Gurman: 'Mac Studio' Mac Mini/Mac Pro Hybrid and New Display With A-Series Chip Are 'Ready to Go'

[sfwalter]

If this turns out to be accurate tomorrow it might be the dream Mac I have been waiting for 10+ years.

I always wanted a powerful, compact Mac desktop that I could hook up to an external monitor. Before the M1 this wasn’t possible.

 

[dawnrazor]

Ok this actually makes more sense than a M2 MacBook Air/Pro given the “peek performance” branding. A peek at the performance that’s to come with the (eventual) full size iMac Pro and Mac Pro.

I'd give up any hope of there being a Silicon iMac Pro... The original Intel iMac Pro was a stop gap machine for people that couldn't wait until the cheese grater Mac Pro was released and needed to upgrade their Trashcan, it was a band aid machine... That was it's job a pro machine that bridged the product space while Apple had nothing to offer in the pro space so they stopped haemorrhaging pro sales to PC...

If this Mac Studio and Studio monitor are a thing and it looks like they will be... this will effectively be the replacement for the iMac Pro. I semi pro level machine for folks that want a one off configurable machine but at a lower price point then a Silicon Mac Pro will be at...

I bet that a Mac Studio and Studio monitor will retail for about the same as a 16 core iMac Pro did...

 

[Da_Hood]

Why in the world would a monitor "run iOS"?

Is it a cheaper way to implement pro motion?

 

[Zdigital2015]

They could also update the iMac Pro directly with M2 Pro/M2 Max chips

In 2023, because M2 Pro/Max is not happening this year.

 

[sfwalter]

The render is black and white. The actual device will be pink.

So the Ma

now they comes as a combo,

starts at 1299$ or 1499$ each, possible?

i can’t imagine this being anything less than $1999 to start.

 

[PatriotInvasion]

The mystery around this event with the longstanding desire for an Apple branded display (sub $5,000) has me excited for tomorrow. But, I've learned over the years that most likely we'll be disappointed.

However, everything associated with M1/M1 Pro/M1 Max Apple Silicon has actually exceeded expectations, so there's hope for tomorrow to be awesome. Fingers crossed.

 

[deconstruct60]

Hot take: the name Mac Studio and the fact that it “runs iOS” implies to me that this is a multitouch display with support for Apple Pencil.

I think there are addressing.the Audio/sound , photograghy , and/or movie ‘studio’ concept rather than ” look! we ape copied Microsoft product name ” notion.

…. and I don’t know why Gurman would say it runs iOS if he only means it includes an A-series SOC (the HomePod and Apple TV’s also have A-Series SOC and very obviously do not run iOS).

Probably more about generating clicks ( on twitter) and ad views on rumors sites (i.e. make money ) than anything to do with clarity .

 

[Zdigital2015]

It's more likely to be something like an A11 chip inside the monitor to control the back lighting and built-in speakers. External monitor support for iPad is a limitation of the iPad software itself.

A11 is not even being used anymore in an actively sold iPhone. The A13 seems perfectly reasonable for this new monitor.

 

[dawnrazor]

If this turns out to be accurate tomorrow it might be the dream Mac I have been waiting for 10+ years.

I always wanted a powerful, compact Mac desktop that I could hook up to an external monitor. Before the M1 this wasn’t possible.

Agreed... for me an Intel Mac Pro is too much and too expensive and I don't want to sit for a Silicon Mac Pro... But a Mac Studio and Studio monitor could replace my 2020 intel iMac ... if the Mac Studio monitor is 32" that will make a lot of folks happy as well... It does point to a 27" iMac just being a M1 Max and Pro version of the 24" iMac though...

 

[Mr. Dee]

I'm so ready to go to the store and play with it all then go home with my pocket book intact. Looking at my future computing needs though, I am likely to get the third generation in 2023/24. My M1 MacBook Pro has been tied to a desk since I bought it. I have no reason to even bring it to work either since I work in a Windows centric environment. But, this could be a nice desktop I could use for a mixture of home and work stuff.

 

[JosephAW]

I’m ready for the “B” Series.

 

[xbjllb]

Half joking but I wouldn’t be surprised if the Mac Studio height renders were based on inches when it was supposed to be in centimeters!

It's bloody Stonehenge all over again!!

I'm looking more for the great sales videos/blurbs on the Apple website than the actual unit.....

 

[Quasselstripper]

Apple could unveil a new "Mac Studio" machine and a new display that runs iOS at the March 8 event, according to a last minute confirmation from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In a tweet, Gurman says that the Mac Studio and a "new monitor running iOS are "ready to go" and will likely be debuting tomorrow.

Earlier today, YouTuber Luke Miani shared renders of what he claims is the "Mac Studio," showing off a machine that features a design like a thick Mac mini. The "Mac Studio" features the same square-shaped design as the current Mac mini, but it measures in at four inches tall and it has a new thermal design to mitigate heat.

Miani said that the "Mac Studio" would "unequivocally" be announced during the spring event, and now it appears Gurman is backing that up.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1500965814056402945

We first heard the name "Mac Studio" last week from 9to5Mac, with the site describing it as a sort of Mac mini and Mac Pro hybrid device. Prior rumors have pointed toward both a high-end Mac mini and a smaller Mac Pro that are in development, and it appears that these rumors may have been talking about the same Mac Studio device.

The hybrid Mac Studio could replace the high-end Mac mini and it could be sold as a smaller alternative to the Mac Pro. It is not expected to be as powerful as the Mac Pro, but it is expected to use Apple's M1 Pro and M1 Max chips, along with an option for a more powerful version of the M1 Max.

To go along with the Mac Studio, Apple is rumored to have a "Studio Display" ready to go. Miani said that the Studio Display will feature a 27-inch size with slightly larger bezels than the Pro Display XDR, and now Gurman suggests that it will "run iOS," indicating a built-in A-series chip.

We've previously heard rumors about some kind of display with an A-series chip inside, though it was thought that such a display would be a Pro Display XDR successor. Instead, the monitor coming tomorrow is expected to be more affordable than the $5k Pro Display XDR, but no pricing information is available.

Apple's full plans for the Mac Studio and potential Studio Display will become clear tomorrow morning, with the "Peek Performance" event set to kick off at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time.

Article Link: Gurman: 'Mac Studio' Mac Mini/Mac Pro Hybrid and New Display With A-Series Chip Are 'Ready to Go'

Putting an A-Series Chip into the display means, we can use it without a cable using the new Universal Control feature.

 

[JPack]

A11 is not even being used anymore in an actively sold iPhone. The A13 seems perfectly reasonable for this new monitor.

HomePod used A8 when there was no current product using it. It's about cost and performance actually required.

 

[madebybela]

I'm really not buying that this is gonna be the design. Especially when an M1 Pro/Max can fit into a MBP chassis and the current M1 Mac mini is already 60% empty space inside.

 

[AbsurdlyJames]

Hot take: the name Mac Studio and the fact that it “runs iOS” implies to me that this is a multitouch display with support for Apple Pencil. Otherwise, the naming is a bit weird and I don’t know why Gurman would say it runs iOS if he only means it includes an A-series SOC (the HomePod and Apple TV’s also have A-Series SOC and very obviously do not run iOS).

Or maybe, and this is definitely wishful thinking, the monitor itself can run iPad OS independently, making it in effect a 27" non-portable iPad? Would be absolutely fantastic as a Cintiq replacement.

 

[neilw]

Tomorrow could potentially be way more interesting than it was previously looking like. A monitor with an A-series processor, and a new form-factor Mac... that is some good stuff. The new iPhone SE is likely to be little more than a footnote, and I'm not really sure how much there is to say about a new iPad Air. So let's have all that Mac goodness.

 

[innovaTutor]

Why would the monitor run iOS?

because it's an innovation from Apple.

The iPhone combined an iPod with a Smart Phone.
Now the Mac Studio Display merges the iPad with a Monitor Display.

see my thoughts on that older thread

 

[trip1ex]

You knew there was more than an Air and a SE. Those alone wouldn't necessitate an event.

 

[Zdigital2015]

HomePod used A8 when there was no current product using it. It's about cost and performance actually required.

The A11 is no longer being produced. The volume production is with the A13 at Thai stage, they aren’t going backwards to a flawed A11 arch for this monitor. A12 maybe, but not A11.

 

[Alasdair_Scott]

What on earth are you on about?
This is absolutely, with all certainty *not* a replacement for any iMac or iMac Pro.
This is simply a new category of Mac to slot between the $699 Mac Mini and the $5,999 MacPro.
The 27 inch iMac or iMac Pro Will still be an all in one, just like it always has been.
This is not a replacement for that

If it is released with an Apple display then it really will be a 27” iMac replacement, purely for the fact those of us that want a powerful, ASI powered desktop will buy this rather than waiting until 2023 for a 27” iMac …

I know laptops make up the largest sector of computer sales BUT with many of us continuing working from home a powerful mid-range Mac for the desk is a viable option.

I really don’t believe the delay with the 27” iMac is because Apple “needed to concentrate on the 24” model”. They’re a large organisation with talent and experience at product dev. I think there’s a chance the 27 all-in-one form factor is history - or at least it’s 12 months away, so may as well be history for those of us who want a decent desktop option TODAY.

I look forward to being proved wrong later today!

 

[trip1ex]

I'm really not buying that this is gonna be the design. Especially when an M1 Pro/Max can fit into a MBP chassis and the current M1 Mac mini is already 60% empty space inside.

As they said, bigger heat dissipation system inside which would allow same silicon to run even faster for longer. More ports would be possible too.

 

[sfwalter]

With these last minute rumors, this has turned this to a must watch event for me. I sure hope its not a bust as these are just rumors after all.

 

[trip1ex]

Does anyone expect the 27" monitor and Mini Studio combo to be under $3k?

 

[AppleChainLink]

Why would the monitor run iOS?

The way I see it, and I could be wrong, is that if Apple wants us to be able to use our MacBook on this thing, with the newly released universal control, wirelessly (MacBooks don’t even have the latest hdmi), then perhaps a processor is required within the display.