What’s the story so far?

The 13-inch MacBook Pro released in 2022 is underwhelming, to say the least. Sure, it sports an M2 chip that provides pretty good performance and decent battery life in a lightweight package. Its design looks very dated, ports are lacking, it still has a Touch Bar, it only has a 720p webcam, and there’s no MagSafe. Put it alongside the new 14-inch MacBook Pro and 16-inch MacBook Pro models that dropped in January 2023, and it looks positively ancient.

Thankfully, if the rumours are to be believed, we may not have too much longer to wait for a new entry-level MacBook Pro, with an updated model potentially landing before the year is out. Here’s what we know so far based on some of the key MacBook Pro 2023 rumours, including whether it’ll get the yet-unannounced M3 chip.

13-inch MacBook Pro 2023 release date

We’ve already seen two new MacBook Pro models launched in 2023. The 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models run the M2 Pro and M2 Max chips and include welcome features such as HDMI ports and SD card slots. Will Apple really release another updated MacBook Pro this year?

Well, all the indications seem to point to the answer being yes. According to Mark Gurman of Bloomberg, as well as the September announcement of the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro models, Apple should also be hosting another launch in October. The likelihood is that this launch will focus on a new iMac, a 13-inch MacBook Air, and a 13-inch MacBook Pro. Apple announced an event for October 30, 2023, at 5 pm PT, so this would be the logical place and time for the company to reveal the new 13-inch MacBook Pro.

MacBook Pro 2023 hardware and specs

There isn’t a huge amount of information about the hardware or specs of the MacBook Pro 2023, but there is one thing that most analysts seem to agree on: it’s going to be one of the first Macs to contain the new M3 chip.

All the way back in March, MacRumors reported that sources had confirmed the development of a refreshed MacBook Pro that would contain the M3 chip, and these have been backed up by reports from Mark Gurman. The likelihood is that the MacBook Pro will contain the base M3 chip.

We don’t know a huge amount about the M3 chip as yet. We’ve heard that it’s expected to be built on the 3nm process, but that’s about it. However, Mark Gurman has provided some indication that the M3 Pro chip will contain 12 CPU cores, 18 GPU cores, and up to 36GB of RAM. The base M2 chip has 8 CPU cores and 8 GPU cores, compared to the base M2 Pro chip with 10 CPU cores and 16 GPU cores. Based on these numbers, we might expect the M3 chip that will appear in the MacBook Pro launched at the end of 2023 to contain 10 CPU cores and at least 10 GPU cores. However, MacRumor’s sources have reported that the entry-level M3 chip will have 8 cores to match the M1 and M2 chips.

It’s not all been good news about the M3 chip. Popular tech leaker Revegnus tweeted in May that supply issues with the M3 chip mean that we might not see an M3 chip in a Mac until at least 2024.

However, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo suggested only a month earlier that the M3 chip was likely to go into production in the second half of 2023. Who is right remains to be seen. Later, Kuo doubled down, posting that the 13-inch MacBook Pro that’s expected to be at Apple’s October 30 Scary Fast event will have the brand new M3 chip, which made the affair much more exciting.

MacBook Pro 2023 design

We know very little about the design of the MacBook Pro 2023, other than it will be a 13-inch model, but it’s possible to make some fairly sound educated guesses. The update should address some of the major issues with the 13-inch MacBook Pro (2022). This includes the return of physical function keys (farewell Touch Bar), an upgraded webcam, and the return of our beloved MagSafe. The HDMI port and SD card reader that made it onto the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models would be nice to see but don’t hold your breath.

We should also get an update in looks, too. The 13-inch MacBook Pro really looks dated compared to the current lineup, so expect a design refresh to bring the entry-level MacBook Pro more into line with the style of the latest Macs.

MacBook Pro 2023 price

The 2022 13-inch M2 MacBook Pro costs $1,299/£1,349, and the previous M1 model launched at a similar starting price. However, we would expect there to be a fairly significant price bump for the MacBook Pro 2023. The base level 14-inch MacBook Pro running on an M2 Pro starts from $1,999/£2,149, and the new 13-inch MacBook Pro is likely to be closer to that kind of price range that it is to its predecessor.

MacBook Pro 2023: What’s the story so far?

Here are the key rumours that we’ve heard about the MacBook Pro 2023.

24 October 2023: Apple announced the Scary Fast event; Kuo suggests M3 MacBook Pro is coming

First, Apple sent out invitations to the press for an event called Scary Fast, which lined up with the expected announcement window for the 13-inch MacBook Pro. Shortly after, noted analyst Ming-Chi Kuo suggested that the MacBook Pro at the event would feature the M3 chip.

16 July 2023: 13-inch MacBook Pro likely to be one of the first Macs to feature M3 chip, coming this October

In his Power On newsletter, Mark Gurman reports that he has been told that there will probably be another launch in October, and the focus of this launch will be new Macs. The likelihood is that these will be the first Macs to use the M3 chip, and will include a new iMac, 13-inch MacBook Air, and 13-inch MacBook Pro.

3 May 2023: M3 Macs won’t be making an appearance in 2023

Well-known leaker Revegnus dropped the news on Twitter that supply issues with the M3 chip means that there may not be any Macs dropping until at least 2024.

20 April 2023: M3 chips to enter production in the second half of 2023

Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo tweets that the M3 chip is likely to go into production in the second half of 2023.

16 April 2023: M3 MacBook Pro should go on sale either this year or early 2024

Mark Gurman predicts that the new M3 Mac models, including an entry-level 13-inch MacBook Pro, should hit the market in 2023 or early 2024, but won’t be ready for WWDC in June.

14 April 2023: Apple working on a new 13-inch MacBook Pro

According to Mark Gurman, Apple is working on updates to the 13-inch MacBook Air, the 24-inch iMac and the 13-inch MacBook Pro.

6 March 2023: Updated 13-inch MacBook Pro will feature an 8-core M3 chip

According to 9to5Mac’s sources, Apple is working on 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air models, as well as an updated 13-inch MacBook Pro. All three laptops will run on the new M3 chip which will have 8 cores.