Apple's upcoming M5 chip is already expected to have entered mass production, but rumor has it that high-end chips, possibly including the M5 Pro and M5 Max, will be in the works sooner than expected.
According to well-known analyst Ming-Chi Kuo on X, Apple is planning to begin production of "high-end M5 chips" as soon as the second half of 2025, with it possibly being pushed to 2026. Since Kuo specifically states "high-end," the analyst could perhaps be pointing to M5 Pro and M5 Max chipsets.
Since the new 3nm chip from Apple is already tipped to be in mass production, which is expected to arrive in new iPad Pro M5 and MacBook Pro M5 devices first, there's reason to believe these high-end processors will arrive later. According to Kuo's prediction (translated on X), an M5 Pro, M5 Max and M5 Ultra could arrive on devices by early 2026.
Apple在美國Houston於2026年開張的新工廠將生產配備M5高階處理器的AI伺服器。Apple於2025年2月24日公告，預計未來四年將在美國花費超過5,000億美元。當中提到2026年將會在Houston開設新的工廠，生產用於Apple Intelligence Private Cloud Compute (PCC) 的AI伺服器。 我先前關於Apple… https://t.co/HYWJCs8L3nFebruary 24, 2025
Interestingly, Apple's M5 chip production is reportedly taking place in Taiwan at TSMC and at its Arizona facility. In Kuo's post, the high-end chips are tipped to be made in a facility in Houston, which is set to open in 2026. This will focus on producing "AI servers for Apple Intelligence Private Cloud Compute (PCC)." Apparently, these servers will be equipped with high-end M5 chips.
Going by Kuo's post, the mentioned M5 chips could be specifically developed for these AI servers rather than Apple's products — seeing as M5 chips already reportedly went into mass production earlier this month. Since there's no timeframe for when M5 chips will start rolling out, only time will tell when we see them in upcoming devices.
Still, it's a good indication of when we may see Apple's M5 chips in iPad Pros, MacBook Pros and even a new Apple Vision Pro.
When will M5 arrive?
We haven't even seen an M4 Ultra chip yet, and M5 chips are already making waves. That said, the Cupertino tech giant reportedly canceled an M4 Extreme chip to bet big on AI, which coincides with Kuo's report.
Apple may be going full steam ahead on its M5 chips, with rumors suggesting the next iPad Pro will be the first to receive an M5 chip. With the iPad Pro M4 launching last year in May, we may see an upcoming release in May 2025.
We expect to see the M5 makes its way onto a new MacBook Pro, and possibly a new Apple Vision Pro, too, if previous reports are anything to go by. MacBook Pro models tend to arrive later in the year, sometime in October to November. We've heard of an Apple Vision Pro 2 possibly in the works, but there may be a more affordable model on the way,
As usual, Apple seals its lips tight on any official announcements, so M5 release dates are currently all up in the air. We're sure to learn more down the line, including if we'll see a MacBook Air M4 sometime soon. Speaking of, a benchmark leak shows the upcoming M4-equipped MacBook Air is set to stun with new-MacBook Pro performance.
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