After Apple invited a select group of content creators to an “Apple Experience” event in Los Angeles next week, there’s speculation that it’ll be used to launch the upgraded MacBook Pro with the M5 Pro and M5 Mac processors.
The mysterious event is scheduled for January 27 through January 29 — exactly the time many are expecting the refreshed macOS laptop.
Apple invites creators to secret LA event
The invitation, first shared on Instagram by Petr Mara and now circulating widely online, gives few specifics beyond dates and a vague creative theme — but the timing couldn’t be more perfect for new product announcements.
One topic for the event seems obvious. Apple’s Creator Studio suite of pro apps, aimed squarely at video editors, musicians and other creative professionals, is set to launch on January 28, smack in the middle of the LA gathering.
Rather than introducing entirely new software, the suite brings together apps like Final Cut Pro, Logic Pro, Pixelmator Pro and more under a single umbrella. Apple positions Creator Studio as a refined, end-to-end creative environment — one that highlights how its hardware, operating systems and pro apps work best together for demanding creative work.
But if Apple’s whole goal is to demonstrate its software to creators, it could simply say that. Why invite them to an “Apple Experience” without more details? True, Creator Studio hadn’t been announced yet when the invitation first went out, but all the component apps already existed. Secrecy about them seems unnecessary. Unless something else is also on the agenda… like a new Mac.
Bring on the M5 Pro and M5 Max MacBook Pro!
A new version of the MacBook Pro with the M5 Pro or M5 Max processors has been expected for months. First thought to be coming in fall 2025, an early 2026 launch is virtually certain. There’s much speculation that it could be next week, timed to coincide with the debut of Creator Studio.
The M5 Pro and M5 Max chips are expected to deliver notable improvements in CPU and GPU performance to the laptop, catering especially to creative professionals and demanding workflows.
But rumors indicate that Apple is sticking with the current overall design for now, holding off on major aesthetic changes until later generations possibly coming in late 2026 or early 2027.
A mix of optimism and Apple habits
Adding fuel to the bonfire of speculation about MacBook Pro upgrades is Apple’s fiscal calendar: the company’s next quarterly earnings call is set for January 29, and Cupertino has a history of announcing products in the days just before major financial milestones.
What’s clear at this point is that Apple’s unusual invitation strategy — focused on creators rather than traditional press — has fueled far more questions than answers.
Ed Hardy has been writing full-time about tech for 25 years, and using it for much longer than that. His intro to Apple was a Macintosh Classic II (which he still has), but now he uses a 13-inch iPad Pro as his primary computer. He’s written for NotebookReview, TabletPCReview, and Brighthand, as well as other sites.
