Apple final up to date the Mac Professional in 2023 when it was the final Mac to be outfitted with an M-series chip–three years after Apple began to make use of its personal silicon in Macs. The Mac Professional could also be on an extended replace cycle than the opposite Macs as a result of it’s an costly machine with options that handle the wants of a distinct segment viewers.
However if you happen to’re a part of that viewers, you’ll need to know when the following mannequin will arrive, so we’ll be monitoring the information and rumors concerning the Mac Professional. This text contains details about the potential updates to the Mac Professional, in addition to provides a perspective on what these rumored updates imply to Apple’s Mac lineup.
What was introduced at WWDC?
Apple didn’t reveal any details about the Mac Professional. Nevertheless it did reveal macOS 26 Tahoe. The OS will share a unified design language with all Apple units for better continuity throughout the complete ecosystem. The appear and feel is called “Liquid Glass,” and its emphasis on translucency and specular highlights offers the interface an interesting facelift.
The power to customise folders with colours and emoji, using Apple Intelligence within the creation of shortcut automations, and the system-wide attain of Highlight Search are a number of the different thrilling developments in macOS 26.
To be taught extra, see our article on the 5 finest options in macOS 26 Tahoe.
Mac Professional M4: Launch date
With no new Mac Professional showing in 2024, regardless of the arrival of the M4 Max, it seems like we might be caught with the M2 Extremely Mac Professional till 2025.
The prolonged wait isn’t shocking. In an April 2024 report by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman about Apple’s plans for its AI-enhanced M4 chip, he prompt that Apple wouldn’t replace the Mac Professional till 2025.
In June 2024, Gurman once more reported that the Mac launch schedule had not modified. The M4 Mac Professional is just not anticipated till the second half of 2025. In August, Gurman reiterated that the M4 Mac Professional might be launched in 2025.
On July 3, AppleInsider reported {that a} new Mac Professional is in improvement has has been assigned the code identify J704.
Mac Professional M4: Processor
In October 2024, Gurman reported that Apple “continues to work on an M4 model of the Mac Professional.”
In his April 2024 report, Gurman acknowledged that the Mac Professional might be a part of Apple’s AI focus and might be upgraded with an M4 with enhanced AI capabilities. Gurman didn’t supply any particulars on how these AI enhancements might be carried out or another specs concerning the M4.
Since that report, Apple has unveiled the M4 chip, first within the iPad Professional, then within the iMac, Mac mini, and MacBook Professional. In our Geekbench 6 checks of the M4 Max chip that arrived in October 2024 we discovered it to be sooner than the M2 Extremely. Learn: How Apple’s M4 chips dispelled all my fears about shopping for a brand new Mac. Apple additionally launched the M3 Extremely Mac Studio, making it the quickest Mac in Apple’s lineup. If Apple needed to make use of the M3 Extremely within the Mac Professional, it might’ve up to date that Mac by now.
Whereas that is dangerous information for the M2 Extremely Mac Professional, it ought to imply nice issues for the M4 Extremely, which is what has been reported because the chip for the Mac Professional. We additionally know that it has an improved Neural Engine for AI options. Apple’s M1 Extremely and M2 Extremely chips are primarily two Max chips that work collectively, however there have been studies that Apple might be altering the processor’s structure, so we might see larger efficiency than in earlier Extremely chips.
The Info reported in December 2024 that in the summertime, Apple had canceled a “high-performance chip for Macs” to deal with the event of an AI server chip. As John Gruber identified, the timing of that Mac chip venture means that the canceled chip was seemingly one that’s dubbed an “Excessive” chip that might be sooner than an Extremely. Based mostly on this report, the Mac Professional will get Extremely chips for the foreseeable future.
On July 3, AppleInsider reported that “it’s not instantly clear” what processor the brand new Mac Professional may have.
Mac Professional M4: Design and specs
Gurman additionally reported that Apple needs to dramatically improve the utmost quantity of unified reminiscence within the high-end desktop M4 Macs to 512GB. The present restrict on the M2 Extremely Mac Professional is 192GB. So, the M4 Extremely Mac Professional might assist greater than twice the reminiscence as the present M2 Extremely Mac Professional.
The Mac Professional might be outfitted with Thunderbolt 5. When Apple launched the M4 Professional/Mac MacBook Professional, it upgraded to Thunderbolt 5, so the Mac Professional will comply with swimsuit. Be taught extra about Thunderbolt 5.
No different studies have been made concerning the interior workings of the upcoming Mac Professional. As a result of Apple needs to deal with AI, the Mac Professional may very well be marketed as an AI improvement workstation, so Apple might improve different elements to accommodate these wants.
The Mac mini had a redesign in 2024, leading to a a lot smaller system. Mac Professional has had its design for 11 years, however no studies have been made concerning the design, and if Apple modifications something, it is extremely unlikely to make the Mac Professional smaller as this didn’t work out effectively final time.
The following Mac Professional improve is predicted to maintain the identical design, however the inside elements will seemingly change, with the important thing one being an M4 Extremely improve.
Foundry
Mac Professional M4: Value
Listed below are the costs for the present customary base configurations of the M2 Extremely Mac Professional for reference.
Apple expects prospects to configure their orders, so costs will fluctuate from these base specs.
- $6,999/ÂŁ7,199/CA$8,999/AU$11,999 Mac Professional Tower: M2 Extremely, 24-core CPU, 60-core GPU, 32-core Neural Engine, 64GB Unified Reminiscence, 1TB SSD
- $7,499/ÂŁ7,699/CA$9,599/AU$12,999 Mac Professional Rack: M2 Extremely, 24-core CPU, 60-core GPU, 32-core Neural Engine, 64GB Unified Reminiscence, 1TB SSD
Pricing for the brand new Mac Professional has not been reported, although we anticipate pricing to presumably go up due to the U.S. tariffs state of affairs–the elements are made abroad. The worth could also be tailored to more moderen trade charges elsewhere. We predict that within the U.Ok. the value might be in keeping with the U.S. for instance: £6,999 quite than £7,199.
