Macs With M5 Chips Expected to Launch in This Order

Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo today outlined mass production timing for the M5 series of chips, which he expects to be used in both future Macs and Apple Intelligence servers. The rollout will likely begin next year.

apple silicon mac lineup 2024 feature purple m5
Kuo expects the standard M5 chip to enter mass production in the first half of 2025, followed by the M5 Pro and M5 Max chips in the second half of the year. Then, he expects the M5 Ultra chip to enter mass production in 2026.

So, nothing too surprising.

The timeframes suggest that M5 Macs will launch in a similar order as M4 Macs. Apple will likely update the MacBook Pro lineup with M5 series chips in October next year, and the MacBook Air should receive the M5 chip in the first half of 2026. Apple is likely to update the Mac Studio and Mac Pro later in 2026, or in 2027. It is unclear if the iMac and Mac mini will be updated next year, as those models are not always updated annually.

M4 Macs have rolled out in a similar manner so far. Apple updated the MacBook Pro, iMac, and Mac mini with the M4 series of chips in October, and the MacBook Air is expected to be updated by the end of March next year. Mac Studio and Mac Pro models with M4 Max and/or M4 Ultra chips are expected to launch in mid-to-late 2025.

As previously rumored, Kuo said M5 series chips will be manufactured with TSMC's third-generation 3nm process, known as N3P. That will result in the usual year-over-year performance and power efficiency improvements over the M4 series of chips.

Apple Intelligence servers are currently powered by the M2 Ultra chip, and they are expected to start using M4 series chips next year. Beyond that, Kuo said Apple will eventually switch to high-end, server-grade M5 chips that are better suited for artificial intelligence inferencing. He said these chips will also be manufactured with the N3P process, offer improved thermal performance, and have a separated CPU and GPU design.

Related Roundups: MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, Mac Pro
Related Forums: MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, Mac Pro

Popular Stories

Apple Logo Spotlight

Report: Apple to Launch These New Products in 2026

Sunday November 2, 2025 5:34 am PST by
Apple is planning to launch at least 15 new products in 2026, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Gurman outlined what to expect from Apple in 2026 in the latest edition of his "Power On" newsletter. He said the company is heading "into one of its most pivotal years in recent memory," with the rollout of major new Apple Intelligence features, intense regulatory pressure on the App Store,...
ios 26 1 slide to stop

iOS 26.1 Brings Back 2007 Feature in New Way

Friday October 31, 2025 1:40 pm PDT by
The upcoming iOS 26.1 update includes a small but helpful change for iPhones, and it could prevent you from running late to something important. Specifically, when an alarm goes off in the Clock app, there is a new "slide to stop" control on the screen for turning off the alarm. On previous iOS 26 versions, there is simply a large "stop" button, which could be accidentally tapped. The new ...
Apple Intelligence General Feature 2

New Version of Siri to 'Lean' on Google Gemini

Sunday November 2, 2025 6:06 am PST by
In his "Power On" newsletter, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman today provided an update on the status of Apple Intelligence and the plans for it in 2026. Apple is still planning to roll out its revamped version of Siri around March of next year. The release should be accompanied by the release of a new smart home display product with speaker-base and wall-mount options. A new Apple TV and HomePod...
HomePod mini and Apple TV

New Apple TV and HomePod Mini Likely Launching Soon

Sunday November 2, 2025 5:49 am PST by
A new Apple TV and HomePod mini could launch as soon as this month, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman today suggested. In today's "Power On" newsletter, Gurman said that Apple retail stores are planning an overnight refresh on the evening of November 11, where changes will be made after closing, such as refreshing displays and placing new products for the following day. The timing of the overnight...
Apple Foldable Thumb

iPhone Fold: Launch, Pricing, and What to Expect From Apple's Foldable

Friday October 31, 2025 8:52 am PDT by
Apple is expected to launch a new foldable iPhone next year, based on multiple rumors and credible sources. The long-awaited device has been rumored for years now, but signs increasingly suggest that 2026 could indeed be the year that Apple releases its first foldable device. Below, we've collated an updated set of key details that have been leaked about Apple's foldable iPhone so far. Ove...
iOS 26

Apple Releases iOS 26.1 With Liquid Glass Toggle, Slide to Stop Alarm, New Apple Intelligence Languages and More

Monday November 3, 2025 1:11 pm PST by
Apple today released iOS 26.1, the first major update to the iOS 26 operating system that came out in September, iOS 26.1 comes over a month after iOS 26 launched. ‌iOS 26‌.1 is compatible with the ‌iPhone‌ 11 series and later, as well as the second-generation ‌iPhone‌ SE. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones over-the-air by going to Settings > General >...
M5 MacBook Pro

Waiting for New Macs? Apple Just Shared Bad News

Friday October 31, 2025 7:32 am PDT by
Apple has just given a strong indication that it will not be releasing any additional new Macs for the remainder of the year. Apple's CFO Kevan Parekh dropped the hint during the company's earnings call on Thursday:On Mac, keep in mind, we expect to face a very difficult compare against the M4 MacBook Pro, Mac mini, and iMac launches in the year-ago quarter.Parekh essentially gave a heads up ...
Early Black Friday Deals 2

The Best Early Black Friday Apple Deals

Sunday November 2, 2025 10:04 am PST by
We're officially in the month of Black Friday, which will take place on Friday, November 28 in 2025. As always, this will be the best time of the year to shop for great deals, including popular Apple products like AirPods, iPad, Apple Watch, and more. In this article, the majority of the discounts will be found on Amazon. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When ...
iOS 26

6 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 26.1

Wednesday October 29, 2025 4:22 am PDT by
Apple is about to drop iOS 26.1, the first major point release since iOS 26 was rolled out in September, and there are at least six notable changes and improvements to look forward to. We've rounded them up below. Apple has already provided developers and public beta testers with the release candidate version of iOS 26.1, which means Apple will likely roll out the update to all compatible...

Top Rated Comments

knappeduivel Avatar
11 months ago

What about the M6 chips?
Don't be surprised if M6 turns out to be somewhat faster than M5 but not as fast as M7.
Score: 22 Votes (Like | Disagree)
adamw Avatar
11 months ago
Why would anyone buy a M4 Max or M4 Ultra Mac Studio, if the M5 versions are coming out shortly after the M4 Mac Studios launch?
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Stenik Avatar
11 months ago
What about the M6 chips?
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Rychiar Avatar
11 months ago

Why would anyone buy a M4 Max or M4 Ultra Mac Studio, if the M5 versions are coming out shortly after the M4 Mac Studios launch?
This happens every year. People were buying M2 Mac minis instead of the 8 month old Mac Studio M1 and right now people are buying M4 Mac minis instead of the old M2 Mac Studio.... Apples release schedule kinda blows for high end users. I'm thinking I may just work from low end machines going forward and update them for frequently. The $499 Mac mini m4 is more powerful than any computer I've used so I'm wondering why I should spent 4+ times the cost on a new studio with older chipsets.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
HobeSoundDarryl Avatar
11 months ago
As a Studio Ultra owner, I don't buy another until Apple flips the schedule from:
[LIST=1]
* Base
* Pro/Max
* Ultra

...to...
[LIST=1]
* Ultra
* Pro/Max (note this doesn't alter the MB launch schedule at all- still right in the same month as it has been)
* Base

Instead, I just wait the few months for Mnext MAX release and save several thousand dollars for comparable power.

Of course, if a new Ultra is such that a buyer gets to own "the most powerful" Mac for upwards of a year+, that's different. But I won't overspend by a few thousand again if Mnext MAX ≈ Mlast Ultra.

To each his own of course.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Onelifenofear Avatar
11 months ago

Why would anyone buy a M4 Max or M4 Ultra Mac Studio, if the M5 versions are coming out shortly after the M4 Mac Studios launch?
“Apple is likely to update the Mac Studio and Mac Pro (to m5) later in 2026, or in 2027”

Perhaps people that want to work for a year or 2 to n the meantime?
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)