Apple announced the new M4 chip earlier this year with the release of the new OLED iPad Pro models, and the chip has received additional upgrades for the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models. The company has big plans for the M4 chip, especially when it has officially introduced Apple Intelligence to the public. A new report suggests that Apple plans to use its M4 chips for Apple Intelligence servers next year, which will replace the company's M2 Ultra chips.
Apple plans to use M4 chips for Apple Intelligence servers next year, but it is unclear what version of the chip will be used
According to information obtained from Nikkei Asia, Apple Intelligence servers will use a version of the M4 chip, potentially the Ultra variant, starting next year. This means that the M4 Ultra chip will replace the M2 Ultra chips in the company's AI-focused servers. The report also mentions that the company has poached its main supplier, Foxconn, which will build additional Apple Intelligence servers in Taiwan.
It remains to be seen which variant of the M4 chip the company will use for its servers, but based on its trends and the rising user base for Apple Intelligence, we presume that the company will use the M4 Ultra. Another evidence supporting this hypothesis is the company's past trends, as it used the M2 Ultra chip instead of the 'Pro' or 'Max' variant. Apple has not yet announced its highly anticipated M4 Ultra chip, but past rumors have suggested that the company will debut the chipset in the latter half of 2025.
The M4 Ultra chip will launch with the introduction of the new Mac Pro and Mac Studio, and the chipset will deliver enhanced computational gains and massive graphical performance upgrades. The chip is expected to beat Nvidia's GeForce RTX 4090 in both OpenCL and Vulkan APIs, making the SoC the perfect option for the company.
However, Jeff Pu from Haitong Securities stated that the company will use the base M4 chip in its Apple Intelligence servers, leaving the Ultra variant out of the equation. Furthermore, it is also unclear if the company will immediately replace the M2 Ultra chip with the M4 chip in its servers or roll out the transition gradually. Apple Intelligence servers serve user commands that rely on cloud-based processing.
These features rely on cloud-based computing because some tasks require more processing power than some mobile chips can handle on the device. Apple will introduce more Apple Intelligence features next month, including Siri's ability to integrate with ChatGPT for assistance wherever needed. We will let you know when the update is available.
About the author: Ali Salman is a technology reporter for Wccftech mobile section with a specialized focus on Apple and the intellectual property that drives mobile innovation. He has cultivated a unique expertise in analyzing and deconstructing complex technology patents, translating dense legal and technical documents into clear, insightful reports on future products.
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