Apple has its tried and true products, like the iPhone, iPad, MacBook Air, and MacBook Pro. But there’s still room for the company to expand a bit. Even if it is just a bridge between two existing product lines.
And that’s apparently what’s going on with a new product reportedly called the “Mac Studio” right now. It’s possible that name will change in the future, but, for now, thanks to a report from 9to5Mac, that’s what we can call it right now. According to that report, the Mac Studio is a cross between a Mac mini and a Mac Pro. It’s not replacing either of those products, but will sit within its own category.
The report tells us that Apple is currently working on two different variations of the product. The first variant is tapping into the M1 Max processor Apple introduced with the new 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro refresh late last year. The other, though, is apparently utilizing a processor that’s even more powerful than the M1 Max. However, what that will be called — or if Apple even uses that chip for this particular device– remains to be seen.
A smaller Mac Pro has been rumored in the past. This news suggests that the Mac Studio could indeed be that smaller Mac Pro, and that it will be on sale next to the larger Mac Pro option.
Nothing is official yet, and there are still details we’re missing in this report. We don’t know just what the final design will be, how much it will cost, or what the specs will be out of the box. But, at least we know it’s in the works, which puts us all in a better spot than we were yesterday as far as rumored Apple-branded products are concerned.
The rumor mill says we probably shouldn’t expect to see the new Mac Studio at the upcoming March event. Instead, it’s more likely to make its debut at this year’s Worldwide Developers Conference.
In related news, Apple is said to be working on a brand new external display called the Studio Display, which will apparently feature a 7K resolution and an Apple silicon chip under the hood. It’s likely Apple will market the Mac Studio and Studio Display as great companion pieces.