Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman says Apple has "largely written off the Mac Pro," and that claim has set off fresh debate over the future of the company's highest-end desktop. According to Gurman's Power On newsletter, Apple has canceled plans for an M4 Ultra-powered Mac Pro and is moving forward with an M5 Ultra chip that — at least for now — appears destined only for the Mac Studio. He adds that the Mac Pro "won't be updated in 2026 in a significant way."
The report in brief
Gurman's account, based on internal sources, frames a strategic shift inside Apple: the Mac Studio has become "both the present and future of Apple’s professional desktop strategy." The Mac Pro, last refreshed with an M2 Ultra in June 2023, is said to be on the company's back burner. Apple has not issued a public comment responding to the report.
Why Apple may be moving away from the Mac Pro
Several practical and market-driven factors make the move plausible:
- Performance parity: The Mac Studio has steadily closed the gap with the Mac Pro on raw compute, especially as Apple scales its Apple Silicon architecture into higher-core Ultra chips.
- Changing workflows: Professional users increasingly rely on Thunderbolt peripherals, networked storage, and specialized external accelerators rather than internal PCIe cards, reducing demand for a large tower with internal expansion.
- Product consolidation: Maintaining fewer overlapping product families simplifies engineering and inventory, particularly as Apple focuses R&D around newer Apple Silicon generations.
- Apple Silicon roadmap: The rollout of the M5 Ultra (and whether Apple makes it available only in Studio models) will signal how committed the company is to a Studio-centric pro strategy.
- Third-party expansion market: Sales and development of Thunderbolt/PCIe enclosures could accelerate if tower-based expandability wanes.
- Apple messaging: An official statement or product announcement would clarify timelines and any continuing role for the Mac Pro.
- If you need internal PCIe expansion, redundant cooling, or a highly modular machine, the current Mac Pro remains the safe choice until Apple provides confirmation otherwise.
- If you prioritize raw performance in a compact form factor, or can adopt external expansion via Thunderbolt, the Mac Studio looks increasingly future-proof.
- Organizations with large fleets should assess workflow dependencies now and factor potential hardware consolidation into procurement and lifecycle plans.
Analysts and some pro customers argue the Mac Studio can deliver the same computing power in a smaller, more energy-efficient package, while third-party makers already offer Thunderbolt and PCIe expansion boxes that replicate some of the Mac Pro's modularity.
Pushback from users who value expandability
Not everyone agrees the Mac Pro is dispensable. For many audio, video, scientific, and enterprise users, the tower's internal PCIe slots, modular power and cooling, and serviceability remain compelling. Workflows that depend on multiple internal cards, specialized I/O, or hot-swappable components still favor a traditional workstation chassis. Those customers worry that a studio-only strategy could force them into external workarounds that add complexity and cost.
Industry observers also point out that some high-end accessory and pro-software ecosystems are tuned to a modular desktop model; a full retreat from that hardware could shift burdens onto third-party vendors.
Where the Mac Pro has been — and what this would mean
The Mac Pro has a checkered history of reinvention: the cylindrical 2013 model, the return to a modular "cheese grater" look in 2019, and the transition to Apple Silicon with the M2 Ultra model in 2023. Each redesign reflected changing assumptions about what pro customers needed. If Apple truly deprioritizes the Mac Pro, the move would mark another pivot — this time toward smaller, densely integrated systems as the capstone of its pro desktop lineup.
For Apple, the decision reduces engineering overhead and promotes the Mac Studio as the flagship for professionals. For users, it raises questions about longevity, upgrade paths, and the availability of truly modular Apple workstations going forward.
What to watch next
Practical advice for buyers
No single report is definitive, and Gurman did not say Apple will never refresh the Mac Pro. Still, his reporting indicates a meaningful internal shift: Apple appears to be betting the future of its professional desktops on the Studio form factor — a change that could reshape pro workflows and the broader Mac hardware ecosystem.