A new rumor coming out of Taiwan claims Apple is preparing a new Mac Studio model powered by its M3 Ultra chip for a mid-2024 launch. That information comes from a report from Taiwanese research firm TrendForce citing ICsmart.
Apple’s current Mac Studio, which offers M2 and M2 Ultra chip options, debuted at WWDC in June 2023. If a new M3 Ultra-powered Mac Studio is set for a mid-year debut, it could make its initial appearance at WWDC 2024.
Oddly enough, Apple’s only other “Ultra-powered” Mac model, the Mac Pro, doesn’t rate a mention in the report. It would be logical to think that the Mac Pro would receive an M3 Ultra upgrade alongside the Mac Studio, but there are no indications that such an upgrade is being readied for this year.
The tzrendForce report claims that the M3 Ultra chip will be fabricated with TSMC’s N3E node – just like the A18 chip that is expected to debut in the iPhone 16 later in the year. That would make it Apple’s first N3E chip. The M3, M3 Pro, and M3 Max chips are fabricated with TSMC’s N3B process, the same as the A17 Pro. N3E is an enhanced version of TSMC’s 3nm fabrication process, which offers slightly better performance and higher production yield.
Apple’s “Ultra” chips comprise two “Max” chips linked via its UltraFusion chip interconnect technology, so it would be somewhat unusual for Apple to make the M3 Ultra its first N3E chip. That means an N3E M3 Ultra would effectively be the equivalent of two M4 Max chips. Using different nodes in the same family of chips would be unusual.
If Apple does go this route, it could indicate that the Cupertino company is planning to debut M4, M4 Pro, and M4 Max chips sooner rather than later, perhaps in late 2024. Such a move would ensure that the M3 Ultra Mac Studio remains competitive with the M4 chips.
Reports like this should always be taken with a grain of your favorite low-sodium seasoning. However, we will keep our eyes peeled for additional info and will let you know if we discover anything new.