Apple’s upcoming M5 chip may not arrive in its high-end MacBook Pros until early 2026, a report suggests. However, the company plans to launch the new chip in the iPad Pro this fall. The news comes as a surprise, given Apple’s trend of introducing new M-class chips in Mac products after their debut in iPads.
The latest report from Mark Gurman reveals that the M5 MacBook Pro was previously expected to launch this fall, following the pattern set by the M4 and M3 models last year. However, Apple has now changed its plans, with the company internally targeting a release early next year for the new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros.
The reason behind the delay is unclear, but it’s possible that Apple needs more time to develop the M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, which will be available in the MacBook Pros later. In contrast, the base M5 chip will ship sooner in the iPad Pro this fall, as seen with the M4 debut last May.
This trend of debuting new M-class chips in iPads before Macs could become a regular practice for Apple, and it’s something that users should be prepared for in the future.
Source: https://9to5mac.com/2025/07/11/apples-m5-chip-could-continue-an-unexpected-new-trend-report