMac with the M2 Pro or M2 Max. That would make sense. It would fill a long time stretch of no upgrades on that product. The M2 Pro & M2 Max are already in production and this would avoid the supply crunch on the M3 SOC.
2.) Another thought is—why would Apple schedule a reveal and compete for audience just when game 3 of the World Series starts?
Maybe the reveal will followed by (or be in) a series of ads during the World Series game, with a bigger ad just before the game start of 5:03pm PDT, and a repeat or second ad during 7th inning stretch. And short 20 second or less ads during the game hi-lighting gaming on iPhone and the new iMacs as reinforcement teasers. It would be a rather larger audience and during a sporting event, in which they might also reveal expanded MLB showings beyond the Friday night deal.
They should drop price MBP 14' with base M3 chip as $1599 or $1699. Which $100-$200 more than MBA 15' 512GB.
I think Apple currently has some model lineup fragmented issue.
Too many choices not good for business.
Current 24' iMac chase cannot handle temperature of M2 Max. I think M2 pro is max out.
iMac is for base consumer product not for professional. 27' or 32' iMac may contain with M3 Max? If Apple still choose thin chase, then I guess it may not either.
Question will be the price of 27' or 32' iMac with M3 Pro or Max. It may compete with Mac Studio sales.
Compete for audience? Because very few people care about the World Series except for the fans of the two teams remaining. And of those fans, even fewer will care about an Apple event. Even so, the Apple event will be an hour long. The Apple devotees would be giving up maybe three innings.
Are you under the belief that a 13" laptop screen is too small? I spend my life on a 13.3" Air doing my work. I've tried the horizontal two-screen approach several times, but found it to be less productive than a workflow of just switching apps on my one laptop screen. I don't need to be looking at multiple apps at once. Cmd-Tab gets me around super-fast. To each his own, I guess.
"Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman was the first to report on Apple’s plans to hold an in-person event in New York City. Gurman said last week that Apple invited “a small group of media to watch the keynote there.” This has since been confirmed with a number of influencers taking to Instagram to reveal their travel to New York City and tagging Apple in their posts.
9to5Mac has also talked with several other people who are en route to New York City for the festivities. Presumably, these people will also have the chance to go hands-on with Apple’s new products following the event."
Apple's 'Scary Fast' Mac event includes in-person watch parties in select cities - 9to5Mac