M3 Ultra will be Apple's first 3nm chip specifically for desktops and is expected to be used in the company's most powerful and expensive machines. According to the latest rumors, the new Apple chip will be launched in mid-2024, but the existing news does not mention MacPro, only MacStudio, suggesting that Apple may only use M3 Ultra in a single product and will not appear in MacPro.
The latest news from TrendForce states that TSMC has begun to obtain new 3-nanometer chip orders from multiple customers, including Apple, and discussed TSMC’s situation. MediaTek, Qualcomm and others will reportedly adopt the Taiwanese semiconductor company's new "N3E" process, which improves yields and lowers single-wafer prices compared to "N3B", which may be why Apple is the latter's only customer. TrendForce pointed out that the N3E node will be used for mass production of A18Pro and M3Ultra, and talked about its launch rumors.
Earlier reports stated that the M3 Ultra is not expected to be unveiled until the end of 2024, while the latest rumors mention that it may be released in the middle of this year. What’s even more interesting is that TrendForce only mentions that the MacStudio will be powered by Apple’s most powerful chipset, and not the MacPro, hinting that Apple may be phasing out larger workstations. When M2 Ultra was announced for MacStudio and MacPro last year, a head-to-head comparison of the two machines revealed a $3,000 price difference for the exact same configuration.
This makes MacStudio more attractive to buy, allowing consumers to save a lot of money while getting a smaller but more powerful machine. Mac Pros with Intel processors can buy "off-the-shelf" memory kits and GPUs and add them to the tower, but the Apple Silicon version removes all that expandability, leaving consumers with few upgrade options. As for the M3 Ultra launch, the latest reports may just be speculation, as Bloomberg's Mark Gurman says the SoC hasn't entered wider testing yet.
With the M3, M3 Pro, and M3 Max barely a few months away, Apple may be slowly preparing the M3 Ultra, as this time gap should allow for higher adoption of the current generation.