Apple's upcoming 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models are set to be mass produced in the fourth quarter of 2022 with M2 chips possibly made using a 5nm process, according to Ming-Chi Kuo.
In a tweet on Monday, Kuo said that the upcoming 14-inch MacBook Pro and 16-inch MacBook Pro will enter mass production in Q4 2022. However, he cast doubt on rumors that the devices could sport chips built on TSMC's 3nm processes.
According to Kuo, TSMC has offered guidance that its 3nm process will contribute to its revenue in the first half of 2023. Although Apple is likely to be one of the first companies to get its hands on chips with the new process, Kuo take's TSMC's guidance as evidence that it won't be in 2022.
In other words, the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro chips, which will likely be M2 Pro and M2 Max, will be created using TSMC's existing 5nm advanced nodes.
Kuo's forecast here differs from other sources, including a report from the Taiwanese-based Commercial Times that indicated Apple would be using 3nm-based chips by the end of 2022.
According to the Commercial Times, TSMC's mass production of 3nm-based wafers will kick off in September. Given that Kuo expects MacBook Pro models to enter mass production in the fourth quarter, there's still a chance that the new models could use TSMC's latest technology.
Prior reports indicate that Apple will use the M2 Pro chip — and possibly an M2 Max — in its 14-inch MacBook Pro, 16-inch MacBook Pro, and Mac mini models later in 2022 or early 2023.
