Apple pulls the plug on its high-priced, oft-neglected Mac Pro desktop

March 28, 2026
Apple pulls the plug on its high-priced, oft-neglected Mac Pro desktop

Here's something that might surprise you — Apple has finally pulled the plug on the Mac Pro desktop after more than a decade of uncertain efforts. According to Andrew Cunningham from Technology, the latest M2 Ultra model, released in mid-2023, will be its last, and there’s no plan to bring it back. Now, here’s where it gets interesting: Apple’s been hinting at this for a while. Reports from late last year suggested the Mac Pro was kind of on the back burner, especially since the controversial cylindrical ‘trash can’ design was stuck in a six-year limbo. Andrew also points out that in 2019, Apple tried to rethink the pro desktop with a more modular, upgradeable design. But by the time they updated it with the M2 Ultra, it was clear that the era of massive, expandable desktops was over — at least for Apple. So, what does this mean? Apple’s shifting focus — and it looks like the Mac Pro’s niche is just gone.

After more than a decade of flirting with the idea, Apple has finally discontinued the Mac Pro tower. The company confirmed to 9to5Mac that the latest Mac Pro iteration—an M2 Ultra model first released in mid-2023—would be its last, at least for the time being. There are no plans to make another Mac Pro.

The discontinuation of the Mac Pro should come as no surprise to anyone who has been paying attention. Reporting from late last year suggested that the Mac Pro had been put "on the back burner," but the desktop has clearly been in danger of falling off the stove since at least the mid-2010s, during the six-year period where the controversial cylindrical "trash can" Mac Pro design languished without updates.

Apple briefly rededicated itself to its pro desktop in 2019 with a new design that hearkened back to more versatile, upgradeable, be-handled versions of the Power Mac and Mac Pro. But by the time it was updated again with M2 Ultra four years later, it was already clear that the idea of a huge and expandable Mac desktop was out of step with the Apple Silicon era. The desktop's demise confirms that, at least in Apple's estimation, the Mac Pro was trying to fill a niche that no longer exists.

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Audio Transcript

After more than a decade of flirting with the idea, Apple has finally discontinued the Mac Pro tower. The company confirmed to 9to5Mac that the latest Mac Pro iteration—an M2 Ultra model first released in mid-2023—would be its last, at least for the time being. There are no plans to make another Mac Pro.

The discontinuation of the Mac Pro should come as no surprise to anyone who has been paying attention. Reporting from late last year suggested that the Mac Pro had been put "on the back burner," but the desktop has clearly been in danger of falling off the stove since at least the mid-2010s, during the six-year period where the controversial cylindrical "trash can" Mac Pro design languished without updates.

Apple briefly rededicated itself to its pro desktop in 2019 with a new design that hearkened back to more versatile, upgradeable, be-handled versions of the Power Mac and Mac Pro. But by the time it was updated again with M2 Ultra four years later, it was already clear that the idea of a huge and expandable Mac desktop was out of step with the Apple Silicon era. The desktop's demise confirms that, at least in Apple's estimation, the Mac Pro was trying to fill a niche that no longer exists.

Read full article

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Apple pulls the plug on its high-priced, oft-neglected Mac Pro desktop | Speasy