Apple working on its most powerful desktop Mac yet – but be prepared to re-mortgage your house

Mac Studio M3 Ultra — (Image credit: Future)

Quick Summary

Apple is expected to update the Mac Studio to M5 Ultra in 2026, but it could be 2028 before the more powerful M7 models are released.

That means there might be no updates in 2027, as the impact of the component crisis deepens.

The Mac Studio could be inline for some changes, with new details giving us an insight into Apple's plans for it's powerful but compact desktop computer. That includes new hardware coming over the next couple of years.

First up, the Mac Studio is expected to get an M5 Ultra upgrade according to Mark Gurman with the current configurations offering either the M4 Max or M3 Ultra, so it's a generation behind the latest MacBooks.

The Mac Studio was expected to get this upgrade around WWDC, but that didn't happen. The previous update was in May 2025, so we're not too far off an annual cycle – although pressures on component prices are likely causing some of the delays here.

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The Mac Studio has seen strong demand from those looking for a powerful machine with high levels of unified memory for running AI, but in a perfect Catch-22, the AI boom has driven prices up and caused shortages in the industry.

That's something that's felt in Apple's supply chain, with price increases recently announced across a full range of products.

But according to what we know so far, Apple's M6 is going to be markedly different, with plans only including a base M6 chip, with a bigger push for the M7 through 2027. That should give component prices time to settle, something that's needed for the M7, M7 Pro, M7 Max and M7 Ultra with high levels of integrated RAM.

That leads us into the most powerful iteration of the Mac Studio, with a refresh expected in 2028. While the design is expected to stay the same from the exterior (something that Apple is known for), it's thought that there will be some internal changes, including a new heat sink.

That's going to help manage temperatures when pushing the Mac Studio hard to support increasing AI demands.

These plans present something of a mixed bag for those looking for a Mac Studio. Prices are only heading in one direction, demand has been high, with the real bump in performance coming in 2028. Exactly how much it will cost remains to be seen, but some of that will be dictated by AI's path and how component manufacturers scale to meet current pressures on demand.

Maybe it's time we all stop making pictures of talking cats to share on social media.

Chris has been writing about consumer tech for over 15 years. Formerly the Editor-in-Chief of Pocket-lint, he's covered just about every product launched, witnessed the birth of Android, the evolution of 5G, and the drive towards electric cars. You name it and Chris has written about it, driven it or reviewed it. Now working as a freelance technology expert, Chris' experience sees him covering all aspects of smartphones, smart homes and anything else connected. Chris has been published in titles as diverse as Computer Active and Autocar, and regularly appears on BBC News, BBC Radio, Sky, Monocle and Times Radio. He was once even on The Apprentice... but we don't talk about that.