Apple has significantly lowered the development priority of the Mac Pro as it restructures its strategy for the pro desktop product lineup.
On the 16th (local time), Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reported in his Power On newsletter that Apple has essentially classified the Mac Pro as a lower-priority model. Gurman explained that Mac Studio currently represents and will continue to define Apple’s pro desktop lineup.
Apple is proceeding with the development of the high-performance M5 Ultra chip. Gurman noted that Apple is focusing on applying this chip to the new Mac Studio. He analyzed that Mac Pro would find it challenging to receive a meaningful update in 2026 based on the internal development flow. He mentioned that information on the development of the M5 Ultra-based Mac Pro was not secured but did not completely rule out its development possibility.
In recent years, the scope of use for the Mac Pro has diminished. While it provides PCIe expansion slots, it does not offer significant structural differentiation. It is similar to Mac Studio in terms of functionality, with only higher price and size, leading to a narrower choice range.
Apple has not released a new Mac Pro model since the M2 Ultra-based model in June 2023. Considering the internal atmosphere conveyed by Gurman, there is a possibility that Mac Pro’s position in the long-term roadmap could be unstable.
Apple has not announced an official stance on the related matters. The future product lineup is expected to be clarified following the release schedule and performance unveiling of the next-generation Mac Studio.
The industry views Apple’s transition to Apple Silicon and prioritization of chip development speed and structural efficiency between models as a lineup reorganization process. If the M5 Ultra is launched, it could reset the performance benchmarks of the pro product lineup. The future direction of the Mac Pro is expected to be determined by the range of application for this chip and Apple’s long-term strategy.
This shift is interpreted as Apple’s adjustment of roles within its lineup in the pro workstation market. Apple has composed its product lineup by considering both expandability and performance balance. If the Mac Studio-centric strategy continues, user selection criteria might be realigned around performance versus efficiency. Experts anticipate that when the new Mac Studio with the latest chip is revealed, the structure of the desktop product lineup will become more defined.