---
title: "The Death of a Legend: Why Apple Buried the Mac Pro and Which Ultra-Powerful Chips Never Saw the Light of Day"
description: "Apple has officially buried the Mac Pro, but insiders have revealed secret prototypes that never hit the market 🤫. Find out why the Extreme chips were canceled and what awaits professionals in 2025. 🍏💻"
date: 2026-07-20T10:16:00.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/death-of-a-legend-why-apple-buried-the-mac-pro-and-which-ultra-powerful-chips-never-saw-the-light-of-day
tags: [apple, mac-pro, mark-gurman, bloomberg, mac-studio]
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# The Death of a Legend: Why Apple Buried the Mac Pro and Which Ultra-Powerful Chips Never Saw the Light of Day

![Close-up of MacBook Pro keyboard with 'MacBook Pro' branding on the bezel — symbolizing Apple’s shift toward laptops over desktop Mac Pro systems](https://xab.info/media/2026/07/20/apple-ubrala-mac-pro-i-raskryla-sekretnye-chipy-extreme/apple-ubrala-mac-pro-i-raskryla-sekretnye-chipy-extreme-1.webp)

The world of professional workstations has experienced an unexpected shock: Apple has officially discontinued sales of the legendary Mac Pro lineup. The decision, made in March, marked the end of an era for the cult device that has been a symbol of absolute performance for decades. However, as it turns out, behind closed doors in Cupertino, much more was happening than just abandoning the model. Insiders and analysts are revealing details about ultra-powerful processors and prototypes that never saw the light of day.

### Why the Mac Pro Became Obsolete

By the time it was discontinued in March of this year, the Mac Pro was still equipped with M2 Ultra processors released back in 2023. This was clear evidence that the platform was stuck in development. The situation was exacerbated by pricing policy: the workstation cost twice as much as the compact Mac Studio, while offering practically identical performance and functionality.

This imbalance between price and capabilities made the model inefficient for the market. In the long term, Apple realized that maintaining a flagship desktop PC series in this form was pointless and redirected professional users to more affordable and compact solutions.

### Secret Projects and Invisible Chips

The abandonment of the Mac Pro was not an originally planned scenario. In the early stages of the transition to its own chips, Apple engineers were working on an ambitious processor project that was supposed to be the pinnacle of the lineup, positioned above the Ultra level. These chips, named Extreme, were supposed to offer twice as many graphics and main cores compared to previous generations.

The company successfully developed two modifications of these chips, but both projects were canceled. The main reasons were the excessively high production cost and low projected demand among end buyers. Apple deemed it irrational to invest in creating ultra-expensive components that would not be in mass demand.

### J170 and J190 Prototypes: What Was Planned

There were at least two Mac Pro prototypes in the company's labs that never hit the market. They carried the code names J170 and J190 and represented two different paths for the company's development.

- **J170 Prototype:** This was a workstation based on Intel processors. Development was carried out in parallel with the creation of the Apple Silicon platform. The goal was to meet the specific needs of corporate clients who were not yet ready to switch to the new architecture.

- **J190 Prototype:** This project was developed for the M3 Ultra chip. It was expected to debut alongside the Mac Studio update in early 2025, but plans changed.

### The Future of Apple's Professional Gear

Today, the chances of the Mac Pro returning in the foreseeable future are minimal. The company's strategy has shifted towards refining the Mac Studio lineup. Apple plans to release updated Mac Studio computers with M5 Ultra processors, expected to launch as early as this autumn. It is this model that now takes on the role of the flagship for professionals, offering maximum performance in a more compact and economically justified chassis.