Apple hasn't updated the
Mac Pro since 2023, and according to recent rumors, there's no update coming in the near future. In fact, Apple might be finished with the βMac Proβ.
Bloomberg recently said that the βMac Proβ is "on the back burner" and has been "largely written off" by Apple. Apple apparently views the more compact
Mac Studio as the ideal high-end pro-level desktop, and it has almost replaced the βMac Proβ.
Apple is working on an M5 Ultra chip that will come out next year, but
Bloomberg says the company is only planning to use it in the βMac Studioβ, and not in an updated βMac Proβ. Apple has no plans to update the βMac Proβ in 2026 in a "significant way." If we are truly at the end for the βMac Proβ, will we see Apple discontinue it when the next-generation βMac Studioβ launches?
The current βMac Studioβ has a newer, higher-end M3 Ultra chip that supports more CPU cores, more GPU cores, more maximum storage (16TB vs. 8TB), and more maximum unified memory (512GB vs. 192GB). The βMac Studioβ can support up to four 8K displays, while the βMac Proβ is limited to three, and the βMac Proβ doesn't have Thunderbolt 5.
The βMac Proβ has fallen behind, and the gap will only increase with the launch of an M5 Ultra βMac Studioβ. The only benefit that the βMac Proβ offers over the βMac Studioβ is PCIe expansion slots. It's heavier, bulkier, and more expensive than the βMac Studioβ when comparing equivalent RAM and storage. For most people, there's no reason to choose a βMac Proβ over a βMac Studioβ, but some of Apple's high-end customers still need the space for things like RED capture cards and specialized audio interfaces.
Over the years, Apple has struggled with meeting the needs of pro users who want a desktop. The now-infamous "trash can" βMac Proβ that came out in 2013 prioritized design over functionality, and the machine ended up being a failure. Apple was criticized for misunderstanding its pro user base because there was no space for internal upgrades like additional GPUs.
Apple was never able to update the trash can βMac Proβ because it
wasn't thermally capable of supporting rapidly evolving GPUs. In 2019, Apple unveiled a modular βMac Proβ that had a more traditional enclosure able to support expansion with eight PCIe slots and three impeller fans. Apple did update the βMac Proβ a couple of times after that, but it has once again been sidelined.
Apple is still selling the
M2 Ultra version of the βMac Proβ and it hasn't been discontinued or removed from the company's website. Until it's officially discontinued, there's a chance we could get another βMac Proβ at some point in the future, but it doesn't sound like 2026 will be the year.
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What's Happening With the Mac Pro?" first appeared on
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