Apple’s next-generation Mac Studio, the M7 Ultra model arriving in 2028, will support up to 1.5TB of unified memory. That matches the maximum RAM capacity of the legacy Intel Mac Pro and represents a sharp reversal from the current M3 Ultra Mac Studio, which is locked at 96GB with no upgrade options.
As reported by Bloomberg, the memory expansion shows Apple’s intent to rebuild professional desktop credibility after years of constraint. The last Intel Mac Pro could be configured with 1.5TB of RAM for graphics rendering, video compositing, and machine learning workloads that demand massive memory pools. Apple had abandoned this tier of configurability in its transition to Apple Silicon, but the M7 Ultra roadmap suggests the gap is narrowing.
Before the M7 Ultra arrives, an M5 Ultra Mac Studio refresh is coming this year, expected around October 2026. The M5 variant will serve as a mid-cycle update while Apple engineers larger architectural changes for 2028. A better heatsink has been mentioned for at least one of these models, addressing thermal constraints that have complicated higher-performance configurations on the current chassis.
The company removed 256GB and 512GB RAM options from Mac Studio in March and May 2026 as memory chip prices spiked and supply tightened globally. That left the M3 Ultra in a single memory configuration: 96GB. Current delivery estimates for the M3 Ultra already stretch into October, creating a scheduling conflict with the expected M5 Ultra launch window.
The memory shortage exposed a deeper issue. Apple had stripped configurability from its most powerful desktop machine just as professional workflows around AI and machine learning were demanding more capacity, not less. The 1.5TB ceiling in the M7 Ultra represents Apple’s answer to this constraint, though delivery depends on supply chain stabilization.
Apple is skipping the higher-end M6 Pro and M6 Max chips entirely, creating a two-year gap between the M5 Ultra in 2026 and the M7 Ultra in 2028 in the pro lineup. The company is releasing a base M6 this year and reserving Pro and Max designations for the M7 generation.
That unusual cadence reflects a shift in Apple’s chip strategy. The M7 Ultra’s redesigned thermal solution and 1.5TB memory capacity suggest substantially higher capabilities than the M5, justifying the jump to 2028 rather than a faster refresh cycle.
No equivalent memory expansion has been announced for the M5 Ultra variant launching in October 2026, leaving that ambiguity unresolved for anyone deciding whether to wait or upgrade.
