Apple M5 MacBooks Reportedly Approach Key Milestone, When To Expect A Release
If the latest rumor is accurate, then Apple is getting ready to green light the mass production of its next round of upgraded MacBook models infused with its next-generation M5 silicon. This includes both the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro as well as the 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air models. Barring a setback, we could see at least one of these devices by the end of this year.
New Mac products debut at a fairly consistent pace these days, but what makes the next launch so intriguing is the continued development of Apple's in-house designed silicon. Apple made the decision to banish Intel's x86 processors from its systems many years ago, and with the benefit of hindsight (and sales data), switching to Arm-based chips designed in-house at Apple has proven a savvy play.
Apple's M-series chips pack a punch for professional and casual computing chores alike, they feature powerful graphics chops and a capable neural engine for AI workloads, and they're highly energy efficient.
Looking ahead, the M5 is also bound for new Mac mini models. A rumored increase in the number of graphics cores combined with whatever architectural enhancements are at play could result in a significant performance uplift, perhaps even rivaling mini PCs equipped with AMD's Strix Halo APUs. We shall see.
As it applies to MacBooks, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman states in the latest PowerOn newsletter that MacBook Pro models codenamed J427 and J716, and MacBook Air models codenamed J813 and J815 are all approaching mass production. All four systems are expected to wield Apple's M5 chip. According to Gurman, the new MacBooks will release between the end of this year an first quarter of next year.
Sadly, none of these upcoming models should be confused with the first MacBooks to sport a touchscreen OLED panel. Apple is rumored to finally offer a touchscreen option on its MacBook Pro, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, but those are not expected to go into production until late 2026. That would likely mean a launch during the holiday season in 2026 or sometime in early 2027.
While and M5 upgrade is exciting, the M4 is a strong performer in its own right and several MacBook models wielding the latest-generation chip are on sale. Here's a look...
- 13-Inch MacBook Air (M4, 16GB/256GB): $899 (10% off)
- 15-Inch MacBook Air (M4, 16GB/256GB: $1,078.38 (10% off)
- 14.2-Inch MacBook Pro (M4, 16GB/512GB): $1,299.99 (19% off)
- 16.2-Inch MacBook Pro (M4, 24GB/512GB): $2,249 (10% off)
Those are the baseline configurations for all four models. If you want more RAM and/or storage, just hit the link for the desired system and check out the higher-end configs.
