Apple’s flagship Mac Pro computer is in line for a refresh, and 2023 is the year it could blow us all away once again. Here’s everything we expect to see.
The Mac Pro is Apple’s most powerful Mac. Or at least, that’s the intention. But since its release in 2019, Apple has gone on to release new MacBooks with powerful M1 Max chips that are banging on the $6,000 Mac Pro’s door. That means an update is in order.
Luckily, rumors and leaks indicate a new Mac Pro could still be just a few months away. If you’re wondering what it might look like and how powerful it could be, you’re in the right place, as we’ve gathered all the Mac Pro news we can find into one place. To find out what’s on the horizon for Apple’s flagship desktop dominator, read on.
It’s often hard to scry anything from Apple’s inscrutable crystal ball, but we feel reasonably confident predicting this: The next Mac Pro is coming in 2023. And there’s a simple reason for this conviction.
In June 2020, Apple said at its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) event that its complete transition to Apple silicon would take about two years. Clearly, that deadline has been missed. However, that gives us even more conviction that the next Mac Pro is just around the corner, as Apple will now want to launch it as close to the end of that two-year window as possible.
We’re now expecting the Apple silicon Mac Pro to come at some point in 2023. There are strong rumors that Apple will host a special spring event, and this would be an ideal time for the company to launch the next Mac Pro. If that doesn’t happen, Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June would be the next-strongest contender.
And how about the price? We’re probably looking at something similar to the current $5,999 starting price. There might be a slight price bump similar to what other Macs experienced in 2022, something likely prompted by ongoing economic circumstances.
When it comes to exterior design, don’t expect a major departure from the current Mac Pro chassis. Indeed, Bloomberg journalist Mark Gurman has alleged Apple will use the exact same case in the next Mac Pro, so it looks like the cheesegrater shell — so recognizable and so adept at dissipating heat — isn’t going anywhere any time soon.
Sadly, that means Apple won’t be bringing out a thinner case, despite the Mac Pro’s rumored Apple silicon chips being far more efficient (and thus requiring less cooling) than the Intel chips found in the 2019 model.
On the inside, the current Mac Pro is well known for its modular design based around Apple’s MPX Modules, which let you swap out graphics cards, storage, and accelerator cards with ease.
