Apple hasn't officially announced the M5 MacBook Pro. The company typically releases new MacBook Pro models in the fall. While that's still possible, we could see successors to the MacBook Pro 14-inch M4 and MacBook Pro 16-inch M4 Pro in late 2025 at the earliest, if the latest rumors are anything to go by.
Right now, rumors suggest the main upgrade coming to the M5 MacBook Pros is the equally rumored and unannounced Apple M5 chip. There have been reports of OLED MacBook Pros, but these machines aren’t expected this year. If that’s the case, M5 MacBook Pros might only get a spec bump at best.
Here’s everything we’ve heard about the M5 MacBook Pro so far and what we expect to see.
M5 MacBook Pro: Rumored release date and price
The wait for M5 MacBook Pro models may be coming to an end soon, with Apple's next major laptop now looking to arrive as soon as this week!
It looks like we may see Apple make a big announcement in October after all, as Bloomberg's Mark Gurman suggests that M5 versions of the MacBook Pro, iPad Pro and next Apple Vision Pro are set to arrive sometime this week. This could either be through press releases or bite-sized event videos.
Apparently, Gurman has confirmed that the base 14-inch M5 MacBook Pro is “ready for launch,” but we'll have to wait and see when we'll see the M5 Pro and M5 Max models arrive (possibly in early 2026).
However, earlier reports indicate it may arrive in early 2026 instead. All-new MacBook Pro models with M5 silicon were close to entering mass production back in September, according to Gurman, meaning we could see Apple's next-gen 14-inch and 16-inch Pro models arrive sometime between late 2025 and early 2026.
The M5 chip is tipped to be introduced in new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models, Mac mini, iMac and Mac Pro. This would be similar to last year's MacBook Pro M4, but this time with M5, M5 Pro and M5 Max configurations.
Thanks to an FCC leak showing references to a new MacBook Pro model, this indicates that Apple's next Pro laptop should be arriving soon. Now, both Gurman and Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo believe the M5 MacBook Pro models will arrive sometime next year rather than later in 2025. This could happen in January, seeing as Apple previously announced its M2 Pro and M2 Max MacBook Pro models in January 2023.
There have been no rumors or reports on pricing so far. The 14-inch MacBook Pro with the base M4 chip starts at $1,599, so Apple might retain that price. However, given the ever-changing tariff situation, it’s possible that even the entry-level MacBook Pro could cost more than its current iteration.
It won't be long until we find out, as we're now in the expected timeframe when the M5 MacBook Pro could be announced. So, sit tight!
M5 MacBook Pro: Rumored design
Given the rumors of an OLED MacBook Pro dropping in 2026, we don’t expect the next MacBook Pros to receive a major redesign. That said, Apple could still introduce some small new updates, such as a new color, an updated 12MP FaceTime camera, Thunderbolt 5 connectivity, or more RAM, like it did with the M4 MacBook Pros.
One possible new feature for the MacBook Pro line is something called a CCM, or compact camera mode. If you're unfamiliar with the term, a CCM is a self-contained camera system generally used in smartphones and tablets. These systems include the camera sensor, digital signal processing unit and the infrared filter. It does not include the lenses, however.
According to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo (via Neowin), Vietnamese company Sunny Optical will provide the new CCM. The same company reportedly lost a contract for iPhone lenses due to production issues. Why is this important? LG Innotek and Sharp have supplied the CCM for MacBooks. Sunny Opticals is vertically integrated to produce both the CCM and the lenses in a single product.
This could make for more compact webcams integrated into future MacBooks. If this is successful, Kuo claims the company could start supplying CCMs for future iPhones and iPads. But this all depends on whether or not Sunny Opticals has the capability to produce the CCMs for the next MacBook models.
Even if M5 MacBook Pros appear identical to the current crop of M-series laptops, we won’t complain too much since we’re fans of the overall design. The flat utilitarian design introduced with 2021’s MacBook Pros won’t go out of style soon, and we suspect Apple will keep it around for at least another year.
M5 MacBook Pro: Rumored specs
The big change expected for M5 MacBook Pros is the still-unannounced Apple M5 chip. As we’ve previously reported, Apple is expected to launch the next-generation M5 chip alongside the MacBook Pros.
According to the South Korean publication, ET News, Apple began production of the new chip in Taiwan at TSMC sequentially with "USA Amco and China JCET." That detail is important because Apple has started to produce chips at an Arizona facility. Some chips are already being produced there, but it's an important move if Apple hopes to get around the aforementioned tariffs.
The ET News report doesn't have many details about the new processor, though it does note that the new chips should "enhance artificial intelligence performance." However, the article does mention four versions: base, Pro, Max, and Ultra, similar to previous chips.
According to Ming-Chi Kuo (via Digital Trends), the M5 chip will be made using TSMC’s N3P method, which is a more advanced 3nm process than the one used on M4 processors. If the M5 chip upgrade is comparable to previous M-series processors, we could see an upgrade of 15 to 25% over M4.
Those who own an M4 MacBook Pro might experience negligible improvements in their day-to-day use, but folks with older MacBook Pros could be in store for a serious bump in performance and power efficiency.
M5 MacBook Pro: Outlook
With no official word on the rumored M5 MacBook Pro, it’s best to take everything I’ve detailed above with the proverbial grain of salt. However, it’s safe to assume Apple will eventually release MacBook Pros with M5. We just can't be certain when.
Based on what we’ve heard, it seems the MacBook Pro line should receive significant upgrades in 2026 by way of an OLED panel, a camera cutout instead of a notch and an M6 chip utilizing a 2nm process. If true, then the M5 MacBook Pro might not be all that exciting compared to what’s potentially coming. But we’ll have to wait and see.
We’ll update this page with any M5 MacBook Pro rumors, so be sure to check back often for the latest news.
