The new Mac Studio is available with mismatched M4 Max and M3 Ultra chip options. Will there be an M4 Ultra chip in the future, though? It looks unlikely.
Here are three reasons why Apple might never release an M4 Ultra chip.
First, among Apple’s line of Mac chips, the highest-end Ultra chips are effectively two Max chips fused together with a technology called UltraFusion. So, the M1 Ultra chip is two M1 Max chips combined, and the M2 Ultra chip is two M2 Max chips combined. However, Apple confirmed that the M4 Max chip lacks an UltraFusion connector, so that means Apple cannot simply release a doubled-up M4 Ultra chip this time around.
Second, Apple told several journalists and YouTubers that not every generation of Mac chips will have an “Ultra” chip. The timing of Apple revealing this information suggests that we might never get an M4 Ultra chip.
The third reason was shared by Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman today.
In his Power On newsletter, he said that Apple is reluctant to develop an M4 Ultra chip from scratch due to production challenges, costs, and the relatively small sales volume of its desktop computers, like the Mac Studio. So, that seems to rule out the only other way in which Apple could have released an M4 Ultra chip.
Maybe we will see UltraFusion return on the M5 Max chip, paving the way for an M5 Ultra chip?
Popular Stories
iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 8 New Features
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. iPhone 17 Pro’s alleged design via Front Page Tech Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of March 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone…
Apple Says New MacBook Air Up to 23x Faster Than Intel-Based Model, But Read the Fine Print
Apple has a staggering marketing claim for the new MacBook Air with the M4 chip. Specifically, Apple says the new MacBook Air is up to 23x faster than the last Intel-based model. However, there are some details in the fine print to be aware of. First, Apple said it compared a new 2025 MacBook Air with a 10-core M4 chip and 32GB of RAM to a 2020 MacBook Air with a quad-core Intel Core i7…
iPhone 17 Air and 17 Pro Max Allegedly Same Size Apart From Thickness
Apple’s all-new ultra-thin iPhone 17 Air shares the same dimensions as the iPhone 17 Pro Max, with the only difference being in the thickness of the devices, according to the leaker Ice Universe. Posting to their Weibo account, the Chinese leaker today claimed that the iPhone 17 Air and iPhone 17 Pro Max have identical body length, width, screen size, and bezels. “The only difference is the…
Apple Delays Apple Intelligence Siri Features
Apple is delaying some of the Apple Intelligence Siri features that it expected to release in iOS 18, an Apple spokesperson said in a statement to Daring Fireball. Apple says that it is going to take longer than expected to roll out the more personalized Siri experience, and that these features will be rolled out “in the coming year.””Siri helps our users find what they need and get things…
Everything Apple Announced This Week
It’s been a busy week for Apple, with new products announced on Tuesday and Wednesday. We’re now caught up on what’s been rumored for a spring launch, so we thought we’d recap everything Apple came out with this week. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. iPad Air Apple updated the iPad Air on Tuesday, updating it with the new M3 chip. The iPad Air still comes in…
iOS 18.4 Upgrades CarPlay in Two Ways
The upcoming iOS 18.4 update for the iPhone includes two smaller but meaningful improvements for Apple’s in-car iPhone mirroring system CarPlay. First, CarPlay now shows a third row of icons, up from two rows previously. However, this change is only visible in vehicles with a larger center display. For example, a MacRumors Forums member noticed the change in a Toyota Tundra with a 14-inch…
iPhone 17 Pro Max Said to Be Thicker to Accommodate Larger Battery
Apple has increased the thickness of the upcoming iPhone 17 Pro Max compared to the current generation iPhone 16 Pro Max, claims the Chinese leaker known as Ice Universe. Apple is said to have increased the depth of the iPhone 17 Pro Max to 8.725mm, up from 8.25mm on the iPhone 16 Pro Max, which would be a 0.475mm difference in thickness. The increase “surely means a larger battery,”…
New MacBook Air Quietly Fixes This Decades-Long Design Oversight
In a move that probably won’t make headlines but should delight detail-oriented Mac users everywhere, Apple has quietly corrected a 26-year-old design inconsistency on its keyboards. The Mute key, a staple on Mac keyboards since the PowerBook G3 ‘Lombard’ debuted in 1999, has finally received a logical redesign on the new MacBook Air with M4 chip. As spotted by iCulture, the key now displays …
Apple Has Finally Solved One of the MacBook Air’s Biggest Limitations
The new MacBook Air has a useful upgrade: it natively supports up to two external displays, in addition to the laptop’s built-in display. In other words, the latest MacBook Air can be used with a pair of external displays without needing to keep the laptop’s lid closed. Apple’s tech specs for the new 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air:Simultaneously supports full native resolution on the…
