Apple is working on an updated version of Mac Studio that is expected sometime in 2026, and with the current supply of low-end machines, we thought we’d highlight what’s next for Apple’s most powerful desktop machine.
Design
We don’t expect Apple to redesign the Mac Studio, and there have been no 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 more compact desktop than the now-discontinued Mac Pro, measuring 3.7 inches tall and 7.7 inches wide. The current Mac Studio supports Thunderbolt 5, and the next version will also support it. There are no rumors of any changes to the port configuration.
M5 Max and M5 Ultra Chips
We expect Mac Studio to use the M5 Max and M5 Ultra chips. Apple has already released the M5 Max with MacBook Pro models coming out in March, but the M5 Ultra is still a mystery.
The M5 Max has an 18-core CPU and a 40-core GPU, with a memory bandwidth of up to 614GB/s. Apple says the M5 Max offers up to 30 percent faster CPU performance for pro workloads than the M4 Max. The M5 Ultra will deliver even better performance, and historically, Apple’s Ultra chips have been two Max chips linked together.
The M5 Ultra can 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 did not design an M4 Ultra chip, but the M5 cycle is expected to combine Mac Studio chip options in one generation.
Fast SSD
M5 MacBook Pro models are updated with a faster SSD, so Mac Studio will get the same SSD upgrade. 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
Due to a global RAM shortage, Apple discontinued the 512GB Mac Studio earlier this year. The current machine comes with 256GB of RAM, and that’s a limit we can see with the next Mac Studio as well.
The M5 Max MacBook Pro supports up to 128GB of RAM, so that would be the ceiling for the M5 Max Mac Studio. The M5 Ultra model can support up to 256GB.
The RAM shortage is expected to continue throughout the year, as memory manufacturers prioritize orders for companies that build AI servers that require large amounts of RAM. There is less supply of consumer goods, which has caused prices to rise. Many PC and smartphone makers have raised their prices on existing machines, but Apple has not changed the prices of the Mac Studio.
Lack of Mac Studio
Apple stopped accepting orders for certain Mac Studio configurations in early April, and they are out of stock. Mac Studio configurations with 128GB or 256GB of RAM will no longer be available for order, but that’s not necessarily a sign that a new machine is coming soon.
Apple has been dealing with rising prices for DRAM and NAND, and the fact that only models with higher RAM are not available suggests that it is a supply problem and not an indication of renewal.
The price
There have been no rumors of a price increase for the Mac Studio, so it could continue to start at $1,999, but Apple has raised the prices of other Macs this year.
The initial prices of the M5 MacBook Air and M5 Pro and M5 Max MacBook Pro models increased, although Apple softened the blow with a higher initial price. It is possible that the price of the Mac Studio will increase, 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 Mac Studio is now Apple’s only desktop option. There has been 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.
Mac Studio, Mac mini, and iMac are Apple’s desktop Mac options.
Time Out
It’s unclear when we might see a refreshed Mac Studio due to the shortages Apple is facing. It is possible that Apple has held back the supply of RAM for new models and that is why some current versions are out of stock, but it is also possible that things are so bad that Apple will need to hold back the launch of Mac Studio.
The next logical time to introduce the new Mac Studio is WWDC. Apple has introduced new Macs at WWDC in the past, but not always new hardware. The WWDC keynote is being held on June 8, and if the new Mac Studio is coming around the first half of 2026, it’s likely to be announced.
If an updated Mac Studio doesn’t arrive at WWDC, we’re looking at an update later in the year. Macs are rarely updated in September, so October or November are strong possibilities.