We love the 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro for their peak performance, impressive battery life, and the return of several useful ports. But it appears that Apple is ready to swap them out a bit earlier than previously expected with its "Scary Fast" event today.
We aren't expecting any wild updates to the design, but the new M3 Pro and M3 Max chips inside could make a bigger impact than you think — thanks to that new 3-nanometer process. We’ve been closely following all the breadcrumbs about these upcoming, superpowered MacBooks, so we can provide some clarity on these machines with just hours to go before the launch.
M3 Pro MacBook Pro release date and pricing
The anticipated contents of Apple's "Scary fast" event unfolded quickly after months of hearing that the M3 MacBooks were pushed into 2024, but all major sources are now indicating that we are getting an M3 iMac alongside the M3 Pro and M3 Max MacBook Pros.
With the online-only event tonight (Oct. 30) starting at 8 p.m. ET (5 p.m. PT), we know that everything announced should be arriving soon. According to a leak to MacRumors, the M3 MacBook Pros should be available on November 8. That follows the typical timeline for Apple launches with hardware arriving the next Friday after the event.
So hopefully you've been saving up as we expect pre-orders to open up later this week and regrettably, there are no rumors about a big price drop for the new MacBook Pros, so expect them to start at the typical $2,000 and up.
M3 Pro MacBook Pro design
There hasn’t been much said about the design of the new MacBook Pro. In fact, I would be surprised if you see the aesthetic change at all. And why should they? This streamlined utilitarian frame is gorgeous — an all aluminum beauty that catches the eye from every angle. Plus, we’re in the third generation. It normally takes a couple more years than that to see any overt changes to the design.
The only real difference that could come is what Apple plans to do with that notch atop the display. No, it’s not going to turn into a Dynamic Island. Instead, given the patent application was approved a few months ago, we could finally see Face ID come to the MacBook Pro.
It’s frustrating that it’s taken this long, since Windows Hello has been present for years. But better late than never, I guess.
M3 Pro MacBook Pro performance
Let’s get into the real meat of this upgrade — that M3 Pro or M3 Max chipset. We already know that this new generation of silicon is moving to a 3nm process, which means smaller transistors. Translation: you can stuff more performance and efficiency cores on one of the chips.
| Chip | CPU cores | GPU cores |
|---|---|---|
| M2 Pro | 10 or 12 CPU cores | 16 or 19 GPU cores |
| M2 Max | 12 CPU cores | 30 or 38 GPU cores |
| M3 Pro | 12 or 14 CPU cores | 18 or 20 GPU cores |
| M3 Max | 16 CPU cores | 32 or 40 GPU cores |
That is an enormous increase in core count, which will contribute to significantly improved performance across both chips. Just think about what that 40-core GPU is going to do to tear through your Final Cut Pro exports.
We can expect a new RAM configuration too: 48GB. On the current M2 Max options, you can choose from 32GB, 64GB, and 96GB. We’re not entirely sure whether this will be the new base option for M3 Max, or an interesting middle ground spec, but it’s certainly exciting for those who rely on heavy multitasking.
Outlook
Safe to say you should hold off on any MacBook Pro purchases until these new laptops are in the wild. Even if you decide this is your chance to pick up the M2 Pro or M2 Max, we're already seeing strong Black Friday Apple deals, and this is sure to drop those prices even further.
Follow along with our coverage of the launch tonight and full reviews of whatever is announced in the coming days and weeks. While the current MacBook Pros are going to remain excellent options for many, it's hard not to be tempted by the latest and greatest, so we'll endeavor to let you know if they are worth the upgrade.
