Order a MacBook Pro today, and you may never get it at all. But it’s not some horrible scam — Apple is very close to introducing new models, and the company knows you probably won’t want the ones available today once the new ones launch.
That’s why the wait times on many MacBook Pro models with M4 Pro and M4 Max processors stretches out well into February. It gives buyers time to change their orders.
MacBook Pro in short supply as new model is imminent
It’s a first-world problem, but ordering an expensive new computer just days before a better model comes out is hair-pullingly frustrating. Apple is trying to save you from that.
If you buy a new MacBook Pro today with the M4 Pro and M4 Max processor, you’ll feel mighty exasperated if the replacement with the M5 Pro and M5 Max launches before you even get all the software installed on the one you just got. Especially as the newer one will probably cost the same.
Apple has your back. Orders placed today on the U.S. online Apple Store for the base model 16-inch MacBook Pro with an M4 chip won’t be delivered until February 13. There are none in retail stores, either. The same goes for the MacBook Pro with the M4 Max.
With such a long wait, shoppers have plenty of opportunity to switch their order to a MacBook Pro with the new M5 Pro and M5 Max chips after Apple announces them.
It’s a smart move for Apple, too. It doesn’t want angry customers, plus there’s a good chance you’ll just return the M4 model to the store and buy the newer one. Preventing either scenario is simply good business.
It’s a terrible day to order a MacBook Pro
To be clear, the Apple M5 Pro and M5 Max processors have not yet been announced, nor has Apple said a word about putting these chips into the MacBook Pro. Nevertheless, that’s widely expected to happen any day now.
No product launch event has been scheduled, but the latest macOS notebook is likely to be unveiled via an early morning press release.
As for the specific date, the recently announced Apple Creator Studio app bundle launches on January 28. There’s speculation that the new MacBook Pro will come out on the same date. But the new laptops could arrive any day between now and the first week of February.
The new M5 Pro and M5 Max chips are expected to bring significant performance gains over the current M4 Pro/Max models, particularly in graphics and AI-heavy workflows. That said, this will reportedly be a “chip and ship” update. The overall design of the MacBook Pro is not expected to change, with the same 15-inch and 16-inch options as the M4 models.
The refreshed model will complement the already released M5-powered base MacBook Pro, which is available only in a 14-inch variant.
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.
