M5 chip - page 2

Don’t set your heart on a MacBook Pro with a speedy new Apple M5 processor under the Christmas tree this year. A growing body of evidence indicates the next version of Apple’s premier laptop won’t arrive until 2026.

But the M5 processor should be available before then.

Apple might not get the next-generation MacBook Pro with the upcoming M5 processor out this autumn, as had been expected. The notebook will instead launch early next year, according to a respected source of insider information.

If true, it means that Apple’s new Mac processor will once again launch in an iPad.

The next-generation iPad Pro is on the horizon. Its OLED screen is reportedly already in production, and the launch is rumored for this autumn with a new Apple M5 processor on board.

The upcoming iPadOS 26 might do more to spur sales of the tablet than a faster processor or gorgeous screen, though.

Apple’s M5-equipped iPad Pros reportedly already entered “late testing” stages inside the company and should go into mass production in the second half of 2025.

And, sticking to its regular upgrade cycle, Apple also will refresh the MacBook Pro lineup with the M5 chip later this year.

This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: Our first glimpse at Apple’s AI-powered robotic lamp makes us giddy with hope for the secret iPad-on-a-stick project we’ve been skeptical about in the past. The surprisingly lifelike Apple robo-lamp looks just like Pixar’s Luxo Jr. How cute is that?!?

Join us for the conversation about the future of Apple robotics. (We really want the lamp.)

Also on The CultCast:

• Apple’s M5 chip is coming soon. How good will it be? And what product will it appear in first?
• Griffin tells us all about Apple’s new Invites app, which makes party planning simple and elegant.
• Erfon provides an update on his recent MacBook Pro and iPad Pro purchases. The 14-day return window is about to slam shut — and he’s not sure he’s keeping either of them! He explains why.
• We weren’t sure we could top the Andy Warhol banana iPhone case, but Zugu’s iPad case with a built-in dead man’s switch is right up there on the “crazy products we love” list.

Listen to this week’s episode of The CultCast in the Podcasts app or your favorite podcast app. (Be sure to subscribe and leave us a review if you like it!) Or watch the video live stream, embedded below.

The Apple M5 processor is reportedly now in mass production in Korea, ready to improve the performance of Macs and iPads later this year.

With production already taking place, it’s possible the M5 will launch as an Apple product in the middle of the year, and not wait until autumn. As Apple continues to integrate AI capabilities into its chips, many users are looking for insights on how to use Apple AI to enhance their workflows.

It’s a safe bet that the Apple M5 processor will start replacing the current M4 in 2025, and it might even happen in the first half of the year.

That’s according to a roadmap of when the various versions of the chip will go into production leaked Monday by a reliable source of insider Apple information.

What does Apple have planned for the Mac in 2025? For the last couple of years, Apple’s been killing it with its desktop and laptop computers. The chips scream, the industrial design has never been better, and the Mac lineup is undoubtedly the best in Apple’s history. Just look at the amazing new Mac mini.

But can Apple keep up the pace next year?