Before the arrival of Mac Studio, rumors told us that the new Mac Pro with silicon chips from Apple could come in a new reduced size, in addition to the design we already know. Then, after the Mac Studio was introduced, we all assumed it was the smaller variant of the Mac Pro, and it seems like we were on the right track.
A few weeks ago, Apple introduced the professional line of M2 chips in the form of the M2 Pro and M2 Max, which made their way to the new MacBook Pro (2023) and Mac mini (2023). Some chips that didn’t make it to Mac Studio that Mark Gurman says might not. The reason is none other than the similarity between the teams
A Mac Studio without a future in front of the Mac Pro
While you might expect the Mac Studio to get M2 family chips at some point, that might not be the case. So says Gurman in the latest issue of his Power On newsletter, where he comments that the similarity between the Mac Studio and the upcoming Mac Pro is such that the move might not make sense. According to Gurman, the arrival of the Mac Pro could mean the disappearance of Mac Studio or that the latter waited to update with the M3 or M4 generation.
“I wouldn’t anticipate the introduction of a Mac Studio in the near future. The next Mac Pro is very similar in features to the Mac Studio, adding the M2 Ultra chip instead of the M1 Ultra. So that wouldn’t have no sense Apple will offer a M2 Ultra Mac Studio and an M2 Ultra Mac Pro at the same time Apple is more likely to never update Mac Studio or wait for the M3 or M4 generation At this point the company could better differentiate Mac Studio from Mac Pro.”
The truth is that we haven’t heard any rumors about the new Mac Studio, although It’s hard to believe that a Mac that launched its design about a year ago is going to disappear
The truth is that at the level of power, a Mac Studio with an M2 Ultra could be very similar to the Mac Pro. Much of the Mac Pro’s appeal lies in its modularity to expand RAM, GPU, storage, and other variables, but with the arrival of Apple silicon, that changes. The System on a Chip concept makes the RAM non-expandable without changing chips and the same goes for the GPU. In this sense, the differentiation between Mac Studio and Mac Pro is essential.
Apple’s plans can change very quickly, but Mark Gurman’s claims are closest to the Mac Studio’s future. Some Mac Studios that may well arrive next year with M3 chips, although doubt is already planning on the horizon.