Rumors of the M4 Ultra’s demise may have been premature. 
Despite Apple’s recent focus on the M3 Ultra for the refreshed Mac Studio, leaked internal code suggests the tech giant is still working on its most ambitious Apple Silicon yet – potentially destined for a future Mac Pro.
While many assumed the M4 Ultra project was shelved due to its high R&D costs and niche market, code spotted by Macworld reveals a unique identifier ‘t8152’ and a codename ‘Hidra,’ pointing toward ongoing development. The leak contradicts earlier assumptions that the absence of an M4 Ultra alongside the M3 Ultra was a clear sign of cancellation.
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has previously noted that production challenges have been a major roadblock, explaining why we only see the M3 Ultra powering current Mac Studio models. Without the UltraFusion connector found in previous chip generations, any M4 Ultra may need to be a single, monolithic die – an expensive and complex design to mass-produce.
Apple’s cautious approach likely stems from the Mac Pro’s limited sales volume and steep pricing. When the M2 Ultra-powered Mac Studio and Mac Pro launched, both offered identical core counts, but the Mac Pro carried a staggering $3,000 premium. Unless Apple is confident the M4 Ultra can drive strong revenue or deliver a breakthrough in performance, its debut may remain on hold.
Still, the possibility of a truly “ultra” chip with unprecedented performance and memory bandwidth has sparked excitement among fans, and this latest leak keeps hopes alive for Apple’s most powerful Mac yet.