M4 Mac Studio, M5 MacBook Pro form part of Apple's 2025 Mac launches

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Apple's Mac lineup for 2025 will include quite a lot of updates, with the Mac Studio anticipated to get a refresh early in the year alongside more typical updates.

Silver computer on a desk with a red speaker and monitor in the background.
Mac Studio



The migration of Apple's Mac and MacBook lines in 2024 saw some get upgrades to the M4, but not all models. The Mac mini, the iMac, and the MacBook Pro models all migrated over to M4, leaving behind a lot of other models on earlier chips.

According to Mark Gurman's newsletter for Bloomberg, the upgrades to M4 will continue early in the year, and continue throughout to cover most of the remaining range.

In outlining Apple's release schedule, the first expected Mac is the MacBook Air. It is anticipated that it will be a relatively early release and use the M4 chip, with no other expected changes, indicating it will be a spec-bump update.

Currently, the M3 MacBook Air is sold alongside the M2 version. It is proposed that Apple could decide to replace the M3 model with the M4, and keep the M2 around as an entry-level offering.

Mac Studio, MacBook Pro, Mac Pro



Another update destined for the first half of 2025 is the Mac Studio. This is a bit of a shift in expectations, as Gurman did previously say a late-2025 release was probable, so this is a bit of an alteration to a quicker release timeline.

Again, there is no word from Gurman on what will change, other than a shift to M4 Max and M4 Ultra chips. Currently, Apple has M4 Max chips in its MacBook Pro, but there have been some questions about the M4 Ultra's interconnect.

Later in 2025, Gurman believes Apple will continue its chip cadence and shift to the M5. This would mean the introduction of the M5 variants of MacBook Pro.

While there apparently won't be changes in the M5 versions, more is expected for 2026. It will be the 20th anniversary of the MacBook Pro, and Apple will likely make big changes for such an occasion.

Lastly, there is mention of a New Mac Pro, which will apparently use a high-end "Hidra" chip. However, reports have also claimed that Apple canceled the development of a high-performance chip for Macs in favor of an AI server chip.

If the chip cancellation reports are true, this makes it more likely for the Mac Pro to go down the Ultra chip route once again.

Rumor Score: Possible

Read on AppleInsider

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 11
    Would be pleased if a M4 Ultra Mac Studio had options for 512 GB of memory and USB-C v5 but still include a couple of USB-A connectors. Still have equipment that has current software compatibility but have the old USB-A connectors. My current M1 Ultra Studio is fully optioned and does everything I need quickly.

    For me, I find it amazing that the M4 Pro mini with 64GB memory, 10Gb ethernet and 8TB SSD that just arrived here has equivalent performance numbers to my Mac Studio. The new mini is my backup device in case the fan blades get discolored and new computer stuff is suddenly made of un-attainium or at ridiculous prices.
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  • Reply 2 of 11
    blastdoorblastdoor Posts: 3,669member
    An earlier release of an M4 ultra studio would be nice. 
    Edgecrusherrkeithw
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  • Reply 3 of 11
    I would love to see an Apple Silicon server chip sent in the Mac Pro. That would be huge for AI / ML development. Mac Pro already offers a rackmount variant. 
    blastdoori0SZt1IT
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  • Reply 4 of 11
    blastdoorblastdoor Posts: 3,669member
    I would love to see an Apple Silicon server chip sent in the Mac Pro. That would be huge for AI / ML development. Mac Pro already offers a rackmount variant. 
    I was thinking a similar thought. Perhaps people could buy Mac Pros to train their own models or do large scale inference and then access apples cloud resources in a kind of hybrid cloud model.

     I really think Apple is best positioned to compete with Nvidia. AMD is a weak competitor and their weakness makes it seem harder to compete with Nvidia than it really is. AMD has always been weak at software. Nvidia is stronger than AMD at software but Apple is even better. Basically Apple is second to none in both hardware and software. Put those two together and they can definitely take on Nvidia.
    libertyandfreei0SZt1IT
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  • Reply 5 of 11
    nubusnubus Posts: 677member
    blastdoor said:
    I would love to see an Apple Silicon server chip sent in the Mac Pro. That would be huge for AI / ML development. Mac Pro already offers a rackmount variant. 
    I was thinking a similar thought. Perhaps people could buy Mac Pros to train their own models or do large scale inference and then access apples cloud resources in a kind of hybrid cloud model.
    Do we need a Mac Pro if we can offload to other computers or the cloud? 2024 gave us Private Cloud Computing as part of macOS. We need for it to go beyond AI. Seems Apple is preparing for it: https://security.apple.com/blog/pcc-security-research/

    Looking forward to WWDC 2025!
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  • Reply 6 of 11
    NYC362nyc362 Posts: 107member
    I'm a bit perplexed by the idea of releasing an M4 Max and M4 Ultra Studio in June, and then about five months later, introducing M5 Pro and M5 Max MacBook Pros.   Either just delay the Studio so it can go to an M5 or, if possible first release the M5 Max and Ultra in the Studio in June. 
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  • Reply 7 of 11
    blastdoorblastdoor Posts: 3,669member
    nubus said:
    blastdoor said:
    I would love to see an Apple Silicon server chip sent in the Mac Pro. That would be huge for AI / ML development. Mac Pro already offers a rackmount variant. 
    I was thinking a similar thought. Perhaps people could buy Mac Pros to train their own models or do large scale inference and then access apples cloud resources in a kind of hybrid cloud model.
    Do we need a Mac Pro if we can offload to other computers or the cloud? 2024 gave us Private Cloud Computing as part of macOS. We need for it to go beyond AI. Seems Apple is preparing for it: https://security.apple.com/blog/pcc-security-research/

    Looking forward to WWDC 2025!
    Probably depends on how expensive it is to use the cloud. With AWS, it can be cheaper to own your own hardware if you have a high utilization rate. Cloud is best for cases where you temporarily need a lot of resources. 

    It might also depend on how much data you’re moving back and forth.
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  • Reply 8 of 11
    ApplePoor said:
    Would be pleased if a M4 Ultra Mac Studio had options for 512 GB of memory and USB-C v5 but still include a couple of USB-A connectors. Still have equipment that has current software compatibility but have the old USB-A connectors. 
    Just get new cables with C or use affordable USB A to C adapters. Why should Apple’s highest end machines be bogged down with ancient ports at the expense of faster ones, when adapters are available for the niche users and the holdouts? 
    keithw
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  • Reply 9 of 11
    NYC362 said:
    Either just delay the Studio so it can go to an M5 or, if possible first release the M5 Max and Ultra in the Studio in June. 
    The M5 Ultra won’t be ready by November. It’s taken them this long just to get the M4 Ultra ready. It’s hard to make an SoC with so many cores at a reasonable price, as the yields are so low with so much room for error. 
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  • Reply 10 of 11
    Going from vaporware to test hardware to shipping hardware takes more time the smaller the item in question gets. 

    As an old Heathkit builder of TVs, stereos, test equipment and even computer boards for my DEC LSI 11/2, the number of transistors in the Ultra chip of my M1 Ultra Mac Studio just boggles my mind. All three legs of a single transistor had to put into the correct hole on the board and then soldered into place. The white many foot long wire for making connections has been replaced with traces on a board that make a human hair seem huge. My work bench sure was not a clean room with pure air filtration.

    It would take many assembly hours before it was time to put the tubes into the sockets for a smoke test. No smoke all was well, smoke meant finding a wire or component in the wrong place and redoing that spot.

    So I have sympathy for the TSMCs of the world building these chips that power our cell phones and computers.

    The fly in the ointment is that this technology is also happening in surveillance equipment that is also getting smaller and harder to detect. We are entering the Big Brother time where the saying from a movie "Here's looking at you" is everywhere.




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  • Reply 11 of 11
    keithwkeithw Posts: 160member
    NYC362 said:
    I'm a bit perplexed by the idea of releasing an M4 Max and M4 Ultra Studio in June, and then about five months later, introducing M5 Pro and M5 Max MacBook Pros.   Either just delay the Studio so it can go to an M5 or, if possible first release the M5 Max and Ultra in the Studio in June. 

    They skipped the M3 altogether.  The M2 Mac Studios now shipping are woefully obsolete.  Do you want to wait another year to see the Studio updated? I was tired of waiting so I bought an M4 Max MBP while what I really wanted was an M4 Max Studio.
    edited January 13
    williamlondon
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