https://www.macrumors.com/2025/12/31/mac-pro-2026-situation/
What's the Situation with the Mac Pro?
Apple hasn't updated the Mac Pro since 2023, and recent rumors suggest there are no plans to update it in the near future. In fact, Apple may be effectively ending the Mac Pro lineup.
Bloomberg recently reported that the Mac Pro has been "pushed to the back burner" within Apple and is "largely written off." Apple sees the more compact Mac Studio as the ideal model for high-end desktop users, essentially replacing the Mac Pro.
Apple is developing the M5 Ultra chip for release next year, but according to Bloomberg, it will only be used in the Mac Studio and not in an updated Mac Pro. Apple reportedly has no plans to update the Mac Pro in a "meaningful way" by 2026. Could this mean the end of the Mac Pro era? Will the Mac Pro be discontinued when the next-generation Mac Studio is released?
The current Mac Studio already features the latest and most powerful M3 Ultra chip, supporting more CPU and GPU cores, a larger maximum storage capacity (16TB vs. 8TB), and a larger maximum unified memory (512GB vs. 192GB). The Mac Studio supports up to four 8K displays, while the Mac Pro is limited to three, and lacks Thunderbolt 5.
The Mac Pro is already outdated, and the gap will widen when the M5 Ultra Mac Studio is released. The only advantage the Mac Pro has over the Mac Studio is PCIe expansion slots. For the same RAM and storage capacity, the Mac Pro is heavier, larger, and more expensive. There's little reason for most users to choose the Mac Pro over the Mac Studio, except for some of Apple's high-end customers who still need internal expansion space for equipment like RED capture cards or specialized audio interfaces.
For years, Apple has struggled to meet the needs of professional users who want a desktop. The infamous "trash can" Mac Pro released in 2013 prioritized design over functionality and ultimately failed. It was criticized for lacking space for internal upgrades like additional GPUs.
The trash can Mac Pro also lacked a thermal design capable of handling rapidly evolving GPUs, and Apple failed to update it. In 2019, Apple released a more traditional modular case Mac Pro with eight PCIe slots and three impeller fans. While there have been a few updates since then, this product has also been relegated to the sidelines.
Apple still sells the M2 Ultra version of the Mac Pro, and it hasn't been discontinued or removed from its official website. There's a possibility that a new Mac Pro could be released someday before it's officially discontinued, but 2026 seems unlikely.
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