Apple is still expected to update the Mac Studio with the M5 Ultra in 2026 and an M7 Ultra version in 2028, but don’t expect major changes to the form.
The Apple Silicon chip series consists of four tiers, with the standard base model, Pro, and Max variants appearing in every generation. The fourth, the Ultra chip, hasn’t seen a release since the M3 Ultra, with the M4 Ultra skipped entirely.
The Mac Studio is the model of Mac to get if you want the massive number of cores that the Ultra model provides. If Mark Gurman’s “Power On” newsletter for Bloomberg on Sunday is accurate, you won’t have to wait long for the next release.
Gurman writes that there are two updates to the Mac Studio on the way. The near-term model will be the M5 Ultra, which is due to arrive later in 2026.
The second update is further in the future, with an M7 Ultra expected sometime in 2028.
A spec-bump update, again
As for what to expect when those Ultra-equipped models arrive, Gurman provides bad news if you want more than just performance improvements.
He is informed that internal changes have been made to the Mac Studio. Chiefly this consists of a better heatsink, which will improve thermal performance under heavy loads.
A major redesign is not anticipated for the M5 Ultra model. As for the M7, there’s a slightly better chance, but Apple’s tendency to stick to model designs for long periods of time doesn’t bode well for a revamp.
