Mac Studio M2 release date, worth, M2 Max and M2 Ultra specs – do phone
Apple launched the Mac Studio with M1 Max and M1 Ultra chips in March 2022. Positioned as a model-new professional-tier Mac, it’s finest described as a Mac mini on steroids. Nevertheless, now that the M2 Pro Mac mini has arrived, the choice to purchase a desktop Mac is just a little trickier. There’s additionally the overdue Apple silicon Mac Pro that may quickly be a part of the combo.
With a trio of professional-tier Macs, all eyes are actually on the second-technology Mac Studio: When it’s going to arrive? How briskly will it’s? And the way Apple will differentiate it from the Mac mini and the Mac Professional?
Mac Studio: Release date
Now that the M2 Max chip has arrived within the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Professional, it’s seemingly solely a matter of time earlier than the chip makes its manner into the Mac Studio. Based mostly on the present mannequin, the Mac Studio may even ship with an M2 Ultra chip, which can doubtless debut within the first Apple silicon Mac Professional.
There’s some expectation that Apple will unveil the brand new Mac Professional at its worldwide builders convention, WWDC, in June, so it’s potential that the Mac Studio replace may come on the identical time. Nevertheless, there’s some uncertainty about how Apple will distinguish the Mac Studio from the Mac Professional in the event that they share the identical chip.
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman claims that Apple received’t have to. In a February 2023 installment of his PowerOn newsletter, he wrote that he “wouldn’t anticipate the introduction of a Mac Studio within the close to future. The upcoming Mac Professional could be very related in performance to the Mac Studio—and provides the M2 Ultra chip relatively than the M1 Ultra. So it wouldn’t make sense for Apple to supply an M2 Ultra Mac Studio and M2 Ultra Mac Professional on the identical time.”
Gurman thinks it’s probably that “Apple both by no means updates the Mac Studio or holds off till the M3 or M4 technology.” May the Mac Studio be identical to the iMac Professional—a cease-hole that Apple by no means updates and ultimately discontinues? It’s beginning to appear to be that is likely to be the case. As a substitute of an anticipated 2023 replace to an M2 chip, we would not get an replace till 2025, a full three years after its debut.
Perhaps we received’t have to attend for that lengthy although. Hidden references to three new desktop Macs have been noticed in Apple’s Discover My app. Developer Nicolas Álvarez noticed the references to 3 unknown desktop Macs: Mac14,8; Mac14,13; and Mac14,14 within the Discover My app. The rationale he believes these are desktop Macs is that these Macs have the “left behind” notification disabled and desktops have a tendency to remain in a single place. This might point out that each the Mac Studio and the Mac Professional could possibly be up to date at WWDC in June 2023.
Subsequent Mac Studio: Value
Assuming that Apple does launch a brand new Mac Studio, what is going to it price? When Apple added the M2 Professional and M2 Max processors to the lineup with the introduction of the brand new MacBook Professional and Mac mini in January 2023, it updated pricing for some Macs in nations outdoors the U.S. For instance, within the U.Ok. every iMac mannequin now prices £150 extra.
Nevertheless, the worth of the Mac Studio stayed the identical, indicating that Apple is both glad with the pricing, or that it will enhance when the brand new fashions are launched.
One indication that the worth of the Mac Studio may go up within the U.S. and elsewhere is the pricing of a equally specced M2 Pro Mac mini, which we predict is unnecessary subsequent to the Mac Studio. For instance, should you had been to configure a Mac mini with M2 Professional 12-core CPU, 19-core GPU, 32GB unified reminiscence, and 512GB of storage, it might price you $1,999/£2,099, the identical as a regular Mac Studio with M1 Max 10-core CPU, 24-core GPU, 32GB unified reminiscence and a 512GB SSD. All issues being equal, you’re getting a greater chip and more expansion with the Mac Studio for a similar worth. So one thing has to offer. Sadly the probably reply is that Apple will enhance the worth of the Mac Studio.
Subsequent Mac Studio: Design
The Mac Studio has a really related design to the Mac mini. Each are silver and have an Apple brand on the highest. The bottom of the Mac Studio is precisely the identical measurement: 7.7 inches sq. (19.7cm) because the Mac mini, however the Mac Studio is taller: 3.7 inches (9.5cm) relatively than 1.41 inches (3.58cm). That is unlikely to alter, though it might be good to see a House Grey possibility.
Roman Loyola / Foundry
Subsequent Mac Studio: Processor and specs
We already know what to anticipate from the M2 Max. As for the M2 Ultra, we will infer some particulars in regards to the chip from rumors and our expertise with the M1 Ultra, which is 2 M1 Max processors fused collectively. Right here’s how the chips break down:
M2 Max
- CPU: 12 cores
- GPU: 30 cores/38 cores
- RAM: 32GB/64GB/96GB (with 38-core GPU)
M2 Ultra
- CPU: As much as 24 cores
- GPU: As much as 76 cores
- RAM: As much as 192GB
If Apple waits to replace the Mac Studio till the M3 Max/Ultra or M4 Max/Ultra arrives, it’s arduous to say how a lot sooner the chips will likely be, however with an anticipated transfer to 3nm with the M3, the velocity enhance could possibly be important.
Subsequent Mac Studio: Ports
The Mac Studio already has a wide variety of ports, with 4 Thunderbolt 4 ports, 10Gb ethernet, two USB-A ports, HDMI 2.0, and a 3.5 mm headphone jack. That was a formidable array of ports for 2022, however it got here with some limitations.
For one, the HDMI 2.0 port means customers can solely join a show with 4K decision at 60Hz. The 2023 Mac mini has an HDMI 2.1 port with assist for 4K at 240Hz and 8K at 60Hz. Moreover, the 2023 Mac mini brings Bluetooth 5.3 and Wi-Fi 6E, each of that are prone to make an look within the subsequent Mac Studio.
