苹果M3芯片已启动研发，最早将于2023年下半年发布

苹果的M3将被视为M2的直接继任者，据称新的SoC的核心设计已经启动，乐观估计最快推出时间为2023年下半年。

目前M3的一些细节已经泄露，包括未来可能出现在哪些产品上。台湾《商业时报》发表的新消息称，M3将采用代号Malma，下一代将在台积电的N3E架构上进行量产。N3E据说是N3工艺的改进版，也被称为3纳米。N3据说比N5提供了高达15%的性能提升和高达30%的功耗降低，N3E则进一步提升优化。

报告指出，M3可能在2023年上半年或2024年第一季度发布。不过笔者认为，2023年推出似乎过于乐观，所以暂时保守估计2024年推出。我们可能会在明年看到苹果的第一批3纳米芯片，因为量产已经开始，而且该公司很可能会使用同样的技术来制造A17仿生芯片，据传该芯片将专门用于iPhone 15 Pro和iPhone 15 Pro Max中。

M3可用于MacBook Air等产品，而且苹果有可能增加该机型的显示屏尺寸，由于有更大的冷却解决方案，散热会得到改善。其他潜在产品包括新的iPad Pro系列，以及iMac，未来可能还有iPad Air。我们现在还不知道M3的核心数量，但参考M2和M1，我们可以假设苹果将会再次使用四个性能核心和四个高能效核心。

鉴于以3纳米光刻技术大规模生产芯片的复杂性，台积电有可能在未来遇到问题。这些问题可能会迫使苹果推迟M3的上市时间。

Apple’s M3 will be viewed as a direct successor to the M2, with a new report claiming that core design of the new SoC has kicked off, and the optimistic launch timeline is as early as the second half of 2023. New information published on Taiwan’s Commercial Times states that the M3 will sport the codename Malma, with the impression that the next-generation silicon will be mass produced on TSMC’s N3E architecture. N3E is said to be an improved variant of the N3 process, also known as 3nm. Where N3 is said to provide up to a 15 percent performance bump and up to 30 percent power reduction improvement compared to N5, N3E could further boost those differences. The report states that M3 could launch during the first half of 2023 or in the first quarter of 2024. We believe that 2023 appears to be too optimistic for a launch timeline, so we will stick with 2024 for now. We could see the first batch of 3nm chips from Apple next year, as mass production has started, and it is likely that the company will use the same technology to fabricate the A17 Bionic, which is rumored to be used exclusively in the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max. The M3 could be used in products like the MacBook Air, and there is a chance Apple could increase the display size of this model, resulting in improved thermals thanks to a larger cooling solution. Other potential products include the updated iPad Pro series, along with the refreshed iMac, and possibly an iPad Air in the future. We are unaware of the M3’s core count right now, but looking at the M2 and M1, we are assuming that Apple will once again use four performance cores and four power-efficient ones. Given the complexities of mass producing chips at a 3nm lithography, there is a chance that TSMC will run into problems in the future. Those problems may force Apple to push the launch timeline of the M3, but we will continue to update our readers with the latest information, so stay tuned.