Apple’s M3 chip is a victim of the times

The golden age of artificial intelligence has just begun, with AI tools now available that help people get more things done. But Apple’s presence in AI has been muted, to put it kindly. Apple needs to do something to make an impression and tell the world it’s keeping up with the times.

That impression was made during Apple’s “Let Loose” event to showcase new iPads. The company also used the event to announce the new M4 chip that has the fastest Neural Engine Apple has ever created–the Neural Engine is used to perform AI functions. It’s clearly an effort by Apple to keep up with the competition.

Delivering the M4 chip at this time is a dramatic change from Apple’s typical chip cycle. The M3 arrived just a bit over six months ago with Apple unveiling not just the base M3 chip, but also the Pro and Max versions at the same time. That was a change in itself, but this is a much bigger one.

The M4 iPad Pro’s arrival means the M3’s cycle in Apple’s Mac lineup is effectively done. While the M3 is overall an excellent chip, its legacy will be a disappointing one.

Editor’s note: Updated on May 9 to reflect the release of the M4 chip. This article was originally posted on May 3.

M3: An incremental performance upgrade

The M3 chip was the first 3nm Mac chip–a process introduced with the A17 Pro in the iPhone 15 Pro. The 3nm process allows for increased transistor density that can translate into better performance power efficiency.

While the M3 clearly offers an improvement over the M2 that was produced with an enhanced 5nm process, we experienced what is usually accepted as an incremental performance boost of 15 to 20 percent. While any boost is good, 15 to 20 percent isn’t eye-popping.

To be fair, Apple doesn’t highlight the 3nm process as the main reason for improved performance. But while Apple did show how much the M3 is faster than the M2 at its Scary Fast M3 launch event, the company emphasized the M3’s 30 percent CPU boost and 60 percent Neural Engine improvement over the M1. Of course, that’s mostly because, at the time, it was easier to persuade customers to upgrade from a three-year-old M1 chip than a 16-month-old M2, but when deciding which numbers to showcase, it’s a no-brainer.

So, the lack of a better-than-average jump didn’t help the M3, marketing-wise. Even in a historical sense, it stands in the shadow of the M1, a chip that had the benefit of being first and exceeding expectations with huge gains over the Intel models it replaced.

Apple

Apple

Apple

M3: Cycle cut short

When Apple released the M3, it decided to change its release cycle. Instead of shipping the base M-series chip first, followed by Pro, Max, and Ultra versions at a later time (as it did with the M1 and M2), the M3, M3 Pro, and M3 Max were released at the same time.

That added welcomed consistency to Apple’s Mac lineup. However, until this past Sunday, the M3 cycle was still in progress, with M3 upgrades to the Mac mini, Mac Studio, and Mac Pro supposedly waiting in the wings. But if an M4 iPad Pro is revealed, it appears for all intents and purposes that the M3 is done.

In a report two weeks ago, Mark Gurman reported on the M4 Mac release schedule, which starts this fall with the M4 14-inch MacBook Pro and iMac this fall and continues through the end of the year and into 2025 with M4 releases in other Macs. However, the current Mac mini, Mac Studio, and Mac Pro have M2 chips, and it was thought that Apple could still release M3 versions. But if Apple does release an M4 iPad Pro, then it doesn’t make sense to proceed with any new M3 machines–it’ll just add confusion to the lineup.

That means that we’ll see the Mac mini, Mac Studio, and Mac Pro skip a chip cycle. That’s not new to Apple; the company skipped the M2 for the iMac, and never released an M1 Mac Pro. But what this could cause is a hiccup in Mac sales, because customers who planned on investing in these three Macs will have to wait a bit longer.

Thiago Trevisan

Thiago Trevisan

Thiago Trevisan

M3: Untapped potential

Not long ago, we heard reports that the M4 would not be available until next year, so it’s a little difficult to believe that the M4 is ready to ship. Even Daring Fireball’s John Gruber has doubts about an M4 iPad Pro. But Gurman is often (but not always) accurate with his reporting and has repeatedly reported that Apple has a sense of AI urgency. The company is feeling pressure and wants to “let loose” in a big way.

If Apple does ship an M4 iPad Pro, it’s the end of the M3. There’s no reason to mourn it–it’s just a chip. But for Apple fans who follow the company’s technological advancements, the abrupt end of the M3 cycle is a reminder of the nature of technology–progress happens quickly and sometimes suddenly. The M3 won’t be remembered for any remarkable advancements, and some may even see the M3 as a sign of how Apple was caught off-guard by the rapid rise of AI. That may end up being the chip’s legacy.