Mac Studio With M5 Ultra Chip Said to Be in Development; Launch Timeline for M7 Ultra Version Also Leaked

Apple refreshed the Mac Studio with the M3 Ultra and M4 Max processor options in March last year. The compact workstation is due for an upgrade, and details regarding the same have now surfaced online. The Cupertino-based tech giant reportedly has two models in the works. The company reportedly plans to launch the first model with a high-end Apple Silicon M5 series chipset this year, and another upgrade is expected to arrive in 2028. This comes shortly after a report highlighted that the tech giant plans to revamp its chip strategy to shift its focus towards processors that might offer more advanced computing for on-device AI tasks.

Apple Could Refresh the Mac Studio With an M5 Ultra Chip in 2026

In the latest edition of his weekly newsletter Power On, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman writes that the Cupertino-based tech giant plans to launch the upgraded Mac Studio with the more powerful Apple Silicon M5 Ultra processor this year. Moreover, the Tim Cook-led company also plans to refresh the workstation with the rumoured M7 Ultra chipset in 2028. However, the company has yet to confirm these details.

Apple is reportedly also planning various internal changes for the Mac Studio. The tech giant could equip the desktop with an enhanced heat sink for improved thermal management, preparing for more resource-intensive on-device AI workloads. However, Apple might not make any external design changes, following earlier trends.

The report also suggests that the Mac Pro design was retained for six years before it was discontinued, while the Mac Mini went without a major design overhaul for 15 years.

This is reportedly part of the company's revamped Apple Silicon strategy. A report recently highlighted that Apple plans to skip the higher-end M6 series chipsets in favour of more powerful M7 Pro and M7 Max processors. Apple is expected to unveil both M7 series SoCs in 2027. The M7 Pro and M7 Max processors are expected to provide more advanced computing and graphics power. This is said to enable on-device AI capabilities, allowing the SoCs to run more graphics-intensive operations.

Apple last refreshed the Mac Studio with the M4 Max and M3 Ultra processors in March 2025. The Mac Studio desktop with the M4 Max chip currently retails in India at Rs. 2,79,900, while the M3 Ultra model is priced at Rs. 5,99,900. It features up to a 32-core CPU and up to an 80-core GPU, claimed to offer improved performance for 3D modelling and film colour grading.