Apple Mac Pro refresh delayed to 2019 - will offer modularity

In an interview with TechCrunch, Apple executives revealed that the next Mac Pro will not arrive until 2019. The current design has been around since December 2013 and the company is communicating clearly to companies that there's no need to hold off on buying new systems because there's nothing in the near-term pipeline.

Apple stresses it is focusing on improving the workflow, from areas like visual effects and video editing, to 3D animation and music production. To achieve this, Apple directly hired creatives to build out workflows internally with real content. These employees then point out the bottlenecks and pain points, so Apple can improve the experience, regardless whether it's a problem with the hardware, drivers, application, or operating system. This gives the firm a much deeper understanding of its pro customers and their workflows.

Another key aspect of the new Mac Pro will be modularity, which is somewhat of a problem with the current cylindrical Mac Pro:

While there are no further details on the exact shape that the Mac Pro will take, Boger says that they are still very much in the modular mindset.

“As we said a year ago working on modular was inherently a modular system and in looking at our customers and their workflows obviously that’s a real need for our customers and that’s the direction we’re going,” says Boger.