Skipping the New MacBook Pro? Here Are the Rumors About M5 Models

The new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with M4, M4 Pro, and M4 Max chips launched in stores today. If you are not planning to upgrade this year, be aware that there are already rumors about next year's MacBook Pro models with M5 series chips.

Apple MacBook Pro M4 hero
It appears the MacBook Pro will remain on an annual upgrade cycle next year. Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo today said camera module shipments for MacBook Pro models with M5 series chips will begin in 2025, and Bloomberg's Mark Gurman also recently said MacBook Pro models with M5, M5 Pro, and M5 Max chips will launch next year. In fact, he said Apple's development of those chips was already near completion.

MacBook Pro announcement dates:

  • M4, M4 Pro, and M4 Max models: October 30, 2024
  • M3, M3 Pro, and M3 Max models: October 30, 2023
  • M2 Pro and M2 Max models: January 17, 2023 (it has been rumored that this launch was initially planned for October 2022)
  • M1 Pro and M1 Max models: October 18, 2021

Gurman believes the MacBook Pro will not receive any major design changes next year, with bigger changes like an OLED display and a thinner design rumored for 2026. The last major redesign to the MacBook Pro line occurred in 2021.

All in all, expect the MacBook Pro to receive yet another modest spec bump with performance improvements and other internal upgrades next year, and start saving your money for the two-generations-away models with a "total redesign."

Related Roundup: MacBook Pro
Buyer's Guide: MacBook Pro (Buy Now)
Related Forum: MacBook Pro

Popular Stories

New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 18

20 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 18.2

Monday December 16, 2024 8:55 am PST by
Apple released iOS 18.2 in the second week of December, bringing the second round of Apple Intelligence features to iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 models. This update brings several major advancements to Apple's AI integration, including completely new image generation tools and a range of Visual Intelligence-based enhancements. Apple has added a handful of new non-AI related feature controls as...
iphone 16 apple intelligence

Apple Drops Plans for iPhone Hardware Subscription Service

Wednesday December 18, 2024 11:39 am PST by
Apple is no longer planning to launch a hardware subscription service that would let customers "subscribe" to get a new iPhone each year, reports Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Gurman first shared rumors about Apple's work on a hardware subscription service back in 2022, and at the time, he said that Apple wanted to develop a simple system that would allow customers to pay a monthly fee to gain...
iPhone 17 Pro Dual Tone Feature 1

iPhone 17 Pro Rumored to Stick With 'Triangular' Camera Design

Wednesday December 18, 2024 2:36 am PST by
Contrary to recent reports, the iPhone 17 Pro will not feature a horizontal camera layout, according to the leaker known as "Instant Digital." In a new post on Weibo, the leaker said that a source has confirmed that while the appearance of the back of the iPhone 17 Pro has indeed changed, the layout of the three cameras is "still triangular," rather than the "horizontal bar spread on the...
elevation lab airtag battery

Your AirTag's Battery Will Last for Up to 10 Years With Elevation Lab's New TimeCapsule Enclosure

Wednesday December 18, 2024 10:05 am PST by
Elevation Lab today announced the launch of TimeCapsule, an innovative and simple solution for increasing the battery life of Apple's AirTag. Priced at $20, TimeCapsule is an AirTag enclosure that houses two AA batteries that offer 14x more battery capacity than the CR2032 battery that the AirTag runs on. It works by attaching the AirTag's upper housing to the built-in custom contact in the...
apple tv 4k yellow bg feature

New Apple TV Rumored to Launch Next Year With These Features

Tuesday December 17, 2024 9:02 am PST by
The current Apple TV 4K was released more than two years ago, so the streaming device is becoming due for a hardware upgrade soon. Fortunately, it was recently rumored that a new Apple TV will launch at some point next year. Below, we recap rumors about the next-generation Apple TV. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman last week reported that Apple has been working on its own combined Wi-Fi and...
blackmagic vision pro

Blackmagic Debuts $30K 3D Camera for Capturing Video for Vision Pro

Monday December 16, 2024 4:17 pm PST by
Blackmagic today announced that its URSA Cine Immersive camera is now available for pre-order, with deliveries set to start late in the first quarter of 2025. Blackmagic says that this is the world's first commercial camera system designed to capture 3D content for the Vision Pro. The URSA Cine Immersive camera was first introduced in June, but it has not been available for purchase until...
mac pro creativity

Apple Launched the Controversial 'Trashcan' Mac Pro 11 Years Ago Today

Thursday December 19, 2024 7:00 pm PST by
Apple launched the controversial "trashcan" Mac Pro eleven years ago today, introducing one of its most criticized designs that persisted through a period of widespread discontentment with the Mac lineup. The redesign took the Mac Pro in an entirely new direction, spearheaded by a polished aluminum cylindrical design that became unofficially dubbed the "trashcan" in the Mac community. All of ...
iPhone 17 Slim Feature

'iPhone 17 Air' With 'Major' Design Changes and 19-Inch MacBook Detailed in New Report

Sunday December 15, 2024 9:47 am PST by
Apple is planning a series of "major design" and "format changes" for iPhones over the next few years, according to The Wall Street Journal's Aaron Tilley and Yang Jie. The paywalled report published today corroborated the widely-rumored "iPhone 17 Air" with an "ultrathin" design that is thinner than current iPhone models. The report did not mention a specific measurement, but previous...

Top Rated Comments

Eric_WVGG Avatar
6 weeks ago

Do people think an OLED screen in a macbook is worth it? mini-LED is quite good and I kind of worry about burn in.
Yeah I personally find the Mini-LED more than good enough. I forget about the light blooming altogether. OLED is definitely a "want" not a "need".
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Bokito Avatar
6 weeks ago
I hope the MacBook Pro doesn’t get any thinner. We have seen the compromises Apple had to make before. A thinner MacBook Pro would compromise speed, speakers, keyboard or battery life. The current MacBook Pro is slim enough. If you don’t need the power of a MacBook Pro, you can buy an Air.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
CarlJ Avatar
6 weeks ago

People skip upgrading to newer Mac models but upgrade their iPhone yearly although not all does this but still...
Some people upgrade their phone yearly. I'm on a 16 Pro now - my previous phone was an iPhone 8. My Mac is an M1 Max MBP and I'm quite happy with it and expect to be using it for years to come - my previous Mac was ancient.

The yearly upgrade rollercoaster is stupid and wasteful (plus we get all these people saying "I see no compelling reason to upgrade from my 15 Pro to the 16 Pro!!1!", like that's a tragedy - no, that's how it's supposed to be). Upgrade when the previous one breaks irreparably or no longer meets your needs, not because you need to be seen with the latest toy.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
VisceralRealist Avatar
6 weeks ago

People skip upgrading to newer Mac models but upgrade their iPhone yearly although not all does this but still...
Well, one is a lot more expensive than the other...

Personally, I doubt I will upgrade until there is a design change. Spec bump isn't enough.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ls1dreams Avatar
6 weeks ago
Do people think an OLED screen in a macbook is worth it? mini-LED is quite good and I kind of worry about burn in.

I'm on an M1 Max and will prob pick up a machine somewhere in the M6-M7 range I think. Definitely at least waiting for wi-fi 7 and curious what new AI capabilities might come out.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Mitthrawnuruodo Avatar
6 weeks ago

Gurman believes the MacBook Pro will not receive any major design changes next year, with bigger changes like an OLED display and a thinner design rumored for 2026 ('https://www.macrumors.com/2024/11/03/future-macbook-pro-rumors/'). The last major redesign to the MacBook Pro line occurred in 2021.
In 2026 my MacBook Air M1 will be 6 years old.

I have a feeling it will still do all I want and need from a computer, but..., that might be the year when the temptation to upgrade overpowers common sense... :p
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)