Apple’s next-generation M5 chip will debut in the MacBook Pro in the fall, followed by the iPad Pro sometime in the first half of 2026, according to Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman.
Gurman’s comments indicate a flip in the expected order of M5-powered devices, which was expected to follow last year’s M4 product launch order, which saw an M4 iPad Pro debut in May 2024, with an M4 MacBook Pro in October.
Gurman says that Apple will launch updates to the Mac Studio and Mac Pro using its current generation M4 chip series, sometime around Apple’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference in June 2025.
The M5 series is reportedly being fabricated using TSMC’s 3-nanometer process. Apple is said to not be using TSMC’s more advanced 2nm process for the M5 chip due to cost considerations. High-end versions of the M5 are expected to feature significant advancements over their M4 equivalents
TSMC’s System on Integrated Chip (SoIC) technology uses a 3D chip-stacking approach that vertically stacks the chips, enhancing thermal management and reducing electrical leakage.
The M5 Pro and the M5 Max are expected to enter mass production in the second half of 2025, while the M5 Ultra is expected to be enter mass production in 2026.
References to what could be the “A19” and “M5” Apple silicon chips were discovered in code in an Apple backend server in August.
