Apple's M5 MacBook Pro Imminent: What to Expect

[MacRumors]

Apple is going to launch a new version of the MacBook Pro as soon as tomorrow, so we thought we'd go over what to expect from Apple's upcoming Mac.

M5 Chip

The MacBook Pro will be one of the first new devices to use the next-generation M5 chip, which will replace the M4 chip.

The M5 is built on TSMC's more advanced 3-nanometer process, and it will bring speed and efficiency improvements. A leaked iPad Pro with an M5 chip was benchmarked two weeks ago, and it featured 12 percent faster multi-core CPU performance compared to the M4 chip, and a 36 percent faster GPU.

The M5 chip in the iPad Pro had a 9-core CPU, but the M5 in the new MacBook Pro could have a 10-core CPU like the 10-core M4 chip in the current version of the MacBook Pro.

Design

There are no rumors of design changes, and we are expecting the upcoming M5 MacBook Pro to look just like the M4 version. There is a possibility that Apple will add a new color, because a teaser for the MacBook Pro seems to feature a MacBook Pro with a blue tint.

It's possible we'll get a dark blue version of the MacBook Pro that matches the iPhone 17 Pro.

Other Possible Updates

Aside from an M5 chip, we haven't heard of any new features that will be available in the M5 MacBook Pro.

While not rumored, Apple could perhaps add the upgraded 18-megapixel Center Stage front-facing camera that's in the iPhone 17, or introduce the N1 networking chip with Bluetooth 6 and Wi-Fi 7 support. The current version of the MacBook Pro is limited to Wi-Fi 6E, even though the iPhone has supported Wi-Fi 7 for the last two years.

Apple may not be planning for significant hardware changes other than the chip, because swapping the camera or the networking chip would require more significant internal updates compared to just an M4 to M5 chip swap.

Just One Model?

It's looking like we're only going to get a single updated MacBook, with Apple adding the M5 to the base 14-inch model.

The MacBook Pro line typically features Pro and Max chips in higher-end 14-inch and 16-inch machines as well, but those chips are apparently not ready yet and won't be coming until 2026.

The M5 Pro and M5 Max MacBook Pro models are expected in early 2026.

Why You Shouldn't Buy One

If you're not in serious need of a new MacBook Pro, 2025 is a bad time to upgrade. The next-generation MacBook Pro after the late 2025/early 2026 models is expected to feature an OLED display, which will mark a major upgrade in display quality.

Of course, it's possible that the base 14-inch MacBook Pro isn't going to get an OLED display and will stick with mini-LED, but it's not clear at this point.

The transition to OLED will also likely bring a design update along with M6 chip technology, which is another reason to wait.

Launch Date

Apple's marketing chief Greg Joswiak teased the M5 MacBook Pro earlier today, so it's likely going to launch imminently, perhaps as soon as tomorrow morning.

Article Link: Apple's M5 MacBook Pro Imminent: What to Expect

 

[jeffbbs]

Hope it’s gonna announce tomorrow. Can’t wait!

 

[cfgainz]

I already got my macbook pro with OLED? I just bought the 13’ iPad Pro M4 with the magic keyboard. I thought everyone knew that… even has the cellular chip

 

[BornAgainApple]

Would dearly love to see the C1 modem, even as an option.

 

[jz0309]

Why You Shouldn't Buy One

If you're not in serious need of a new MacBook Pro, 2025 is a bad time to upgrade. The next-generation MacBook Pro after the late 2025/early 2026 models is expected to feature an OLED display, which will mark a major upgrade in display quality.

Of course, it's possible that the base 14-inch MacBook Pro isn't going to get an OLED display and will stick with mini-LED, but it's not clear at this point.

The transition to OLED will also likely bring a design update along with M6 chip technology, which is another reason to wait.

the next gen MBP is rumored to have OLED, not expected to ...
and yes, the M6 will be an upgrade to the M5 ...
and then, the next gen after this rumored OLED MBP - that'll even be better ...

laptops are tools, buy them when you need them, and when they don't do their job anymore, get a new one ... waiting for new features - wait, wait, wait and you'll never buy one cause the next one will be better

 

[Apple-achian]

Why You Shouldn't Buy One

Why is this even included in the article? This could potentially affect Apple sales.

 

[Astuces iOS]

Good article 👍

There might be some design changes on the keys too (Don’t forget the MacBook Air m4 mute button change)

But yeah you shouldn’t buy it because big update coming and there is almost nothing new here… Last year MacBook Pro was a good choice but this one no.

 

[tim@ipad]

Well- 4TB would very nice. Othewise I would have to wait. For the M5 Pro

 

[acblue94]

Apple is going to launch a new version of the MacBook Pro as soon as tomorrow, so we thought we'd go over what to expect from Apple's upcoming Mac.

M5 Chip

The MacBook Pro will be one of the first new devices to use the next-generation M5 chip, which will replace the M4 chip.

The M5 is built on TSMC's more advanced 3-nanometer process, and it will bring speed and efficiency improvements. A leaked iPad Pro with an M5 chip was benchmarked two weeks ago, and it featured 12 percent faster multi-core CPU performance compared to the M4 chip, and a 36 percent faster GPU.

The M5 chip in the iPad Pro had a 9-core CPU, but the M5 in the new MacBook Pro could have a 10-core CPU like the 10-core M4 chip in the current version of the MacBook Pro.

Design

There are no rumors of design changes, and we are expecting the upcoming M5 MacBook Pro to look just like the M4 version. There is a possibility that Apple will add a new color, because a teaser for the MacBook Pro seems to feature a MacBook Pro with a blue tint.

It's possible we'll get a dark blue version of the MacBook Pro that matches the iPhone 17 Pro.

Other Possible Updates

Aside from an M5 chip, we haven't heard of any new features that will be available in the M5 MacBook Pro.

While not rumored, Apple could perhaps add the upgraded 18-megapixel Center Stage front-facing camera that's in the iPhone 17, or introduce the N1 networking chip with Bluetooth 6 and Wi-Fi 7 support. The current version of the MacBook Pro is limited to Wi-Fi 6E, even though the iPhone has supported Wi-Fi 7 for the last two years.

Apple may not be planning for significant hardware changes other than the chip, because swapping the camera or the networking chip would require more significant internal updates compared to just an M4 to M5 chip swap.

Just One Model?

It's looking like we're only going to get a single updated MacBook, with Apple adding the M5 to the base 14-inch model.

The MacBook Pro line typically features Pro and Max chips in higher-end 14-inch and 16-inch machines as well, but those chips are apparently not ready yet and won't be coming until 2026.

The M5 Pro and M5 Max MacBook Pro models are expected in early 2026.

Why You Shouldn't Buy One

If you're not in serious need of a new MacBook Pro, 2025 is a bad time to upgrade. The next-generation MacBook Pro after the late 2025/early 2026 models is expected to feature an OLED display, which will mark a major upgrade in display quality.

Of course, it's possible that the base 14-inch MacBook Pro isn't going to get an OLED display and will stick with mini-LED, but it's not clear at this point.

The transition to OLED will also likely bring a design update along with M6 chip technology, which is another reason to wait.

Launch Date

Apple's marketing chief Greg Joswiak teased the M5 MacBook Pro earlier today, so it's likely going to launch imminently, perhaps as soon as tomorrow morning.

Article Link: Apple's M5 MacBook Pro Imminent: What to Expect

So a chip upgrade. ::yawn::

 

[segfaultdotorg]

*finds box for my M4 MacBook Pro so it will look pretty in the landfill*

 

[poematik13]

If the M6 ones will really have a stupid touch screen, then this M5 gen will be the one to get and keep as long as possible until it doesnt get security updates anymore.

 

[vegetassj4]

There is a possibility that Apple will add a new color

Show some courage apple, make an orange one like the iPhone 17 Pro

 

[Plutonius]

Hmm, I expect a MacBook Pro with an m5 .

 

[staypuftforums]

the next gen MBP is rumored to have OLED, not expected to ...
and yes, the M6 will be an upgrade to the M5 ...
and then, the next gen after this rumored OLED MBP - that'll even be better ...

laptops are tools, buy them when you need them, and when they don't do their job anymore, get a new one ... waiting for new features - wait, wait, wait and you'll never buy one cause the next one will be better

Exactly. But what you need when you need it, as long as it aligns with your budget.

Life is too short to be waiting around for tech.

 

[Corefile]

Christmas is coming early from Santa Tim.

 

[poematik13]

Show some courage apple, make an orange one like the iPhone 17 Pro

View attachment 2567881

I would love this, just color match trackpad of course

 

[mozumder]

Most significant upgrade would be the new matrix multiplier unit in the GPU cores, which should double local LLM inference speeds.

 

[Apple MessagePad]

OLED has only been rumored for about 8 years. It hasn't happened during every single other rumor of such but I'm sure it'll finally happen this time.

 

[Marx55]

Do not forget that the M6 chip will be much better for Artificial Intelligence (AI) and will probably bring PCIe 5.0 (now all Macs have up to PCIe 4.0) with twice as fast SSD inside for both sequential as MB/s and much more importantly random as Input/Output Operations Per Second (IOPS) read/write similar to this Samsung 9100 Pro:

Breakthrough PCIe® 5.0 performance
Push PCIe® 5.0 performance to the max. 9100 PRO achieves lightning-fast sequential read/write speeds up to 14,800/13,400 MB/s, two times faster than 990 PRO. Leave Gen4 limits behind with random read/write speeds up to 2,200K/2,600K IOPS, only possible by Gen5.

9100 PRO | Internal SSD | Samsung Semiconductor Global

Experience exceptional speed with the Samsung 9100 PRO SSD, featuring PCIe 5.0 and sequential read/write speeds up to 14,800/13,400 MB/s.

semiconductor.samsung.com

On the other hand, touch screens are also useful for Macs. Windows has had it for years now. At least Apple should build it into macOS much as is in iOS and iPadOS, at least for third-party displays-monitors that now require third-party kernel extensions with all their problems on Mac. Choices are good.

In this case, the jump is huge. So, yes I will wait for it. This is not a mere update; it is a huge upgrade.

 

[theorist9]

Why is this even included in the article? This could potentially affect Apple sales.

It's because MR started as a buying guide site, and a big part of that that was to recommend, for each model, whether it was a good time to buy or better to wait (their three categories are: Buy Now/Neutral/Don't Buy).

Giving their Buy Now/Neutral/Don't Buy recommendation for the M5 MBP is thus standard practice for them.

However, the recommendation is usually based on the anticipated release date for the next generation of product, so this is the first time I've seen a Don't Buy recommendation for a new product. Can anyone else recall this happening before?

I was also going to say this may also not be their official recommendation, and we'll see that in the MR Mac Buyer's Guide after it's released. But in checking, I no longer see a Buyer's Guide for Macs. Has this been discontinued?

Here's all that's listed:

See:

MacRumors Buyer's Guide: Know When to Buy iPhone, Mac, iPad

This page provides a product summary for each Apple model. The intent is to provide our best recommendations regarding current product cycles, and to provide a summary of currently available rumors for each model. This page is based on rumors and speculation and we provide no guarantee to its...

buyersguide.macrumors.com

 

[abdullamac77]

Apple is going to launch a new version of the MacBook Pro as soon as tomorrow, so we thought we'd go over what to expect from Apple's upcoming Mac.

M5 Chip

The MacBook Pro will be one of the first new devices to use the next-generation M5 chip, which will replace the M4 chip.

The M5 is built on TSMC's more advanced 3-nanometer process, and it will bring speed and efficiency improvements. A leaked iPad Pro with an M5 chip was benchmarked two weeks ago, and it featured 12 percent faster multi-core CPU performance compared to the M4 chip, and a 36 percent faster GPU.

The M5 chip in the iPad Pro had a 9-core CPU, but the M5 in the new MacBook Pro could have a 10-core CPU like the 10-core M4 chip in the current version of the MacBook Pro.

Design

There are no rumors of design changes, and we are expecting the upcoming M5 MacBook Pro to look just like the M4 version. There is a possibility that Apple will add a new color, because a teaser for the MacBook Pro seems to feature a MacBook Pro with a blue tint.

It's possible we'll get a dark blue version of the MacBook Pro that matches the iPhone 17 Pro.

Other Possible Updates

Aside from an M5 chip, we haven't heard of any new features that will be available in the M5 MacBook Pro.

While not rumored, Apple could perhaps add the upgraded 18-megapixel Center Stage front-facing camera that's in the iPhone 17, or introduce the N1 networking chip with Bluetooth 6 and Wi-Fi 7 support. The current version of the MacBook Pro is limited to Wi-Fi 6E, even though the iPhone has supported Wi-Fi 7 for the last two years.

Apple may not be planning for significant hardware changes other than the chip, because swapping the camera or the networking chip would require more significant internal updates compared to just an M4 to M5 chip swap.

Just One Model?

It's looking like we're only going to get a single updated MacBook, with Apple adding the M5 to the base 14-inch model.

The MacBook Pro line typically features Pro and Max chips in higher-end 14-inch and 16-inch machines as well, but those chips are apparently not ready yet and won't be coming until 2026.

The M5 Pro and M5 Max MacBook Pro models are expected in early 2026.

Why You Shouldn't Buy One

If you're not in serious need of a new MacBook Pro, 2025 is a bad time to upgrade. The next-generation MacBook Pro after the late 2025/early 2026 models is expected to feature an OLED display, which will mark a major upgrade in display quality.

Of course, it's possible that the base 14-inch MacBook Pro isn't going to get an OLED display and will stick with mini-LED, but it's not clear at this point.

The transition to OLED will also likely bring a design update along with M6 chip technology, which is another reason to wait.

Launch Date

Apple's marketing chief Greg Joswiak teased the M5 MacBook Pro earlier today, so it's likely going to launch imminently, perhaps as soon as tomorrow morning.

Article Link: Apple's M5 MacBook Pro Imminent: What to Expect

I still use my MacBook M1 Pro and I can’t see myself upgrading. The M1 Pro simply is quick and operates all my work (mostly MS Office suite of apps) and play needs (I mainly play WoW). I have yet to hit any degradation in performance.

 

[entropys]

36% GPU performance increase isn’t to be sneezed at.

 

[Sami13496]

Nice! Now the two people in the world who don’t find the M4 powerful enough can finally boost their workflow.

 

[jecowa]

It's because MR started as a buying guide site, and a big part of that that was to recommend, for each model, whether it was a good time to buy or better to wait (their three categories are: Buy Now/Neutral/Don't Buy).

Giving their Buy Now/Neutral/Don't Buy recommendation for the M5 MBP is thus standard practice for them.

However, the recommendation is usually based on the anticipated release date for the next generation of product, so this is the first time I've seen a Don't Buy recommendation for a new product. Can anyone else recall this happening before?

I was also going to say this may also not be their official recommendation, and we'll see that in the MR Mac Buyer's Guide after it's released. But in checking, I no longer see a Buyer's Guide for Macs. Has this been discontinued?

Here's all that's listed:
View attachment 2567910

See:

MacRumors Buyer's Guide: Know When to Buy iPhone, Mac, iPad

This page provides a product summary for each Apple model. The intent is to provide our best recommendations regarding current product cycles, and to provide a summary of currently available rumors for each model. This page is based on rumors and speculation and we provide no guarantee to its...

buyersguide.macrumors.com

Click the “Macs” tab. Here’s the link to MBP: https://buyersguide.macrumors.com/#MacBook_Pro_16

 

[Dark_Omen]

The faster Tim retires, the better.

Apple could at least add OLED and change the design, and maybe even stylus support.

This is just another half assed update.