After months of anticipation and a memory crisis that delayed plans, Apple is finally set to release an updated Mac Studio. According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, the new model with M5 Ultra chip will arrive before the end of the year, while a more ambitious Mac Studio M7 Ultra is expected in 2028. The news goes beyond processors: Apple is working on an improved cooling system designed to handle increasingly demanding on-device AI workloads.
M5 Ultra arriving later this year after price hikes
The current Mac Studio, launched in early 2025, features M4 Max and M3 Ultra chips, a configuration that on the high-end side is now outdated. High demand and supply shortages have caused long wait times, compounded by a recent price increase due to the AI memory crisis. As reported earlier, Apple raised Mac and iPad prices by up to 20%, affecting the Mac Studio as well. The M5 Ultra model, expected to be a chip-only update, should finally hit stores in the coming months, delivering significantly better performance thanks to the M5 architecture.
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Improved heatsink to manage AI workloads
Beyond new chips, Apple has significant internal changes in the pipeline. Gurman reports that the company is working on a more effective heatsink to improve thermal performance, preparing for more demanding on-device AI tasks. It is unclear whether this change will come with the M5 Ultra model or be introduced only with the subsequent M7 Ultra. For users already pushing their Mac Studio to the limit, enhanced cooling is a most welcome improvement.
M7 Ultra targeted for 2028 and possible design overhaul
Looking further ahead, Apple aims for 2028 with the M7 Ultra chip. Gurman notes that Apple tends to keep desktop designs for long periods, but does not rule out a more substantial redesign for the M7 Ultra model. The decision to skip the M6 Pro, Max, and Ultra chips confirms a strategy focused on biennial updates for the highest-performance versions. The Mac Studio M7 Ultra could therefore mark a turning point not only in performance but also in aesthetics and functionality.
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For further insight into Apple's AI strategies and their pricing impacts, see the analysis on price hikes in Italian. Additionally, a comparison of development tools in the article Maven vs Gradle, though on a different topic, shows how the tech ecosystem is evolving to support complex workloads.
For technical background on the Mac Studio, refer to the Wikipedia entry detailing its history and specifications.
