Mac Studio and Mac Pro models updated with an M3 Ultra processor that we expected to arrive soon reportedly have been canceled. Apparently, professional Mac users shouldn’t look out for new hardware with faster processors at WWDC24 in June. And the wait might actually stretch until next year’s WWDC25.
It seems Apple already moved on from its M3 series processors, so there are no new chips ready to go into these high-end desktops. However, if you’re interested in the M3 MacBook Pro, you can explore how it compares to other Macs in this in-depth Mac Studio vs. Mac Pro comparison.
No Mac Studio or Mac Pro with Apple M3 Ultra?
Until this year, Apple silicon followed a pattern: The basic M-series processor came out, followed by increasingly powerful Pro, Max and Ultra versions. That held through the M1 series and M2 series. And there was an assumption that the pattern would continue after the first M3 chips debuted in late 2023.
But Apple threw the rulebook out the window when it launched the M4 processor in the new iPad Pro before all the M3-series variants arrived. And rather than introduce Macs with the M3 Ultra, Apple supposedly dropped that processor.
Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman said in the paywalled section of his Power On newsletter that no new versions of Mac Studio and Mac Pro will launch until the middle of 2025. Gurman’s predictions often prove generally accurate.
Bring on the Apple M4 Ultra
Not surprisingly, Apple hasn’t revealed why it brought out the M4 a mere six months after the M3, long before anyone expected it, a move that seemingly killed the M3 Ultra. One possibility is a security flaw recently found hardwired into the M series. Perhaps the new M4 gave Apple the opportunity to remove it.
Also, the performance gain between the M2 CPU core and the M3 CPU core is only about 12%, according to benchmarking scores. But the jump from the M2 core to the M4 core is 34%. In other words, an M3 Ultra would have been marginally better than its predecessor while the M4 Ultra will be significantly better.
Plus, that extra year will give Apple time to put the M4 Ultra in the 2025 Mac Studio and Mac Pro.
On the downside, Apple’s two premier Macs for high-end use would depend on M2-series chips long after the company’s other computers moved to the M4 series. It’s not impossible that a MacBook Pro running an M4 Max expected this autumn will outperform the current Mac Studio and Mac Pro with M2 Ultra.
