The recently introduced high-end M5 MacBook Pro may be a spec bump update before the M6 models bring radical new changes. But before you commit to sitting this generation out, you should know the M6 models will likely come with some caveats.
An all-new design with new features (like a slimmer chassis and touch screen) usually brings with it an all-new price that’s higher than before. If you’re holding out for the M6 Pro or Max models, you may be waiting for longer than you expect. And if you’re just getting the base model, well, the rumored changes may not come at all.
This isn’t pure speculation; Apple has a proven track record of pulling all these tricks. Here are three reasons why the M5 MacBook Pro may actually be the better choice for you.
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You may want to buy the M5 MacBook Pro instead of the M6 model
Pulling the trigger on a new Mac is always a fraught decision, especially a pricey machine like a MacBook Pro. Newer models with faster chips and better specs are always on the horizon. Is it wise to wait for a newer model, or should you get what’s available now? This year is especially tricky because the next MacBook Pro may see big changes.
Rumors are swirling that the next MacBook Pro will come with a big redesign — and the first Mac touchscreen. While the just-announced M5 models are impressive, they pack all that power into the same look and feel the laptops have donned since late 2021.
So a lot of people are sitting this generation out, hoping that the new models are just seven or eight months away.
But there are three reasons why waiting may be a mistake.
1. The M6 models will probably be more expensive
Photo: Apple
If you’re waiting on that M6 MacBook Pro, you might be in for some sticker shock. If you spec out an M5 MacBook Pro to your liking, those same options on the M6 model may cost an extra few hundred dollars.
Apple often holds prices pretty steady across updates … as long as it’s a spec bump with the same design. Since the high-end M1 MacBook Pros debuted in 2021, the entry-level model carried the same starting price through the M4 generation.
If prices change at all across minor updates, it comes with tweaked specs, too. For example, Apple doubled the base level storage between the M4 and M5 MacBook Pro from 512 GB to 1 TB to compensate for a $100 price increase.
When does Apple significantly raise prices? When the design changes. The 15-inch MacBook Pro was raised from $1,999 to $2,399 with its 2016 redesign. That price held steady until 2021, when it was totally redesigned with Apple silicon — and the price was bumped again to $2,499.
The M6 MacBook Pro is rumored to have a thinner design — and as such, it’ll likely be more expensive.
2. The high-end models may not come this year
Photo: Apple
If you’re waiting for the M6 Pro or M6 Max MacBook Pro, you may need to wait longer than you think. Apple has delayed launching the high-end models until the following year a couple times now:
- The M1 MacBook Pro was one of the first Apple silicon Macs to launch in November 2020, but the M1 Pro and M1 Max versions weren’t announced until October 2021.
- The M2 MacBook Pro was introduced in June 2022. The M2 Pro and Max MacBook Pros didn’t launch until January 2023.
- The M5 MacBook Pro debuted in October 2025, but the Pro and Max versions are launching in March 2026.
The higher-end chips take longer to design and roll out. All three models rolling out at the same time only happened twice, with the M3 and M4 generations. And in one of those instances, the M4 chip had actually been shown off several months prior, in the M4 iPad Pro. So, only three chips have been introduced all at the same time.
Rumors say the M6 MacBook Pro is coming this year. But it might only be the entry-level model. I wouldn’t be surprised if the high-end models aren’t introduced until the following March yet again — that’s a full year from now, and a long time to wait.
3. Only the high-end models may come with the rumored features
Photo: Apple
Apple also has a habit of only bringing the new design to the higher-end MacBook Pros, leaving the lower-end model in a weird limbo.
- After the 2016 MacBook Pros were introduced, the 2015 Retina MacBook Pro was still available for sale for another two years.
- Only the high-end 2016 MacBook Pros came with the Touch Bar and four Thunderbolt ports. It took until July 2019 for Apple to bring the Touch Bar to the lower-end model with two Thunderbolt ports.
- After the transition to Apple silicon, when the redesigned high-end models were introduced, Apple continued selling a weird low-end model with the old design and Touch Bar. It took two years for the M3 models to unite all models again.
If you were considering the base model for its high-quality display and plentiful ports, but you don’t need the extra oomph, you may be out of luck.
Maybe just buy the M5 MacBook Pro
The M5 chip is Apple’s latest and greatest. This model from October 2025 comes with upgraded storage and memory, ideal for creative professionals and hobbyists.
- 24GB unified memory
- 1TB SSD storage
- 24-hour battery life
The M5 MacBook Pro looks to be an excellent machine. It sports the same great design we’ve loved since 2021, it’s more powerful than ever, and costs the same price as the prior models, and is available next Wednesday. Maybe you don’t need to wait for the M6 models.
D. Griffin Jones is a writer, podcaster and video producer for Cult of Mac. Griffin has been a passionate computer enthusiast since 2002, when he got his first PC — but since getting a Mac in 2008, he hasn’t turned back. His skills in graphic and web design, along with video and podcast editing, are self-taught over 20+ years. Griffin has a bachelor’s degree in computer science and has written several (unpublished) apps for Mac and iOS. His collection of old computers is made up of 40+ desktops, laptops, PDAs and devices, dating back to the early ’80s. He brings all of these creative and technical skills, along with a deep knowledge of Apple history, into his work for Cult of Mac.
