Starting in late 2024 and through 2025, the entire Mac lineup will be updated with M4 chips. This will include a new M4 for the Mac Studio, Apple’s mid-range desktop machine.
Development of the M4 chips
Several M4 chips are in development, including the standard M4, M4 Pro and M4 Max, as well as a more advanced version called “Hidra”. This could be the “Ultra”, or something even more powerful.
Speculation about the Ultra chip
The M2 Ultra, part of the M2 lineup, consists of two M2 Max chips connected together. Although the M3 Ultra does not exist yet, the M3 Max chip architecture led to speculation that future Ultra chips could be standalone.
Focus on artificial intelligence
Apple now focuses on artificial intelligence across its entire product line, and the M4 is expected to improve AI and machine learning performance.
Unified Memory
Mac Studio models may support up to 500 GB of Unified Memory, a substantial increase over the current 192 GB limit.
Uncertainty about the M3 update
Since Apple already plans to update to M4 chips in 2025, it is unclear whether there will be an M3 update this year. The company is testing a Mac Studio version with an M3 processor, which may indicate an update later this year and a second one the following year.
