The next MacBook release could break with tradition. Apple usually updates its MacBook Pro line in October or November each year, saving its MacBook Air for a spring release. If the rumors are true about Apple’s next-gen M5 chips, we could see the release of both MacBook Pro and MacBook Air at or around the same time.
According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple is preparing to launch M5 MacBook Pros and Airs between the end of this year and the first quarter of next year.
The M5 MacBook update appears to be a minor one, with the M5 MacBook Pro arriving in its familiar 14- and 16-inch sizes and the M5 MacBook Air coming in 13- and 15-inch options. (For the record, I think the 15-inch Air is the best MacBook for most people.) The new M5 machines are expected to keep Wi-Fi 6E networking instead of moving to the newer Wi-Fi 7 standard.
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Before we see M5 MacBooks, Gurman says the new M5 chip will first arrive in the next iPad Pro release, which could come as soon as the end of this month. An Apple Vision Pro update is also expected this fall with a new chip for better performance and a new strap for added comfort.
And sometime in late 2025 or early 2026, we could see the rumored $599 MacBook Air, which would be a welcome sight for students and other budget shoppers.
Wait till (the end of) next year
A larger overhaul to the MacBook Pro is expected at the end of 2026 when the M6 update will presumably arrive. It’s not until then that we’ll see the rumored touchscreen OLED display and perhaps a new design and thinner chassis.
Gurman reports Apple will also release a new Apple Studio Display in the first half of next year. It would be the first update to Apple’s external monitor since 2022.