Report: Apple canceled two Mac Pro models before discontinuing the lineup

Apple reportedly developed two unreleased Mac Pro models before deciding to discontinue the desktop earlier this year. According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, the company explored multiple paths for the Mac Pro, including an Intel-powered version and an Apple silicon model, before ultimately canceling the lineup.

Apple announced in March that it was discontinuing the Mac Pro and confirmed it had no plans to release future Mac Pro hardware. With that decision, the Mac Studio became Apple’s most powerful desktop computer.

Apple reportedly built Intel and Apple silicon Mac Pro prototypes

In the latest edition of his Power On newsletter, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reports that Apple had two Mac Pro models in development under the codenames J170 and J190, but neither device ever reached the market.

The more surprising prototype was J170, an Intel-based Mac Pro. Despite Apple’s transition to Apple silicon, the company reportedly continued developing an Intel version to support professional users who still depended on Intel-specific software, workflows, and hardware compatibility.

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The second prototype, internally known as J190, was powered by Apple’s M3 Ultra chip. It was originally expected to launch alongside the M3 Ultra Mac Studio in early 2025 before Apple canceled the project ahead of discontinuing the Mac Pro altogether.

According to Gurman, Apple was also developing M2 Extreme and M3 Extreme chips as part of its long-term silicon roadmap. These processors were designed to sit above the Ultra series, giving the Mac Pro a significant performance advantage over the Mac Studio.

However, Apple reportedly abandoned the Extreme chips because they were expensive to develop, difficult to manufacture, and expected to serve only a small niche of professional users.

Mac Studio is now Apple’s flagship desktop

With the Mac Pro officially discontinued, the Mac Studio now serves as Apple’s highest-end desktop for professional users.

Gurman does not expect Apple to revive the Mac Pro anytime soon, if ever. Instead, Apple is reportedly focusing its desktop strategy on future Mac Studio models.

According to the report, the company is already working on new Mac Studio models powered by the M5 Ultra chip, which could debut as early as this fall.

While the Mac Pro has long been Apple’s most expandable and powerful desktop, the company’s decision suggests it now believes the Mac Studio can meet the needs of the vast majority of professional users without maintaining a separate, ultra-high-end product line.

Would you like to see Apple bring back the Mac Pro with a future Extreme chip, or is the Mac Studio powerful enough for today’s professional workflows? Let us know in the comments below.