M3 Macs On The Way At Apple’s ‘Scary Fast’ October Event

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Midnight.

That’s the time we UK folk will need to stay up for in order to enjoy Apple’s surprise October event next week.

That’s right – we are indeed getting ‘one more thing’ from Apple (presumably) in 2023, and it is already one of the most intriguing events for two specific reasons.

Firstly, that bloody timing. I’m not blaming Tim for picking such an unsociable hour for us Brits – I’m a relatively new father and, therefore, used to being woken at ungodly hours to deal with unexpected news. But 5PM Pacific time is such an unusual choice for Apple. Why so late in the day? Why a completely different time zone to what is usually quoted?

Secondly, for the first time in – well, forever, I think – they’ve told us what the event is about. Once the spooky moonlit glow of the Apple logo recedes on the virtual event invite, we’re presented with an equally Halloween-ish (see what they did there?) retro Mac logo.

This is a Mac event.

As always, none of us knows what’s going to happen next week – even Rapidly Wilting Once-Rumour-Renegade-Master-And-Now-Muser-Of-Historic-Information-And-His-Own-Preference-For-New-Apple-Hardware Mark Gurman.

But it’s fun to take a few stabs in the dark.

See what I did there?

The case for the M2 iMac

This, unfortunately, makes the most sense. And I say “unfortunately” because, well, it’s a bit boring, isn’t it? Overdue and much-needed, yes, but chucking what is currently the latest piece of Apple silicon into a Mac that has been left to age on the shelf doesn’t really warrant a full event, does it?

That’s press release material.

The M2 has issues. If you buy the base spec version, it is technically slower than the M1 chip it replaced. Much has been said about this – including by yours truly – and while it feels as though that particular grumble has faded somewhat, it still makes the M2 a rather underwhelming choice for Apple’s all-in-one.

There is another possibility, though. What if Apple skips the base M2 chip for the iMac entirely, leaves the M1 version on the shelf and instead gives us a pro-focused M2 Pro and M2 Max version?

Having immediately fallen in love with my M2 Pro Mac mini, I can confirm that the emergence of an iMac with the same chip and a lovely built-in Retina display is very tantalising. It feels like it could happen next week, too.

The case for the M3 iMac

This would fit in with the ‘scary fast’ theme of the October event invite, wouldn’t it? After all, as fast as those M2 Pro and M2 Max chips might be, we’re familiar with them; why would Apple repeat what it told us earlier this year?

A brand-new, ultra-fast chip built on the long-awaited 3-nanometer process would make far more sense. It would, presumably, be as ‘scary fast’ as we’re promised and give Apple the chance to end 2023 on a massive high.

The problem? We’ve been told for months by ‘those close to the matter’ that it isn’t ready yet. We were given the M2 Pro, M2 Max, and M2 Ultra chips only a few months ago. We should never put it past Apple moving on swiftly from previous hardware releases, but it all just feels a bit too soon, doesn’t it?

Maybe not. Maybe the supply chain antics behind the scenes have been so chaotic that the release schedule for Apple silicon is completely all over the place. After all, once you commit to something as big as a new chip roll-out, you kinda have to stick with it, don’t you?

The outside bets

Apple’s October event is online-only. This presumably means that it’ll be entirely pre-recorded and without any fanfare at Apple Park. Despite this, it’s still a big deal – Apple doesn’t take to the virtual stage for stuff that would be best served as a press release.

This means something big is coming, and as much as I want to see a new iMac, I’m struggling to see how a single update to an existing design can warrant anything more than a press release.

So; what else, Tim?

There are three possibilities. The first is the launch of a brand-new big iMac – a successor to the much-loved and now completely dead 27-inch 5K version. Rumours of a 32-inch pro-focused variant have been bubbling under the surface for a while now, but most analysts seem to think it’s not going to arrive for at least another year. I’m inclined to agree, I’m afraid.

Next is the possibility of new MacBook Pros featuring the M3 chip (or variants thereof). However, as I mentioned earlier this week, the timing for this feels totally off; those Macs were updated less than a year ago.

How pissed off would you be if you splashed out on a top-spec MacBook Pro in January?

Apple won’t take those purchases into consideration, though – it has shareholders to satisfy. And, if the M3 platform is ready… why not?

Lastly, there’s the extreme outside chance of new iPads appearing next week. For me, this is the most outside bet of them all. We are clearly getting a Mac-focussed event, and I can’t imagine Apple delivering a ‘one more thing’ style reveal of a slightly update iPad mini. Sorry.

What do you want to see?

Don’t worry – if you’re based in the UK, you don’t need to stay up for next week’s event; I’ll be doing that for you.

I’ll also be reviewing whatever we’re presented with next week. Personally, I really want to see that 24-inch iMac updated, and as much as I’d also love to see a big iMac appear, I’m far more interested personally in an M3 MacBook Pro to replace my 16-inch M1 Max monster.

What about you? What are you hoping to see at Apple’s ‘scary fast’ event next week?

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