Apple has yet to officially announce the MacBook Pro M5. However, given that the company typically releases new MacBook Pro models in October, we could see successors to the MacBook Pro 14-inch M4 and MacBook Pro 16-inch M4 Pro at the end of the year.
Right now, rumors suggest the main upgrade coming to this year’s MacBook Pros is the equally rumored and unannounced Apple M5 chip. There have been reports of OLED MacBook Pros, but these machines aren’t expected this year. If that’s the case, 2025’s MacBook Pros might only get a spec bump at best.
Here’s everything we’ve heard about the MacBook Pro so far and what we expect to see.
MacBook Pro M5: Rumored release date and price
Except for the M2 MacBook Pros that launched in January 2023, Apple released Apple M1, Apple M3 and Apple M4 MacBook Pros in October. Barring a delay like the M2 MacBook Pros, we surmise that M5 MacBook Pros should arrive this October.
The iPad Pro M4 was the first device to feature the then-new Apple M4 chip—five months ahead of 2024’s MacBook Pros. Some believed we’d see a repeat with the M5 chip, but that might not be the case. As we’ve previously reported, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman claims that the transition to M5 chips will begin in the fall of 2025 in new MacBook Pro models, with the next iPad Pro not getting the same treatment until the first half of 2026.
There have been no rumors or reports on pricing so far. The 14-inch MacBook Pro with the base M4 chip starts at $1,599, so it’s possible Apple might retain that price. However, given President Trump’s 10% tariffs on China, the country that builds most of the electronics we use, it’s possible even the entry-level MacBook Pro could cost more than its current iteration.
MacBook Pro M5: Rumored design
Given the rumors of an OLED MacBook Pro dropping in 2026, we don’t expect this year’s MacBook Pros to receive a major redesign. That said, Apple could still introduce some small new updates, such as a new color, an updated 12MP FaceTime camera, Thunderbolt 5 connectivity, or more RAM like it did with the M4 MacBook Pros.
One possible new feature for the 2025 MacBook Pro line is something called a CCM, or compact camera mode. If you're unfamiliar with the term, a CCM is a self-contained camera system generally used in smartphones and tablets. These systems include the camera sensor, digital signal processing unit and the infrared filter. It does not include the lenses, however.
According to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo (via Neowin), Vietnamese company Sunny Optical will provide the new CCM. The same company reportedly lost a contract for iPhone lenses due to production issues. Why is this important? LG Innotek and Sharp have supplied the CCM for MacBooks. Sunny Opticals is vertically integrated to produce both the CCM and the lenses in a single product.
This could make for more compact webcams integrated into future MacBooks. If this is successful, Kuo claims the company could start supplying CCMs for future iPhones and iPads. But this all depends on whether or not Sunny Opticals has the capability to produce the CCMs for the next MacBook models.
Even if M5 MacBook Pros appear identical to the current crop of M-series laptops, we won’t complain too much since we’re fans of the overall design. The flat utilitarian design introduced with 2021’s MacBook Pros won’t go out of style soon, and we suspect Apple will keep it around for at least another year.
MacBook Pro M5: Rumored specs
The big change expected for MacBook Pros this year is the still-unannounced Apple M5 chip. As we’ve previously reported, Apple is expected to launch the next-generation M5 chip at some point this year, potentially with the MacBook Pros.
According to the South Korean publication, ET News, Apple began production of the new chip in Taiwan at TSMC sequentially with "USA Amco and China JCET." That detail is important because Apple has started to produce chips at an Arizona facility. Some chips are already being produced there, but it's an important move if Apple hopes to get around the aforementioned tariffs.
The ET News report doesn't have many details about the new processor, though it does note that the new chips should "enhance artificial intelligence performance." However, the article does mention four versions; base, Pro, Max, and Ultra, similar to previous chips.
According to Ming-Chi Kuo (via Digital Trends), the M5 chip will be made using TSMC’s N3P method, which is a more advanced 3nm process than the one used on M4 processors. If the M5 chip upgrade is comparable to previous M-series processors, we could see an upgrade of 15 to 25% over M4.
Those who own an M4 MacBook Pro might experience negligible improvements in their day-to-day use, but folks with older MacBook Pros could be in store for a serious bump in performance and power efficiency.
MacBook Pro M5: Outlook
With no official word on the rumored MacBook Pro M5, it’s best to take everything I’ve detailed above with the proverbial grain of salt. However, it’s safe to assume Apple will eventually release MacBook Pros with M5. We just can't be certain when.
Based on what we’ve heard, it seems the MacBook Pro line should receive significant upgrades in 2026 by way of an OLED panel, a camera cutout instead of a notch, and an M6 chip utilizing a 2nm process. If true, then the M5 MacBook Pro might not be all that exciting compared to what’s potentially coming. But we’ll have to wait and see.
We’ll update this page with any MacBook Pro M5 rumors, so be sure to check back often for the latest news.
More from Tom's Guide
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
