Some previous rumors point to an upgraded MacBook Pro with Apple’s M5 processor launching very soon, but other reports say it won’t be out until 2026. Turns out both might be correct.
A leak on Friday indicates the MacBook Pro running the base version M5 chip will debut quite soon. However, the variants with the M5 Pro and M5 Max supposedly won‘t launch before 2026.
M5 MacBook Pro release date is right around the corner… sort of
Autumn is the traditional time to introduce new MacBook Pro models. Fall 2020, 2021 and 2023 all brought new MBP variants, and the M4-powered MacBook Pro reached customers in November 2024. It’s not a hard-and-fast rule, though. The first MacBook Pro with an M2 chip launched in June 2022.
Whether fall 2025 would bring the M5 version has been a matter of debate. Reports this summer had bad news: Apple’s next premier notebook would miss the usual launch window and not reach customers until 2026. But recent evidence points to a new MacBook Pro being almost here, including the computer apparently scoring FCC approval.
The solution to this seemingly contradictory evidence is that the base model M5 MacBook Pro launch day is imminent, but the variants with more advanced M5 Pro and M5 Max versions of the processor won’t be out until 2026, according to info an unnamed source leaked to AppleInsider on Friday.
If true, it won’t be unprecedented. Only the base model M2 MacBook Pro came out in June 2022, while the M2 Pro and M2 Max variants waited until January 2023.
And it fits with recent evidence: while the base model M4 MacBook Pro is in short supply at Apple Stores, the M4 Pro and M4 Max variants are not. Also, an iPad Pro with the base M5 chip is expected as early as next week — it already starred in an unboxing video.
The source for Friday’s MacBook Pro rumor does not have a reason why customers will seemingly have to wait until 2026 for the more advanced versions of the M5.
What to expect from the M5 MacBook Pro
The M5 MacBook Pro apparently launching sooner and later will supposedly be a “chip-and-ship” upgrade. The only significant hardware change expected is the faster processor. The notebook will retain the same design used by Apple since 2021.
A MacBook Pro redesign is reportedly coming, but not until the M6 version, currently expected in late 2026. The chassis will get a facelift, but the standout improvement will be an OLED display, a shift numerous sources have predicted for months. It might be Apple’s first notebook with a touchscreen, too.
