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5+ Things to Know About the Next Mac Studio

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Apple is working on an updated version of the Mac Studio that's expected at some point in 2026, and with supplies of existing machines running low, we thought we'd highlight what's next for Apple's most powerful desktop machine.

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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 now-discontinued Mac Pro, measuring in at 3.7 inches tall and 7.7 inches wide. The current Mac Studio supports Thunderbolt 5, and the next version will too. There haven't been rumors of any changes to the port configuration.

M5 Max and M5 Ultra Chips

We're expecting the Mac Studio to adopt M5 Max and M5 Ultra chips. Apple already debuted the M5 Max with the MacBook Pro models that came out in March, but the M5 Ultra is still a mystery.

The M5 Max has up to an 18-core CPU and 40-core GPU, with up to 614GB/s memory bandwidth. Apple says the M5 Max offers up to 30 percent faster CPU performance for pro workloads than the M4 Max. The M5 Ultra will bring even better performance, and historically, Apple's Ultra chips have been two Max chips linked together.

The M5 Ultra could have up to a 36-core CPU and up to an 80-core GPU.

The current Mac Studio has a mix of M4 Max and M3 Ultra chips because Apple didn't design an M4 Ultra chip, but the M5 cycle is expected to unify the Mac Studio chip options to a single generation.

Faster SSD

The M5 MacBook Pro models were updated with a faster SSD, so the Mac Studio could get the same SSD improvements. Apple says the updated SSD in the M5 MacBook Pro models is up to 2x faster than the SSD in the M4 MacBook Pro models.

RAM

Because of global RAM shortages, Apple discontinued the 512GB Mac Studio earlier this year. The current machine maxes out at 256GB RAM, and that's a limitation we could see with the next Mac Studio too.

The M5 Max MacBook Pro supports up to 128GB RAM, so that will be the ceiling for the M5 Max Mac Studio. The M5 Ultra model could support up to 256GB.

RAM shortages are expected to continue throughout the year, because companies that manufacture memory are prioritizing orders from companies building AI servers that require huge amounts of RAM. There is little supply left for consumer products, which has caused prices to increase. Many PC and smartphone makers have raised their prices on existing machines, but Apple hasn't changed Mac Studio pricing.

Mac Studio Shortages

Apple stopped accepting orders for some Mac Studio configurations in early April, and they are out of stock. Mac Studio configurations with 128GB or 256GB of RAM can no longer be ordered, but that's not necessarily a sign that a new machine is launching imminently.

Apple has been dealing with soaring DRAM and NAND flash prices, and the fact that only models with higher RAM are unavailable suggests it's a supply issue and not an indication of a 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 has raised the prices of other Macs this year.

Starting prices for the M5 MacBook Air and the M5 Pro and M5 Max MacBook Pro models increased, though Apple did soften the blow with higher starting storage. It's possible the Mac Studio price will go up, and the entry-level machine will start with a 1TB SSD instead of a 512GB SSD.

No More Mac Pro

Apple discontinued the Mac Pro in late March, so the Mac Studio is now Apple's only pro desktop option. There was a lot of overlap between the Mac Pro and the Mac Studio, with the Mac Pro only offering PCIe expansion slots as a differentiating feature.

The Mac Studio, Mac mini, and iMac are Apple's desktop Mac options.

Release Timing

It's not clear when we might see a refreshed Mac Studio because of the shortages that Apple is facing. It's possible Apple is holding RAM supply for new models and that's why some current versions are out of stock, but it's also possible things are so dire that Apple will need to hold the Mac Studio launch.

The next logical time for a new Mac Studio to be introduced is WWDC. Apple has introduced new Macs at WWDC in the past, but there isn't always new hardware. The WWDC keynote is being held on June 8, and if a new Mac Studio is coming around the first half of 2026, that's likely when it will be announced.

If an updated Mac Studio doesn't come at WWDC, we're looking at a refresh later in the year. Macs aren't often updated in September, so October or November are stronger possibilities.

Article Link: 5+ Things to Know About the Next Mac Studio
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2026/04/17/mac-studio-rumor-recap-april/
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"Starting prices for the M5 MacBook Air and the M5 Pro and M5 Max ‌MacBook Pro‌ models increased, though Apple did soften the blow with higher starting storage."

No, they did not 'soften the blow' because they charging you for the higher storage and calling that the new base model. All they did was drop the lower priced tier.
 
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1d1otic said:
Killing Mac Pro sucks and they are killing their own pro markets after all.
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No one bought it. It was $3,000 more than the Intel model, and offered no memory expansion and very few options for PCIe expansion. The Intel 2019 Mac Pro fixed the flaws with the 2013 model, but then the Apple Silicon model killed it entirely. Miss the good 'old days. The Power Mac G3, G4, G5 and 2006-2012 Mac Pro were the best Pro models.
 
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rufwork said:
The weird thing is that they’ve effectively kept the trash can Power Mac (expansion is on the outside), but made it square.
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I’ve said this before, but the “trash can” form factor would be absolutely gorgeous for the Studio, and totally viable from a thermal standpoint. It’s a shame that design is essentially “cursed” in Apple’s eyes; otherwise it anticipated the Apple Silicon paradigm shift. It was just seven years too early. The Studio is arguably Apple’s most boring-looking Mac.
 
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Really MR?? Pushing the RAM shortage nonsense and Apple capping RAM lower on the new models narratives? Are you even familiar with Apple?

I expect better from you guys. Apple has no history of reducing RAM (or even general specs) in new "upgraded" models including the newly released M5 products and in fact, the new models either stayed the same or increased.

Also, there's no relevance related to the M4/M3U Studio because they use different RAM than the M5s do as I mentioned in a previous post. Predicting a 256 GB cap is just uninformed/uneducated FUD. It's even more ridiculous than people who are overly optimistic about 1 TB of RAM which is 100X more likely than a 256 GB cap. Do better and learn about how supply chains work for products that are on the verge of being replaced.

Bottom line, there is no way Apple caps a pro level machine at 256 GB especially when they're leaning hard into using the MXU Studios for local AI models by sending maxed out M3Us to AI influencers to drive up demand ahead of the M5U debut... and you can take that to the bank.
 
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Hillstones said:
"Starting prices for the M5 MacBook Air and the M5 Pro and M5 Max ‌MacBook Pro‌ models increased, though Apple did soften the blow with higher starting storage."

No, they did not 'soften the blow' because they charging you for the higher storage and calling that the new base model. All they did was drop the lower priced tier.
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With the Air they did lower the price compared to the previous upgraded configuration.
 
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hieranonymous said:
I’ve said this before, but the “trash can” form factor would be absolutely gorgeous for the Studio, and totally viable from a thermal standpoint. It’s a shame that design is essentially “cursed” in Apple’s eyes; otherwise it anticipated the Apple Silicon paradigm shift. It was just seven years too early. The Studio is arguably Apple’s most boring-looking Mac.
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Arguably the 12” MacBook was made for Apple Silicon as well. Too bad Apple experimented with the thermally-limited designs in the Intel era.

Apple’s current designs are more function over form, but perhaps the next generation starting with the “MacBook Ultra” will usher in an era of flashier designs.
 
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KPOM said:
Arguably the 12” MacBook was made for Apple Silicon as well. Too bad Apple experimented with the thermally-limited designs in the Intel era.

Apple’s current designs are more function over form, but perhaps the next generation starting with the “MacBook Ultra” will usher in an era of flashier designs.
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I loved my little 12" MacBook so much! It was hands down the perfect laptop for travel. I keep hoping Apple will bring it back in the same form factor.
 
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MiamiFL said:
I loved my little 12" MacBook so much! It was hands down the perfect laptop for travel. I keep hoping Apple will bring it back in the same form factor.
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I think the Air is due for a redesign in 2028. Perhaps it will get a smaller design now that Apple has the Neo to be the “budget” option. The A19/A20 Pro Neo will be more than adequate for most people, perhaps giving Apple “space” to make the Air a bit more premium again.

I had both the 11.6” Air and the 12”
MacBook. The 12” was the perfect form factor for traveling. It was so small and light I sometimes had to double check to make sure I put it in my bag.
 
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KPOM said:
Arguably the 12” MacBook was made for Apple Silicon as well. Too bad Apple experimented with the thermally-limited designs in the Intel era.

Apple’s current designs are more function over form, but perhaps the next generation starting with the “MacBook Ultra” will usher in an era of flashier designs.
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Some of us were even hoping the MacBook Neo would revive the 12-inch form factor. I think that ship has sailed now but it is interesting that some of Apple’s biggest design swings were during the Intel era. The Apple Silicon era has been surprisingly conservative in that regard.
 
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hieranonymous said:
Some of us were even hoping the MacBook Neo would revive the 12-inch form factor. I think that ship has sailed now but it is interesting that some of Apple’s biggest design swings were during the Intel era. The Apple Silicon era has been surprisingly conservative in that regard.
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Since the Neo is a budget device while the 12” MacBook was premium I wasn’t expecting it, but that’s where the Air comes into play. The Air started out as a premium device.
 
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hieranonymous said:
I’ve said this before, but the “trash can” form factor would be absolutely gorgeous for the Studio, and totally viable from a thermal standpoint. It’s a shame that design is essentially “cursed” in Apple’s eyes; otherwise it anticipated the Apple Silicon paradigm shift. It was just seven years too early. The Studio is arguably Apple’s most boring-looking Mac.
Click to expand...
I've been wanting exactly the same thing and Apple has inadvertently solved the complaints about lack of expansion anyway.
 
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KPOM said:
Since the Neo is a budget device while the 12” MacBook was premium I wasn’t expecting it, but that’s where the Air comes into play. The Air started out as a premium device.
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The only thing premium abut the 12” MacBook was that it was the first to get the Retina display. It seems like Apple wanted the 12” MacBook to replace the MacBook Air but they couldn’t get the price down enough with that screen. It took a few years after that before they could finally put the retina screen on the Air without raising the price.
 
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Original Mac Studio came out March 18, 2022. Would people upgrade 4 1/2 years later? Maybe. I don't have one but would like one
 
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