Report claims that Apple has yet again put the Mac Pro “on the back burner”
In recent years, Apple’s Power Mac and Mac Pro towers have experienced a significant decline in updates compared to their more frequently refreshed counterparts, such as the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro. Historically, the Mac Pro has seen only four hardware updates over the last 15 years, with a 2012 refresh that was largely similar to the 2010 model. This lack of consistent innovation has left many professional users feeling neglected, especially as they rely on these high-performance machines for demanding tasks. The situation seemed to improve in mid-2023 when Apple introduced the M2 Ultra processor, marking a pivotal transition from Intel to Apple Silicon. This update gave hope to long-suffering Mac Pro buyers who anticipated more regular updates akin to the Mac Studio’s refresh cycle.
However, recent insights from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman suggest that those hopes may be misplaced. Gurman indicates that the Mac Pro is currently “on the back burner” at Apple, with the company prioritizing the development of a new Mac Studio featuring the upcoming M5 Ultra chip. This shift in focus implies that Mac Pro users may have to wait until at least 2026 for any significant hardware updates. Notably, Apple has no plans to introduce an M4 Ultra chip, further complicating the outlook for the Mac Pro line. The recent refresh of the Mac Studio, which included the M3 Ultra and M4 Max chips, underscores Apple’s strategy to invest in newer models while leaving the Mac Pro largely stagnant. As a result, professional users who depend on the Mac Pro for their work may need to reconsider their options or explore alternatives as they face an uncertain future with Apple’s flagship workstation.
Apple’s Power Mac and Mac Pro towers used to be the company’s primary workstations, but it has been years since they were updated with the same regularity as the MacBook Air or MacBook Pro. The Mac Pro has seen just four hardware updates in the last 15 years, and that’s counting
a 2012 refresh
that was mostly identical to the 2010 version.
Long-suffering Mac Pro buyers may have taken heart when Apple finally
added an M2 Ultra processor to the tower in mid-2023
, making it one of the very last Macs to switch from Intel to Apple Silicon—surely this would mean that the computer would at least be updated once every year or two, like the Mac Studio has been? But Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman
says
that Mac Pro buyers shouldn’t get their hopes up for new hardware in 2026.
Gurman says that the tower is “on the back burner” at Apple and that the company is “focused on a new Mac Studio” for the next-generation M5 Ultra chip that is in the works. As we reported earlier this year,
Apple doesn’t have plans to design or release an M4 Ultra
, and the Mac Studio refresh from this spring included an M3 Ultra alongside the M4 Max.
Read full article
Comments
