Apple’s renowned M3 Ultra chip is currently exclusive to the Mac Studio and has not yet appeared in any laptops. Recent leaks suggest, however, that the tech giant has tested the M3 Ultra chip in the MacBook Pro lineup as well.
The information originates from a user on the Chinese social platform BiliBili, who claims to have discovered code references for unreleased MacBook Pro models, specifically the 14-inch and 16-inch variants, equipped with the M3 Ultra. According to this source, the references have been found in an internal build of iOS 18 running on an iPhone 16 prototype.
The claim includes the identification of codenames J514d and J516d located within a specific directory. Notably, the codenames J514 and J516 correspond to the existing 14-inch and 15-inch MacBook Pro models that house the M3 Pro and M3 Max processors, introduced in October 2023.
While the leak’s credibility remains unverified, the ‘d’ designation in the codenames may imply a connection to the Ultra chip, paralleling the J575d codename associated with the Mac Studio featuring the M3 Ultra. Currently, the M3 Ultra stands as Apple’s most powerful chip, boasting a 32-core CPU, an 80-core GPU, and support for up to 512GB of unified memory.
A MacBook Pro outfitted with this chip would represent an impressive engineering achievement. However, Apple chose to launch the recent MacBook Pro models with M4, M4 Pro, and M4 Max options, seemingly bypassing the Ultra chip.
This decision could relate to potential overheating issues and their impact on battery life, particularly in a laptop format. While the current top-tier MacBook Pro can already support a maximum of 128GB of unified memory, the idea of an Ultra-powered version leaves many tech enthusiasts intrigued and wanting more.