Apple scrapped Mac Pro plans included an Intel‑based model

Apple confirmed the Mac Pro line is dead and disclosed that two unreleased models—codenamed J170 (Intel) and J190 (M3 Ultra)—were cancelled, a move that underscores Apple’s pivot to the Mac Studio as its primary high‑end desktop offering【1】.

Unreleased Mac Pro models

Mark Gurman’s Bloomberg‑sourced report reveals Apple had two Mac Pro prototypes in the pipeline before the line was shut down. The J170 was an Intel‑based tower intended to serve niche professional workloads that still rely on PCI‑e expansion cards, while the J190 would have housed an M3 Ultra chip and been slated to launch alongside the M3 Ultra Mac Studio in early 2025【1】【3】. Both projects were halted due to cost and demand concerns, mirroring earlier reports that Apple abandoned planned “Extreme” chips—M2 Extreme and M3 Extreme—because they would have been twice as powerful as the then‑current Ultra line but financially untenable【1】【3】.

Shift to Mac Studio as the flagship pro desktop

Apple removed the Mac Pro from its website in March 2026, redirecting buyers to the Mac Studio, which now carries the full range of high‑performance Apple‑silicon options, including the upcoming M5 Ultra expected as early as fall 2026【1】【2】. The Mac Studio already outperforms the last Intel‑based Mac Pro and the M2 Ultra Mac Pro while offering a lower price point and smaller footprint, making it the de‑facto professional desktop for most users【2】【4】. The decision reflects a broader strategic shift toward integrated silicon and away from modular, expansion‑heavy designs that the Intel‑based Mac Pro would have supported.

What to watch

• Apple’s announced launch of Mac Studio models with M5 Ultra chips, targeted for fall 2026.
• Any future statements from Apple regarding the possibility of re‑introducing an Intel‑based workstation for specialized PCI‑e use cases.
• Competitor responses, particularly from vendors offering modular workstations with discrete GPUs, as Apple’s focus on integrated silicon may open a niche for alternative high‑end desktops.

The cancellation of both the Intel‑based and “Extreme” Apple‑silicon Mac Pro models signals that Apple is fully committing to the Mac Studio platform, leaving open the question of whether a modular, expansion‑friendly workstation will ever return to the Apple ecosystem.