Apple Explains Why the New Mac Studio Doesn't Have an M4 Ultra Chip

AI Analysis

Apple has chosen not to include an M4 Ultra chip in the high-end Mac Studio, citing that not every generation of M-series chips will feature such a tier. This decision has sparked confusion and speculation about the future of Apple's product lines.The reasoning behind this decision suggests that it may be a deliberate choice to maintain a certain level of differentiation between products, rather than a lack of capability to offer more powerful chips. However, this does not explicitly rule out the possibility of an M4 Ultra chip being used in the next Mac Pro desktop tower.As a result, customers may face a scenario where the Mac Studio and Mac Pro continue to lack significant differences in terms of performance, potentially affecting purchasing decisions.

Key Points

  • r.
  • The information provides valuable insights for those interested in AI.
  • Understanding AI requires attention to the details presented in this content.

Original Article

Apple today updated the Mac Studio with mismatched M4 Max and M3 Ultra chip options. Naturally, this has led people to wonder why Apple opted for an M3 Ultra instead of an M4 Ultra chip, and the answer is fairly interesting.


Apple told Ars Technica's Andrew Cunningham that not every generation of M-series chips for Macs will include an "Ultra" chip.

"When asked why the high-end Mac Studio was getting an M3 Ultra chip instead of an M4 Ultra, Apple told us that not every chip generation will get an 'Ultra' tier," he wrote.

Perhaps that means we will never get an M4 Ultra chip?

Apple's explanation leads us to wonder which chip the next Mac Pro desktop tower will use. Both the Mac Studio and Mac Pro were updated with the M2 Ultra chip simultaneously in June 2023, and many people in the Apple community felt that the Mac Pro was thereby a bad buy since it costs thousands of dollars more than the Mac Studio despite there being a perceived lack of differentiation between the computers.

When the rumor broke yesterday that the Mac Studio would be updated with M3 Ultra chip, there was hope that Apple would eventually update the Mac Pro with an M4 Ultra chip, for increased differentiation between the computers. Apple's explanation doesn't bode well for that possibility, although it does not explicitly rule it out.

The next Mac Pro could simply end up getting the M3 Ultra chip, and maintain that lack of differentiation over the Mac Studio.

To learn more about the M3 Ultra chip, which is effectively two M3 Max chips combined, read our coverage of Apple's announcement.
Related Roundup: Mac Studio
Buyer's Guide: Mac Studio (Buy Now)
Related Forum: Mac Studio

This article, "Apple Explains Why the New Mac Studio Doesn't Have an M4 Ultra Chip" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

Share This Article

Hashtags for Sharing

Comments