Recent information has emerged on Chinese social media regarding a potentially unreleased configuration of the MacBook Pro, indicating that Apple may have considered a variant featuring the M3 Ultra chip. Currently, the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models are equipped with Apple’s M4 series chips, encompassing the M4, M4 Pro, and M4 Max variations.
Though the M3 series offers similar options, it appears there might have been plans for a fourth configuration. A post on the platform BiliBili has revealed several cancelled configurations for iPhones, iPads, and Macs.
The author of the post draws insights from the operating system of a pre-production prototype of the iPhone 16. It is not uncommon for these devices to include references to unreleased hardware.
The leak identifies two unreleased MacBook Pro variants — labeled J514d and J516d — within the early code for iOS 18. Notably, the existing M3 Pro and M3 Max models are designated as J514m and J516c, which supports the likelihood of an M3 Ultra variant existing.
The use of the “d” suffix in these identifiers suggests the presence of an “Ultra” chip, similar to how the M3 Ultra Mac Studio is referenced as J575d. The M3 Ultra is recognized as one of Apple’s most potent chips, capable of supporting 512GB of unified memory and configurations with a 32-core CPU and an impressive 80-core GPU.
However, packaging such powerful components in a MacBook Pro could pose thermal and power consumption challenges, reminiscent of issues faced by older Intel models. While the leak does mention some noteworthy details, authentication of the software strings remains unconfirmed.
There is also a possibility that these insights could be fabricated. Historically, unreleased hardware references have appeared in early operating system builds, adding a layer of complexity to the authenticity assessment of these claims.
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