Mac Studio Expected to be Updated with M5 Chip in Mid-2026

Apple is reportedly preparing an update for its professional-class desktop computer, the Mac Studio, which is likely to come with Apple's new M5 generation chip in mid-2026.

This information was revealed by technology journalist Mark Gurman through Bloomberg's Power On newsletter. According to Gurman, after Apple updated the MacBook laptop line to the latest chip generation, the company's attention has now shifted to the Mac desktop lineup.

He said the first desktop model to get the update is likely not an ordinary consumer device, but the Mac Studio in the high-end segment.

Gurman estimates that the device will be launched in the middle of the year, with the most appropriate time being around the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) which is usually held in June.

However, he did not reveal many details about the design or major changes to the device. According to him, the new generation Mac Studio is likely to use the same design as the current model which uses the Apple M4 Max chip and the Apple M3 Ultra.

Rumors about the Mac Studio update in summer 2026 are also in line with the leak of the macOS Tahoe operating system code previously found by AppleInsider in October 2025.

This launch prediction differs slightly from Gurman's previous report in early February, when he said the new generation of Mac Studio and Apple Studio Display screens would be released shortly after the initial Mac update, leading to a spring launch schedule.

If this update is only a specification improvement, most of the components will likely remain the same as the previous generation. The main changes are expected to be in the chips used.

The new version of the Mac Studio will almost certainly use the Apple M5 Max variant, considering that Apple has always presented the Max variant in every generation of chips ranging from M1, M2 to M4.

However, for the Ultra variant, the situation is still unclear. Apple previously released the Apple M1 Ultra, Apple M2 Ultra, and Apple M3 Ultra, but there is no certainty whether the company will launch the Apple M4 Ultra or jump directly to the Apple M5 Ultra.

Previous reports said Apple had tested the M4 Ultra chip internally in August 2025. However, internal testing does not always lead to product launches because development can be stopped.

In addition, the new generation of Mac Studio is likely not to offer a very large RAM configuration as before. Apple has even removed the 512GB RAM option on the latest generation of Mac Studio, partly due to the high demand for memory for artificial intelligence infrastructure in the global market.

With a track record of high accuracy in previous reports, Mark Gurman's prediction of the launch of the new Mac Studio is considered quite credible, although Apple itself has not given official confirmation regarding the device.