Why?
Because of this
Macs are well under 10% of Apple's revenue broken out by segment.
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Factor in how many Mac Pros are sold
MacBooks account for 86% of total Mac sales; Mac desktops just 14%
One could estimate the 10,000 dollar mac pros rates only a few percentage points of that 14% desktop figure. Apple has long stopped being Apple Computer Inc, and it shows given how little apple makes on Macs. IMO, it makes more sense to invest in new business opportunities then one that is seemingly shrinking.
Finally the Mac Pro is an anachronism where its purpose in the line up makes no sense. What can the Mac Pro do that the Studio cannot? It may have some expansion cards, with TB5, that ability is largely mitigated.
Apple sells different Mac models worldwide and the latest data shows that laptops dominate Mac sales. About 80–86% of Macs sold are MacBook Pro and MacBook Air. While desktops like iMac, Mac Pro, Mac mini and Mac Studio make up only 14–20%. Among laptops the MacBook Pro has the largest share. Followed by the Air. Even though desktops like the Mac Pro and Mac Studio are more expensive they sell fewer units than laptops.
One interesting question is why more expensive Macs like the MacBook Pro sell more than cheaper ones. The answer is that Apple designed its products so that the cheaper models feel limited. Base models have smaller SSDs, less RAM, fewer ports and fewer features. Many buyers who are professionals, creators or even students see the Pro model as worth the extra cost because it lasts longer, works faster and has better performance. These buyers also care about long-term value, like resale price and total cost over several years. Apple also uses psychology: the cheapest model exists partly to make the Pro feel like a smart choice & not a luxury.
Another interesting point is why the Mac Pro is refreshed much less often than the Mac Studio even though it may sell more units than the Studio.
The main reason is that Mac Pro buyers are very different from Studio buyers.
Mac Pro customers are film studios, research labs or large companies that need stability. They buy Macs as part of a larger workflow including certified hardware, software and peripherals. Any major change to the Mac Pro could break their systems which is why Apple updates it very slowly. By contrast Mac Studio buyers expect faster refreshes and upgraded performance every year.
The Mac Pro is designed as a platform for long-term use & not a fast-moving consumer product. Its expansion slots, power and I/O are frozen by design to ensure compatibility. With Apple Silicon updating the Mac Pro means redesigning the whole system which is risky and expensive. The Studio is easier to upgrade because it targets smaller creators who want faster performance improvements. Apple also wants Mac Pro customers to feel confident that their machines will remain stable for years. Which is more valuable than frequent updates.
To put it simply Apple’s Mac sales and refresh strategies are based on buyer type and product design & not just units sold. Expensive models outsell cheaper ones because they provide better long-term value and performance. Mac Pro refreshes slowly because stability and compatibility are far more important to its buyers than novelty. Meanwhile the Mac Studio can be updated faster to meet consumer expectations.
