What's Next for the Mac Studio - MacRumors
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What's Next for the Mac Studio

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Apple is working on an updated version of the Mac Studio, and the new machine is expected to launch around October 2026. We've rounded up what we know about the next-generation ‌Mac Studio‌ so far.

mac studio green

Design

We're not expecting Apple to redesign the ‌Mac Studio‌, and there haven't been rumors of a design update. The ‌Mac Studio‌ will continue to have an Apple TV or Mac mini-like squircle design with rounded corners.

The ‌Mac Studio‌ is a much more compact desktop than the Mac Pro, measuring in at 3.7 inches tall and 7.7 inches wide. Apple has apparently put the Mac Pro on the backburner, and the ‌Mac Studio‌ is seen as the future of Mac desktop computing.

M5 Max and M5 Ultra Chips

We're expecting the ‌Mac Studio‌ to adopt M5 Max and M5 Ultra chips. The M5 Max chip will offer much faster CPU and GPU performance than the M5 chip that came out last October, and the M5 Ultra will double the M5 Max performance.

Signs of the M5 Max and M5 Ultra chips were spotted in the recent iOS 26.3 release candidate.

Faster SSD

The M5 MacBook Pro models were updated with a faster SSD, so the ‌Mac Studio‌ and other Macs coming in 2026 could get the same refresh.

Pricing

There haven't been rumors of pricing increases for the ‌Mac Studio‌, so it could continue to start at $1,999, but Apple may also bump up the minimum storage and the minimum pricing as it has done for some other updates like the MacBook Air.

Release Timing

Apple is postponing the launch of the next MacBook Studio due to global memory chip shortages. Rumors have previously suggested the machines will arrive in mid-2026, but now Apple may not ship them until October of 2026.

Related Roundup: Mac Studio
Buyer's Guide: Mac Studio (Don't Buy)
Related Forum: Mac Studio

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Top Rated Comments

vegetassj4 Avatar
vegetassj4
19 weeks ago
Holding out for the rumored Mac Studio Pro




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Score: 22 Votes (Like | Disagree)
H
hieranonymous
19 weeks ago
Apple’s propensity to keep selling horrendously outdated Mac Pro models at hideous markups is wildly unethical. Admittedly, power users should know what they’re getting into, but there’s still a latent endorsement from Apple if it maintains stock of those models. And I don’t buy the excuse that Apple, as a four-trillion-dollar company, lacks the resources to keep developing the Mac Pro as a niche product. Heck, the Vision Pro is an even more niche product, and considerably more complex to develop and manufacture, and Apple keeps updating it.
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
crococarbs Avatar
crococarbs
19 weeks ago
Waiting for the M5 Max Mac Studio over the Mini because of the extra GPU power. Call me crazy but I do all my gaming on my Mac! Got more than enough games to play with macOS-native games, some iPad games running on macOS, and Windows games via CrossOver (besides the PS5).
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Eric_WVGG Avatar
Eric_WVGG
19 weeks ago
It’s gonna be like fifteen years before there’s a design refresh on this thing.

literally designed themselves into a box
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
B
BBCWatcher
19 weeks ago

And I don’t buy the excuse that Apple, as a four-trillion-dollar company, lacks the resources to keep developing the Mac Pro as a niche product....
Apple doesn't even need to do anything to add PCIe slots to their Mac Studio (and to other Macs, for that matter). Somebody has already done it: Sonnet Technologies makes PCIe expansion units (https://www.sonnettech.com/thunderbolt5/echo2dv-thunderbolt5-family.html) for Macs. Granted, their PCIe expansion unit only offers 2 PCIe slots (versus the 7 PCIe slots of all sizes in a Mac Pro if you're willing to remove the Apple I/O card). But the Mac Studio Ultra has six Thunderbolt 5 ports, so you could attach up to 4 full size/full speed PCIe cards (with 2 expansion units) and still have two Thunderbolt 5 ports left over. You can also rack mount your Mac Studio with the PCIe expansion units if you want. Not bad!
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
dredlew Avatar
dredlew
19 weeks ago

At this point I think they've killed the Mac Pro. When you have the Mac Studio, fully maxed out, what would the actual reason be for a "Pro" Mac?
Speed. There’s nothing faster than a PCI interface for storage and networking. Also, the Mac Pro has more ports.

While the Studio is a great machine, I would prefer a Mac Pro (with the same specs) any day.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
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