M5 Max and M5 Ultra Chips Spotted in iOS 26.3 Code Ahead of New Macs

Apple is laying the software groundwork for its next wave of high-end Macs. Code found within this week's iOS 26.3 Release Candidate reveals references to a pair of unreleased processors belonging to the M5 family, pointing to silicon designed for Apple's high-performance Mac models.



The discovery was shared with MacRumors by researcher Nicolás Alvarez, who identified two new chip identifiers, T6051 and T6052, corresponding to the internal platform names H17C and H17D. Looking at Apple's naming conventions, the number 17 designates the M5 generation. The standard M5 chip currently found in the entry-level MacBook Pro carries the H17G identifier.


The lettering tells the rest of the story. Apple traditionally uses "C" for its Max variants and "D" for its Ultra processors, while "G" is reserved for standard chips and "S" is used for Pro models. Past Max chips like the M2 Max and M4 Max carried the H14C and H16C labels, while the M2 Ultra used H14D. If that pattern holds, the leaked code points to the existence of an M5 Max and an M5 Ultra. Notably absent from the data is any reference to an H17S platform, which would normally correspond to an M5 Pro chip.

What stands out is the absence of the Pro variant while the higher-end versions appear. That omission does not mean the chip was scrapped. One possibility is that the M5 Pro simply hasn't been added to the iOS 26.3 code yet. Another is that Apple is adjusting its internal numbering scheme, or potentially planning MacBook Pro configurations centered on higher-end silicon. Apple is widely expected to refresh its 14-inch and 16-inch laptops soon, and retail inventory for current models has been tightening for weeks. The shift suggests the company is preparing for an imminent M5 Pro and M5 Max MacBook Pro launch.

The appearance of an M5 Ultra identifier is particularly notable, as that silicon has historically been reserved for desktop workstations like the Mac Studio and Mac Pro. While there have been no clear signs of an immediate desktop refresh, a previous extensive prototype leak did reference upcoming Mac Studio models powered by M5 Max and M5 Ultra hardware.

All of these details are surfacing just as Apple pushes the iOS 26.3 Release Candidate to developers, positioning the software for a public rollout shortly.


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