Friday April 17, 2026 4:14 pm PDT by Juli Clover
Apple is working on an updated version of the Mac Studio that's expected at some point in 2026, and with supplies of existing machines running low, we thought we'd highlight what's next for Apple's most powerful desktop machine.
Design
We're not expecting Apple to redesign the Mac Studio, and there haven't been rumors of a design update. The Mac Studio will continue to have an Apple TV or Mac mini-like squircle design with rounded corners.
The Mac Studio is a much more compact desktop than the now-discontinued Mac Pro, measuring in at 3.7 inches tall and 7.7 inches wide. The current Mac Studio supports Thunderbolt 5, and the next version will too. There haven't been rumors of any changes to the port configuration.
M5 Max and M5 Ultra Chips
We're expecting the Mac Studio to adopt M5 Max and M5 Ultra chips. Apple already debuted the M5 Max with the MacBook Pro models that came out in March, but the M5 Ultra is still a mystery.
The M5 Max has up to an 18-core CPU and 40-core GPU, with up to 614GB/s memory bandwidth. Apple says the M5 Max offers up to 30 percent faster CPU performance for pro workloads than the M4 Max. The M5 Ultra will bring even better performance, and historically, Apple's Ultra chips have been two Max chips linked together.
The M5 Ultra could have up to a 36-core CPU and up to an 80-core GPU.
The current Mac Studio has a mix of M4 Max and M3 Ultra chips because Apple didn't design an M4 Ultra chip, but the M5 cycle is expected to unify the Mac Studio chip options to a single generation.
Faster SSD
The M5 MacBook Pro models were updated with a faster SSD, so the Mac Studio could get the same SSD improvements. Apple says the updated SSD in the M5 MacBook Pro models is up to 2x faster than the SSD in the M4 MacBook Pro models.
RAM
Because of global RAM shortages, Apple discontinued the 512GB Mac Studio earlier this year. The current machine maxes out at 256GB RAM, and that's a limitation we could see with the next Mac Studio too.
The M5 Max MacBook Pro supports up to 128GB RAM, so that will be the ceiling for the M5 Max Mac Studio. The M5 Ultra model could support up to 256GB.
RAM shortages are expected to continue throughout the year, because companies that manufacture memory are prioritizing orders from companies building AI servers that require huge amounts of RAM. There is little supply left for consumer products, which has caused prices to increase. Many PC and smartphone makers have raised their prices on existing machines, but Apple hasn't changed Mac Studio pricing.
Mac Studio Shortages
Apple stopped accepting orders for some Mac Studio configurations in early April, and they are out of stock. Mac Studio configurations with 128GB or 256GB of RAM can no longer be ordered, but that's not necessarily a sign that a new machine is launching imminently.
Apple has been dealing with soaring DRAM and NAND flash prices, and the fact that only models with higher RAM are unavailable suggests it's a supply issue and not an indication of a refresh.
Pricing
There haven't been rumors of pricing increases for the Mac Studio, so it could continue to start at $1,999, but Apple has raised the prices of other Macs this year.
Starting prices for the M5 MacBook Air and the M5 Pro and M5 Max MacBook Pro models increased, though Apple did soften the blow with higher starting storage. It's possible the Mac Studio price will go up, and the entry-level machine will start with a 1TB SSD instead of a 512GB SSD.
No More Mac Pro
Apple discontinued the Mac Pro in late March, so the Mac Studio is now Apple's only pro desktop option. There was a lot of overlap between the Mac Pro and the Mac Studio, with the Mac Pro only offering PCIe expansion slots as a differentiating feature.
The Mac Studio, Mac mini, and iMac are Apple's desktop Mac options.
Release Timing
It's not clear when we might see a refreshed Mac Studio because of the shortages that Apple is facing. It's possible Apple is holding RAM supply for new models and that's why some current versions are out of stock, but it's also possible things are so dire that Apple will need to hold the Mac Studio launch.
The next logical time for a new Mac Studio to be introduced is WWDC. Apple has introduced new Macs at WWDC in the past, but there isn't always new hardware. The WWDC keynote is being held on June 8, and if a new Mac Studio is coming around the first half of 2026, that's likely when it will be announced.
If an updated Mac Studio doesn't come at WWDC, we're looking at a refresh later in the year. Macs aren't often updated in September, so October or November are stronger possibilities.
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