Apple preps first Mac with M2 Ultra chip and M2 Max desktop ahead of WWDC

Just yesterday, Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman reported that Apple is expected to announce “several new Macs” at the WWDC 2023 keynote on Monday. However, the journalist didn’t provide any details about which Macs the company would introduce. Now Gurman is back with a new report, which claims that the company is testing two new Mac desktops with the M2 Max and M2 Ultra chips ahead of the event.

New desktop Macs coming soon with M2 Max and M2 Ultra chips

According to today’s Bloomberg report, Apple has been internally testing two new Mac models codenamed “Mac 14,13” and “Mac 14,14.” Gurman specifies that both Macs are desktops and will run on the M2 Max chip, the same one already available in the high-end versions of the MacBook Pro introduced earlier this year.

However, there’s also a new configuration with the M2 Ultra chip, which is yet to be announced by Apple. While M2 Max has a 12-core CPU and 30-core GPU with support for up to 96 GB of RAM, M2 Ultra will double all of those specs. The new chip will be available with a 24-core CPU, 60-core GPU, and up to 192GB of RAM. A higher-end version of the M2 Ultra has a 76-core GPU.

Gurman notes that the M2 Ultra chip was originally designed for the Apple Silicon Mac Pro. However, the design progress of that machine is pretty unclear at this point, so the company will end up putting the new chip into Mac Studio – which still has M1 Max and M1 Ultra chips.

The new Mac Studio will be targeted at professional users who work with demanding tasks such as video editing and 3D rendering. Once again, Apple will try to sell Mac Studio as a replacement for the Mac Pro – at least until the company decides on the future of its modular desktop. In addition to a new Mac Studio, the journalist once again said that a new 15-inch MacBook Air is also expected soon.

Apple recently sent out an internal memo to its retail stores saying it will begin accepting the Mac Studio and the M2 MacBook Air into its trade-in program starting next week.

What about M3?

MacBook Air 13

9to5Mac has heard from sources that Apple has been working on new 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air with the M3 chip. A new 13-inch MacBook Pro powered by M3 is also being worked on. The last time these laptops were updated was in June last year.

In today’s report, Bloomberg seems to agree that Apple has been developing two new MacBook Air models, a new 13-inch MacBook Pro and an iMac with the M3 chip. However, the first M3 Macs are not expected to be ready until the end of the year.

How to watch the keynote

WWDC 2023 opening keynote will take place on Monday, June 5, at 10 a.m. PT/1 p.m. ET. Keep it locked to 9to5Mac for comprehensive coverage leading up to the event. We’ll also be onsite for WWDC 2023 all week long. You can also follow more details about the event with the Apple Developer app.


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