Preview: Apple (苹果公司) 2026 Mac Studio — up to 256GB RAM, M5 Max/Ultra chips

Lead

It has been reported that Apple may unveil a redesigned 2026 Mac Studio at WWDC as early as June, reportedly starting at $1,999. Tech site MacRumors has collated leaks from analysts including Ming‑Chi Kuo (郭明錤) and Mark Gurman (马克·古尔曼) outlining the key changes: new M5 family silicon, much higher memory ceilings for pro users, and faster storage. Will Apple keep the compact Studio form while squeezing in far greater performance? Early indications say yes.

Specs and design

Reportedly the 2026 Mac Studio will retain the current compact, Apple TV‑like boxy silhouette — dimensions cited at about 3.7 inches tall and 7.7 inches wide — and continue to support Thunderbolt 5 with little change to port layout. On silicon, sources point to M5 Max (up to an 18‑core CPU and 40‑core GPU, 614 GB/s memory bandwidth and roughly 30% faster professional performance than M4 Max) and an M5 Ultra formed by two M5 Max dies (up to 36‑core CPU and 80‑core GPU). SSD throughput may double versus the previous generation, cutting large file load times substantially.

Memory, supply and market context

Memory ceilings are a headline: it has been reported that M5 Max configurations will top out at 128 GB of unified RAM, while M5 Ultra models could reach 256 GB. Those limits, sources say, reflect global DRAM supply tightness rather than product design choices alone — high‑capacity configurations of the current Studio have already been pulled from some markets. That supply story sits alongside broader industry pressures, from rising component costs to geopolitical frictions that have tightened parts flows and influenced inventory strategy.

What to watch

With the Mac Pro discontinued at the end of March, the Mac Studio is now Apple’s sole professional desktop offering — a bigger responsibility for a compact box. Reportedly, Apple will unveil final specs and pricing at WWDC if timing holds; until then, expect supply constraints and memory pricing to shape available configurations.