Apple tested MacBook Pro with powerful M3 Ultra processor - iOS 18 leak
In a new leak that appeared on the Chinese social network BiliBili, it became known that Apple was testing a MacBook Pro with the top-end M3 Ultra processor.
Here's What We Know
This was reported by an anonymous user who found references to unreleased MacBook Pro 14 and 16-inch models with M3 Ultra in the internal build of iOS 18. The found codes J514d and J516d hint at these variants.
For comparison, current MacBook Pro models with M3 Pro and M3 Max processors have J514 and J516 codes without the "d" suffix. The same suffix is used in Mac Studio with M3 Ultra (J575d). Apple has never released a MacBook Pro with an Ultra processor before, so this discovery is considered important.
The internal build of iOS 18. Illustration: BiliBili
The M3 Ultra processor is Apple's most powerful chip to date, with 32 CPU cores, up to 80 GPU cores, and support for up to 512GB of combined memory. This chip delivers significantly higher performance than the current M3 Max variants used in the MacBook Pro. However, the high heat dissipation and power consumption requirements are likely the reason why Apple decided not to release the MacBook Pro with M3 Ultra.
The M3 Ultra processor consumes about 140W of power, which is almost twice as much as the M2 Max (79W). This can make it difficult for laptops to cool down and run on battery power for a long time.
In October 2024, Apple updated its MacBook Pro 14 and 16-inch lineup with new M4, M4 Pro, and M4 Max chips. These models have up to 16 CPU cores, up to 40 GPU cores, and support for up to 128 GB of combined memory, which provides high performance with better thermal management and energy efficiency.
So far, all indications are that Apple has been considering M3 Ultra for the MacBook Pro, but there are no plans to release such models yet.
Source: MacRumors
