The anticipated M5 MacBook Pro is currently at the center of conflicting rumors regarding its release date. Historically, Apple has favored a late-October launch for its professional laptops, having unveiled the M3 and M4 MacBook Pro models on October 30th in their respective years. This precedent strongly suggests an October 2025 reveal is imminent.
The Two-Fold Rumor Mill
Despite the historical pattern, a significant school of thought—backed by reports from analysts like Mark Gurman and Ming-Chi Kuo—suggests that Apple may delay the launch until early 2026.
The current situation presents two main possibilities for the new M5-powered 14-inch and 16-inch models:
- October Reveal, Early 2026 Availability: Apple could stick to its October event tradition and announce the M5 MacBook Pro later this month, but hold actual shipments until late 2025 or the first quarter of 2026. This would allow them to maintain the annual announcement cycle while accommodating any production or supply chain constraints.
- Full Delay to Early 2026: Apple could break its yearly cycle entirely and wait until January–March 2026 for the full launch and release, similar to how they debuted the M2 Pro and M2 Max MacBook Pros in January 2023.
What We Know About the M5 MacBook Pro
Regardless of the launch date, the M5 MacBook Pro models (internally codenamed J714 and J716) are reportedly nearing mass production. Key expectations for the M5 generation include:
- New Silicon: It will feature the M5, M5 Pro, and M5 Max chips, offering a generational leap in performance and efficiency over the M4 series.
- Minor Refresh: The M5 models are expected to be a performance update rather than a major design overhaul. Experts believe a significant redesign, including features like an OLED display and a thinner chassis, is being reserved for the subsequent M6 MacBook Pro lineup in late 2026.
- FCC Leak: Recent U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) filings have referenced the M5 MacBook Pro, lending credibility to the device’s imminent debut alongside other expected products, such as the M5 iPad Pro and Vision Pro 2.
For now, the question remains whether Apple will give us the performance boost later this month or make us wait until the new year.
