2026 Mac Studio: What we know about the upcoming M5 update

2026 Mac Studio: Release date

• Possible release in March 2026

The Mac Studio comes with M-series Max and Ultra chips, and we can use the release of the base M-series chip to get an idea of when the Mac Studio will be updated. Apple releases the base M-series chip first (usually in the MacBook Pro) and then follows with the M-series Max and Ultra Mac Studio a few months later.

The most recent base M-series chip is the M5, which was released in the MacBook Pro in October 2025. So that generation of chip will likely make its appearance in the new Mac Studio in the first half of 2026.

According to a report by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, the M5 Max and M5 Ultra Mac Studio are on Apple’s release schedule for 2026. Two of the three Mac Studio releases since it was introduced occurred in March, with the 2023 M2 Max/Ultra Mac Studio released in June at WWDC. So look for an M5 Mac Studio release in the March to June timeframe.

2026 Mac Studio: Processor

• Expected to have M5 Max and M5 Ultra chips

The 2025 Mac Studio was a complete surprise. It was introduced with an M4 Max chip, which was expected, but the highest-end version shipped with an M3 Ultra rather than an M4 Ultra. The M3 Ultra is technically faster than the M4 Max, but it’s an older chip. Apple has not explained the reasoning for this.

The next Mac Studio will not have this staggered chip configuration, according to reports. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman claims that Apple will return to the same generation, M5 Max and M5 Ultra, for the next Mac Studio. Specifics about those chips have not been reported, however.

2026 Mac Studio: Specs

• New separate CPU and GPU blocks for customization
• Standard configurations of 36GB and 96GB of RAM
• Thunderbolt 5

The major change with the Mac Studio’s specs is going to be with the chip itself. Apple is completely redesigning how it works, according to an October 2025 report by MaxTech’s Vadim Yuryev. The M5 Pro and M5 Max will feature the CPU and GPU on separate blocks, which would allow customers more options to configure these components. For example, one could set up a base CPU configuration with a maxed-out GPU. While Yuryev did not specifically mention the M5 Ultra, it stands to reason that the Ultra chip will also feature this new block configuration.

The rest of the specifications are not expected to change. It will likely start with 36GB of RAM for the M5 Max, and 96GB of RAM for the M5 Ultra, and SSDs up to 8TB or 16TB. The current Mac Studio comes with Thunderbolt 5, and this should continue with the new model.

2026 Mac Studio: Design

• No design changes expected

The Mac Studio made its debut in 2022, so it’s only three years old. Apple is expected to stick with the same design, which is also reflected in the M4 Mac mini, as no reports have been made about the design.

Foundry

The port offerings are also expected to remain the same. The Mac Studio has:

• M-series Max model: 2 front USB-C ports (supporting USB 3 at 10Gbps)
• M-series Ultra model: 2 front Thunderbolt 5 ports
• front SDHX Card slot
• rear 3.5mm audio jack
• 4 rear Thunderbolt 5 ports
• 2 rear USB-A ports
• HDMI port
• 10Gb ethernet port (10Gb ethernet option available)

2026 Mac Studio: Price

Here are the prices for the current standard base configurations of the 2025 Mac Studio for reference:

• $1,999/£2,099/CA$2,699/AU$3,499 M4 Max, 36GB Unified Memory, 512GB SSD
• $3,999/£4,199/CA$5,499/AU$6,999 M3 Ultra, 96GB Unified Memory, 1TB SSD

Pricing for the new Mac Studio has not been reported, though pricing could go up because of the U.S. tariffs situation–the components are made overseas. The prices may be adapted to more recent exchange rates elsewhere.