These 5 Apple products are stuck in limbo and desperately need an upgrade – here’s what to expect

Apple has a huge range of upcoming products in the pipeline and we’ll see many of them at its big September 9 event, including new iPhones, Apple Watches and AirPods. But there are also many existing products that feel like they’re stuck in limbo, sometimes going years without updates or attention.

What are these devices, and what is Apple going to do about them? If you’ve been patiently waiting for some new AirPods Max or a fresh Studio Display, we’ve rounded up the latest speculation on those increasingly dusty models (and three other notable examples) below.

While this is still just speculation – and there’s always the potential for an Apple surprise – it should help give you a steer on whether to keep waiting for these seemingly forgotten products…

1. AirPods Max

As noted by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman and his recent Power On newsletter, the AirPods Max headphones haven’t had a significant update in close to five years.

Sure, Apple gave them a USB-C port in September 2024, but that was pretty much the only change of note (aside from lossless wired audio support). Other than that, they remain as they were when they launched in 2020.

Unfortunately, Gurman doesn’t believe the AirPods Max will be upgraded any time soon. In his newsletter, he states that despite being visibly popular, the headphones are “in an odd spot commercially” where they’re too popular to discontinue, but apparently not popular enough to update significantly.

As we’ve argued, that seems strange when an H2 chip (to put them on par with the AirPods Pro 2) could largely suffice alongside some other minor upgrades. But it seems that AirPods Max owners will have to continue waiting for an update, or switch to some of the other best over-ear headphones instead.

• Verdict: Strangely, an update still looks unlikely in the near future

2. Apple Vision Pro

Apple’s Vision Pro headset arrived with a huge amount of fanfare in 2023, but it’s safe to say that it’s never lived up to the hype.

A lack of compelling apps, an uncomfortably heavy weight, and an astronomical price tag have all slowed sales and made potential customers think twice before pulling the trigger. As Bloomberg journalist Mark Gurman recently said in his latest Power On newsletter, the Vision Pro risks becoming “a waste of a decade and billions of dollars for Apple.”

There are rumors that Apple is working on an updated version with a new chip, with a lighter, cheaper model following after that. Unfortunately, there are no rumored dates for either model, so an imminent update looks highly unlikely. It sounds like Apple’s ‘spatial computing’ concept still needs a lot more time in the oven.

• Verdict: Apple is working on Vision Pro successors, but don’t expect them until 2026 at the earliest

3. iMac Pro

The iMac Pro launched in 2017 but was officially discontinued four short years later in 2021. Yet almost since the day Apple stopped selling it, there have been rumors that it’s destined for a comeback.

So far, though, those whispers haven’t led anywhere, with the last significant rumors coming from analyst Ming-Chi Kuo just before Apple launched the Mac Studio back in 2022.

Since then, speculation has cooled, with Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman writing in his Power On newsletter in 2023 that the iMac Pro “has been on and off Apple’s road map”.

Despite this, rumors have continued that Apple could be working on an iMac with a larger display of 27in, 30in or even 32 inches. But with Apple continuing to push the combination of a Mac mini or Mac Studio with a large external display, this still looks unlikely in the near future.

• Verdict: Right now, it looks like the iMac Pro will remain in Apple’s graveyard

4. Mac Pro

The Mac Pro is easily Apple’s most expensive computer, yet despite that – or because of it – it’s not particularly compelling right now.

That’s because its M2 Ultra chip is outperformed by several of Apple’s other chips, and it missed out on both the M4 Max and M3 Ultra chips, which are more recent than anything the Mac Pro offers.

There are claims that Apple is working on an M4 Ultra version of the Mac Pro, and it can’t come soon enough. When you pay upwards of $6,999 / £7,199 / AU$11,999 for a computer like this, you shouldn’t be getting outdated hardware. Fortunately, it looks like that won’t be the case for much longer.

• Verdict: An M4 Ultra version of the Mac Pro is looking increasingly likely for the end of 2025

5. Studio Display

Apple’s Studio Display was designed to be a monitor for creatives who didn’t want to splash out on the $4,999 Pro Display XDR, and for a while it did a great job.

However, it hasn’t been touched since March 2022, and that’s a long time in the technology world. It means the screen is really starting to show its age among a plethora of alternative options.

Fortunately, recent speculation from MacRumors suggests that Apple is working on a Studio Display 2, and that it could come with a mini-LED backlight. That should mean deeper blacks and lots of local dimming zones for high contrast and brightness.

If you’re looking to upgrade soon, though, the bad news is that this new monitor isn’t likely to arrive until early 2026.

• Verdict: A Studio Display 2 is still on the cards, but rumors suggest it won’t launch until early 2026

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