Apple's 2024 iPads & Macs will get new 3nm chips, analyst says - but people might not buy them

Apple's 2024 lineup of new iPads and Macs will all use improved chips according to one well-connected supply chain analyst. But that might not be enough to make people actually buy them, they say.

Speaking in a larger Medium post about Apple's plans for next year, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo says that Apple will use 3nm chips for its new models next year. That matches expectations that the new machines will all get upgraded M3 chips to replace the M2 family that is currently on sale. But the analyst also warns that a "lack of growth drivers" could mean that there will be a lack of growth for Apple's new products.

Growth drivers like the COVID pandemic and the initial switch away from Intel chips caused plenty of people to buy new Macs, especially of the laptop kind. But Kuo says that the lack of similar drivers could mean that the new Macs and iPads won't be as attractive.

However, the iPad Pro is one device that is expected to get a big update. With 11 and 13-inch tablets set to arrive, we're told to expect new M3 chips alongside upgraded OLED displays that should allow for improved brightness and contrast. It's also possible that they will improve battery life thanks to a new refresh rate as low as 1Hz like the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro before it. Could we also see an always-on display come to the iPad for the first time as a result?

None of that is expected to happen until 2024 of course, but there have been rumors of an M3 iMac refresh taking place before the end of this year.