As M5 MacBook Pro preps for mass production, no launch date may hide a dull chip
Apple's M5 MacBook Pro and Air are nearing production, but their launch is uncertain, with speculations of delays until early 2026.
After having announced its early fall showcase of smartphones in September, Apple likely has more products to release before the end of the year at the earliest. These could potentially be laptops powering the M5 chip. Recent reports suggest there are products with the M5 chip that may be close to mass production; however, a release timeline for the new laptops may not be quite solidified.
Bloomberg analyst, Mark Gurman, recently detailed in the ‘Power On’ newsletter that Apple has several M5 models to release, including the MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, and Mac monitors. He detailed that MacBook Pro models, codenamed J714 and J716, MacBook Air models, codenamed J813 and J815, and Mac monitors, codenamed J427 and J527 would soon enter mass production. However, he didn’t have any details on specific launch dates.
Wccftech noted that the lack of a launch timeline for the M5 products could indicate an updated strategy on Apple’s part, with a reminder that the current M4 MacBook Pro series was announced on October 30. Notably, launch dates and market availability are two different things. The product didn’t ship to consumers until November 8. Meanwhile, the MacBook Air was released in early March 2025. We’ve seen some adjustments made to the MacBook Pro launch schedule, largely due to the pandemic. Over the years, the MacBook Pro has been released in an October to November timeframe, allowing the MacBook Air to have a spring spotlight.
Nevertheless, the publication suggests that Apple may not be confident in the power of its upcoming chip, with rumors suggesting the M5 could use the same TSMC 3nm process that has been used in the M4 chips, the M3 chips, and fashioned for the A19, and A19 Pro chips seen in the recently released iPhone series. Wccftech speculates that Apple could ride out the popularity of the M4 laptop series through the holiday season with sales and introduce the entire M5 series starting in 2026. This of course is not confirmed by the company.
Gurman also mentioned in his newsletter that Apple has plans for new iPad Pro and Vision Pro models. The tablet in particular could launch during the first half of 2026. Apple is also expected to launch its long-awaited Studio Display update sometime in 2026.