We don’t expect much when it comes to 2024 Mac releases, but there is one update we’re looking forward to: the debut of the M3 Ultra.
According to a report from The Elec (registration required), TSMC, the company that makes Apple SoCs, is ready to begin production of the M3 Ultra. In fact, TSMC has developed an improved 3nm process that it will use for the M3 Ultra. . The M3, M3 Pro and M3 Max released last October are produced with the standard 3nm process, and the improved process will achieve chips with better performance and energy efficiency.
The report suggests that the M3 Ultra will be in the Mac Studio update that will be released in the middle of this year, which looks like a debut at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference that usually takes place in June each year. However, the post doesn’t mention the Mac Pro, which arrived at WWDC alongside the M2 Ultra Mac Studio last year. That’s not to say it won’t happen, but as igamesnews contributor Thiago Trevisan points out, the Mac Pro is aimed at a specific niche, and it’s the Mac Studio that’s truly the high-end Mac of ‘Apple for professionals.
The report also notes that the improved 3nm process will be used for the A18 Pro which will be present in the iPhone 16 Pro.
The 3nm process refers to the production of the chip, and 3nm allows for increased transistor density compared to the previous 5nm and enhanced 5nm processes. The higher the transistor density, the better the performance, and the process can also result in better power efficiency. Apple started using 3nm chips with the A17 Pro in the iPhone 15 Pro, followed by the M3 in the iMac and 14-inch MacBook Pro, and by the M3 Pro and Max in the MacBook Pro 14 and 16 inches.
