The MacBook Pro could get Apple’s M5 chip before the iPad Pro, but don’t expect groundbreaking changes

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Mac on track

MacBook Pro 16-inch (2023) in use in a studio
(Image credit: Future)
  • Apple’s M5 chip could debut later this year
  • It will find its way into the MacBook Pro before the iPad Pro, a report claims
  • It’s expected to be a minor update compared to next year’s M6 chip

When we first got a glimpse of Apple’s M4 chip in 2024 it didn’t land first in a Mac – it came to the iPad Pro before anything else. Now, though, Apple is planning to switch things up, restoring the Mac as the first destination for new M-series chips.

That’s according to Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman, at least. In his latest Power On newsletter, Gurman explained that the transition to M5 chips will begin “alongside new MacBook Pro models in the fall” of 2025. After that, “we should get an M5 iPad Pro by the first half of 2026,” Gurman argued.

While it might seem odd to reverse the order that was used for the M4 chip, it actually makes a lot of sense. In recent years, new iPad Pro models have appeared at a roughly 18-month cadence. The MacBook Pro, however, has started to be updated annually, with new models appearing in the fall.

The seventh-generation iPad Pro with M4 chip appeared in May 2024, while the sixth-generation edition came out in October 2022. Before that, the fifth-generation model landed in April 2021. Continuing that pattern, we’d expect the M5 iPad Pro to be revealed sometime around December 2025.

That’s slightly earlier than Gurman’s prediction of “the first half of 2026,” but Gurman’s timeline makes sense. After all, delays happen, and Apple is no stranger to that (just look at its attempts to get the all-new Siri out the door). With that in mind, looking out for an M5 iPad Pro in late 2025 or early 2026 seems sensible.

An incremental upgrade

16-inch MacBook Pro with M4 Pro chip in a studio being used

(Image credit: Future)

What can we expect from the M5 chip? Well, it’s not likely to be an earth-shattering update, and a performance uptick of around 15% to 25% has been suggested. Elsewhere, we could also see the introduction of Wi-Fi 7, while the entry-level MacBook Pro might also get the Thunderbolt 5 connectivity that has come to the high-end models.

If you’ve been hoping for a more wide-ranging revamp, chances are you’ll have to wait until 2026, when Gurman believes Apple is planning a “true overhaul” of the MacBook Pro. This might mean an OLED display, a new chassis design, and a significant performance boost from the M6 chip, which could be made using an all-new 2nm process.

So, while the M5 chip is now anticipated to find its way into the MacBook Pro before the iPad Pro, don’t be surprised if it’s more of an incremental refresh than anything else. Anyone in the market for a total redesign of the MacBook Pro will probably have to wait a little longer.

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Alex Blake
Alex Blake
Freelance Contributor

Alex Blake has been fooling around with computers since the early 1990s, and since that time he's learned a thing or two about tech. No more than two things, though. That's all his brain can hold. As well as TechRadar, Alex writes for iMore, Digital Trends and Creative Bloq, among others. He was previously commissioning editor at MacFormat magazine. That means he mostly covers the world of Apple and its latest products, but also Windows, computer peripherals, mobile apps, and much more beyond. When not writing, you can find him hiking the English countryside and gaming on his PC.

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