AI Macs Incoming: M4 Ultra Targets Workstations in 2025
On October 30 last year, Apple unveiled the M3, M3 Pro, and M3 Max at its “Scary Fast” themed second autumn product launch of 2023, all manufactured using the 3nm process. However, to date, the M3 Ultra has yet to make an appearance. As more information about the M4 series leaks, it raises doubts about whether the M3 Ultra will ever be released.
According to Wccftech, a recent report suggests that Apple plans to equip new Mac workstation products with the M4 Ultra chip, with at least one model expected to launch by mid-2025. With just over a year left, rumors that Apple will focus on optimizing the M4 series chips for artificial intelligence (AI) workloads have led many to speculate that Apple may choose to skip the M3 Ultra and concentrate on the next-generation chip instead.
The M4 Ultra, codenamed Hidra, will be used in the upcoming Mac Studio and Mac Pro. The new Mac Studio is more likely to be released before the new Mac Pro, and will also offer a version equipped with the M4 Max, while the new Mac Pro is expected to wait until the latter half of 2025.
As for the M3 Ultra, there remains considerable uncertainty. Some industry analysts have suggested that Apple will release this chip by the end of 2024, which would be very close to the rumored launch timing of the M4. Market research firms have indicated that the M3 Ultra could arrive by mid-this year. Whether Apple will break its usual pattern of releasing Ultra chips and jump directly to the M4 Ultra remains to be seen.
