The first Macs based on Apple Silicon debuted in November 2020. However, the Mac Pro, Apple's high-end tower Mac, didn't receive its Apple Silicon upgrade until almost three years later. When it finally made its debut at WWDC 2023, it featured an M2 Ultra chip.
Bloomberg's sources claim that Apple worked on a Mac with an Intel CPU alongside the Apple Silicon model. The code-named J170 model was intended to "address certain uses." However, the specific uses and Intel chips involved remain unknown.
The main reason many Mac Pro users were resistant to Apple Silicon is its limitations when working with expansion cards – more specifically, third-party graphics cards. Apple Silicon has its graphics processors integrated into the chip, and discrete graphics cards couldn't be used, which discouraged many customers with "certain uses" from the Mac Pro. This Intel model could have solved that problem for certain demanding users.
Apple had another Mac Pro model in development, code-named J190, which was slated to ship alongside the M3 Ultra Mac Studio in March 2025. It is unclear why this model was never released.
Instead, Apple discontinued the Mac Pro line in March. Don't expect a Mac Pro comeback: "I don't anticipate Apple bringing back the Mac Pro anytime soon – if ever," a source claims.
