Apple regularly refreshes the MacBook Pro models, and a new version that uses M5 series chips is in the works. Apple just finished refreshing most of the Mac lineup with M4 chips, and now it's time for the M5. Rumors suggest that we could see the first M5 MacBook Pro models this fall.
Design
There have been no rumors of a design update for the M5 MacBook Pro models that are coming this fall, so we are expecting the same look as the current models. There might be minor updates, but most of the changes will be internal.
Apple probably won't change the design of the MacBook Pro until it transitions to OLED display technology, and that's not rumored to happen until 2026 at the earliest.
M5 Chips
The MacBook Pro will use M5, M5 Pro, and M5 Max chips. The entry-level 14-inch model will be available with the M5, while the higher-end 14-inch models and 16-inch models will have the more advanced M5 Pro and M5 Max chips.
Apple's M5 chips will be manufactured on a 3-nanometer process like the M4 chips, but Apple is planning for new technology that will give the M5 lineup an edge over M4 chips.
Apple manufacturing partner TSMC plans to use a more advanced (System on Integrated Chip) SoIC packaging technology for the M5 chips. SoIC technology allows for the stacking of chips in a 3D structure, for better electrical performance and thermal management. TSMC has developed a next-generation hybrid SoIC package that uses thermoplastic carbon fiber composite molding technology.
The chips are expected to be faster, more power efficient, and better at handling AI and machine learning tasks. Apple also plans to use M5-series chips for the AI servers that power its Apple Intelligence and machine learning features.
Future MacBook Pro Rumors
Apple is working on an OLED MacBook Pro, and that's really the model to wait for. It's supposed to be coming as soon as 2026, and it will bring notable improvements in display quality. OLED offers improved brightness, better contrast with deeper blacks, and improved power efficiency.
The 2026 MacBook Pro could also have a 5G modem, a first for the Mac, and it's expected to have Apple's next-generation 2-nanometer chip.
Release Date
Mass production on M5 chips is expected to start in 2025, so we could see the first Macs with M5 technology somewhere around the fall of 2025. Last year, Apple refreshed the MacBook Pro models in October 2024, so October 2025 would make sense.
