The wait is nearly over. The MacBook Pro M5 Pro and M5 Max launch looks imminent, and Apple seemingly just leaked its own upcoming chips in an iOS beta — even including a reference to M5 Ultra.
Code spotted in the iOS 26.3 beta by user Nicolás Alvarez (via MacRumors) includes references to two new M5 chips: H17C (T6051) and H17D (T6052). The current MacBook Pro M5's chip reference is H17G, with the "17" indicating it's part of the M5 family.
This shows these unreleased chips are M5 variants for upcoming MacBook Pro models. Interestingly, when referencing chips, Apple uses "C" for its Max SoCs, and "D" for its Ultra models. In this case, it means we can expect M5 Max and M5 Ultra.
An M5 Ultra MacBook Pro?
We've been anticipating M5 Pro and M5 Max MacBook Pro models, but there's no sign of an H17S in the beta, with "S" used for Pro chips. Now, Apple may have simply not included a reference for its M5 Pro chip, or it could be changing up its reference numbering.
However, this leads to two possibilities:
- Apple is releasing MacBook Pro M5 Max and M5 Ultra models.
- A Mac Studio with M5 Ultra is on the way.
We've heard hints that a Mac Studio with M5 Ultra is coming this year, with Apple skipping the M4 Ultra. Currently, the latest Mac Studio comes with mismatched M4 Max and M3 Ultra chip options, as there isn't an M4 Ultra chip.
Since we've yet to see a MacBook Pro with an Ultra chip, it seems more likely that this chip will be for a Mac Studio. However, Apple could surprise with an all-new, powerful laptop.
Currently, we expect the next MacBook Pro models to be purely a performance upgrade without any major changes, just like the MacBook Pro with M5. For the chips themselves, we should see up to a 14-core CPU for M5 Pro and a 16-core for M5 Max, along with up to a 20-core GPU for M5 Pro and a 40-core for M5 Max.
Many have been gearing up for a MacBook Pro M5 Pro and M5 Max launch, and while recent reports signalling an imminent drop haven't rung true yet, seeing references to these chips show that Apple is gearing up to deliver new laptops soon. And now, it looks like M5 Ultra may be joining the party.
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