A supply chain report from Taiwanese publication DigiTimes claims that Apple’s chipmaking partner TSMC has started test-producing M3 chips built on its 3nm process node called N3.

The report cites anonymous industry sources that Apple devices equipped with the 3nm chip will likely debut in 2023 after TSMC begins producing the new chips en-masse in the fourth quarter of 2022. The rather far-flung rumor claims that the 3nm chips will be seen powering the iPhone 15 models with the A17 chip and Apple Silicon Macs with the M3 chip.

Last month, The Information’s Wayne Ma speculated that some of the M3 chips would have up to four dies, translating into those chips having a 40-core CPU. For context, the current generation’s most powerful M1 Max and M1 Pro chips have a 10-core CPU while the more affordably-priced M1 chip has an 8-core CPU.

As for TSMC, the rumor claims that the advancements in the 3nm process node should allow the M3 chip to enter mass production in Q4 2022 and reach customers such as Apple in Q1 2023. These new chips allegedly bring better performance and power efficiency to the table, which could translate into better performance and battery life for the MacBooks and the iPhone.

For now, details are bleak, and we will wait for confirmation from reliable sources before we get excited about these chips. Meanwhile, we can make do with the M1 Silicon Macs that already deliver industry-leading performance per watt while running silently and cool.