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

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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)