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.
M5 iPad Pro in late-stage internal testing at Apple
Last May, Apple gave its iPad Pro lineup a major upgrade. The devices debuted with a thinner design and a beautiful new Tandem OLED display. And in an unusual move, Apple also used the new Pro iPads as the debut device for its M4 chip. It seems the company might continue that trend this year.
Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman, in the latest edition of his Power On newsletter, says Apple is in the late stages of testing the M5 iPad Pros, code-named J817, J820 and J821. They reportedly will enter mass production in the second half of 2025 and could go on sale in late Q3 or early Q4. This would align with Apple’s 18-month refresh cycle for its flagship iPads.
Mostly a minor spec bump
Considering the M4 iPad Pro introduced significant design changes, the M5 upgrade likely will be all about a spec bump.
A previous rumor indicated Apple’s next-gen M5 chip entered mass production earlier this year. TSMC will fabricate it on its N3P node, a minor upgrade over its current 3nm fab. This will result in only a 5% boost in performance and a modest 5% to 10% gain in efficiency.
Gurman’s sources also indicate Apple is already testing the M6 iPad Pro with the company’s in-house modem. These next-gen tablets reportedly will debut in 2027.
M5 MacBook Pros coming later in 2025
Alongside the new iPads, Apple will upgrade its MacBook Pro lineup with the M5 chip “later this year,” according to Gurman. The new models should go official in late October, sticking to the company’s usual timeline of unveiling new Macs.
However, don’t expect 2025 MacBook Pros to incorporate any major changes. Gurman thinks that won’t happen until 2026 with the M6 refresh.
Rajesh has been closely following and writing about the latest happenings in the world of mobile for nearly a decade now. While he prefers Android, he does not deny the superiority of Apple’s products and ecosystem.
