For years, the Mac Pro has been Apple’s flagship for professional users, but recent years have seen minimal hardware updates. Since its 2012 refresh—almost identical to the 2010 model—the tower has largely been left unchanged, raising concerns among loyal customers eager for innovation.

In mid-2023, Apple finally upgraded the Mac Pro with an M2 Ultra chip, marking its shift from Intel to Apple Silicon. However, industry experts, including Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, warn that further significant updates may be delayed until 2026. Gurman describes the Mac Pro as “on the back burner,” with Apple prioritizing the development of a new Mac Studio featuring the upcoming M5 Ultra processor.

This strategic shift aligns with Apple’s focus on more versatile, smaller desktops like the Mac Studio, which recently received an M3 Ultra upgrade. Notably, Apple has no plans to introduce an M4 Ultra chip, reinforcing its emphasis on the next-generation M5 Ultra for future high-end devices.

For professional users, this suggests patience will be necessary before seeing substantial improvements in the Mac Pro lineup, as Apple directs its resources toward innovative products like the next Mac Studio iteration.

David Nield

Dave is a freelance tech journalist with over 20 years covering gadgets, apps, and the web. From Stockport, England, he covers news, features, and reviews for TechRadar, focusing on phones, tablets, and wearables. He ensures top weekend breaking news and has bylines at Gizmodo, T3, PopSci, and others. He edited PC Explorer and The Hardware Handbook for years. Read me on x.com or linkedin.