M5 Apple Silicon Chip Reportedly Enters Mass Production

[MacRumors]

Apple has begun mass production of its next-generation M5 chip, according to South Korean media, with the processor expected to arrive in devices potentially as soon as this year.

ET News reports that Apple began packaging the M5 chip last month. Packaging is the final step in semiconductor manufacturing after fabrication, and involves the process of protecting the chip and enabling electrical connections with other devices or components.

Apple outsources to TSMC the front-end manufacturing phase of fabricating the chips on silicon wafers. Now that fabrication is underway, the packaging is being handled by OSAT (Outsourced Semiconductor Assembly and Test) companies including Taiwan's ASE Group, America's Amkor, and China's JCET. According to the report, ASE was the first to begin mass production, while Amkor and JCET are expected to follow sequentially.

The initial production run is said to be for the base M5 model, rather than Apple's more advanced M5 Pro, M5 Max, and M5 Ultra processors. The OSAT companies mentioned above are said to be currently investing in additional facilities to support the mass production of the high-end models.

The M5 series is expected to feature an enhanced ARM architecture and is reportedly being manufactured using TSMC's advanced 3-nanometer process technology. Apple's decision to forgo TSMC's more advanced 2nm process for the M5 chip is believed to be due to cost considerations. However, the high-end versions of the M5 will still feature significant advancements over their M4 equivalents, mainly through the adoption of TSMC's System on Integrated Chip (SoIC) technology.

This 3D chip-stacking approach vertically stacks the chips, which enhances thermal management and reduces electrical leakage compared to traditional 2D designs. Apple is said to have expanded its cooperation with TSMC on the next-generation hybrid SoIC package, which also combines thermoplastic carbon fiber composite molding technology.

The first device to be equipped with the M5 chip is expected to be a new iPad Pro, which will enter mass production in late 2025, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

Assuming Apple maintains its typical upgrade cycle for its custom silicon, here are the devices we're expecting to benefit in chronological order:

• iPad Pro: M5 chips could debut in the devices in late 2025 or early-to-mid 2026.
• MacBook Pro: Models featuring M5 series chips are anticipated in late 2025.
• MacBook Air: M5 variants will likely arrive in early 2026.
• Apple Vision Pro: An updated version of the headset incorporating the M5 chip is expected between the fall of 2025 and spring of 2026.

References to what are believed to be Apple's M5 chip have already been discovered in official Apple code. According to one report, thanks to its dual-use SoIC design, Apple also plans to deploy the M5 chip within its AI server infrastructure to bolster AI capabilities across both consumer devices and cloud services.

Article Link: M5 Apple Silicon Chip Reportedly Enters Mass Production

 

[contacos]

Wild. In my mind I just bought my M1 Pro MBP to replace my 2012 MBP. What is time.

 

[neuropsychguy]

This is the first one I’m interested in upgrading to from my M1 Pro MBP. Considering how fast the M4 (Mac Mini) is compared to the M1 Pro, an M5 Pro should be a significant upgrade. But I'm also not in a rush to upgrade so I might wait another year for the M6.

 

[robinp]

first device to be equipped with the M5 chip is expected to be a new iPad Pro, which will enter mass production in the second half of next year

This doesn’t seem to make sense

Edit:

For those (several now) who are completely missing my point. It is that if production has started, the first device with M5 will not be released at the end of NEXT year. That’s what didn’t make sense.

The article has been corrected now.

 

[TechRunner]

Wanted to be first with the "Oh no! I've been wanting to upgrade to either an M4 MBP or MBA. Should I wait?" post 🤣

Really, I AM upgrading to one of the above, and soon. Will be interesting to see if M5 is a big leap in performance.

 

[cwwilson]

I applaud Apple and TSMC for continuing to innovate and make faster and more efficient chipsets but man I do wonder... How much power does someone really need? I don't do anything hardcore on my Macs and I still think the M1 and M2 Airs I have are still plenty fast for anything I'll ever do with them. The leaps and bounds in performance they've made since then have left mine in the dust and I just don't feel like playing catch up anymore lol.

 

[gphome]

M5 chips being on 3nm says a complete skip to me, either go for a cheaper M3/M4 based system that is basically the same generation, or wait until M6 on 2nm

 

[bradman83]

The SoIC technology from TSMC that Apple is rumored to be using for the more advanced M5 chips is a legitimate game changer. It will allow Apple to move away from massive monolithic dies like the Max chips, and using tricks like UltraFusion to stitch two Max chips together to make the Ultra. Instead chips can be based on mix and match tiles of components. This would allow Apple to more easily create Ultra level chips and perhaps even ones even higher. It also allows TSMC to devote bleeding edge node capacity to the tiles on the chip that need them (like the CPU, GPU, and NPU) while manufacturing parts of the chip that don’t need bleeding edge nodes, like I/O controllers, on older and cheaper process nodes.

 

[nt5672]

So far forward with the hardware, but so many bugs in the software it does not really matter.

 

[Infodataset]

Now with M5, my youtube become snappier and porn videos become more brighter.

 

[Rychiar]

and like clockwork suddenly I don't want an m4 studio now 😂

 

[jeffpeng]

Probably the smartest thing Apple can do with SoIC is pack a fat juicy

M5 chips being on 3nm says a complete skip to me, either go for a cheaper M3/M4 based system that is basically the same generation, or wait until M6 on 2nm

It's N3P, though. Isn't a leap, but it's something.

 

[aibloop]

That Macbook M4 max sitting in ordered… Looking kind of… hmm, cancel? Or let it go through? A new Macbook pro M5 comes out when?

 

[kk1ro]

Will probably hold onto my M1 Max MBP until the M6 Max comes out. The M1 Max is still such a beast that I really need an outrageous generational leap in performance to even consider upgrading.

 

[frou]

M5 chips being on 3nm says a complete skip to me, either go for a cheaper M3/M4 based system that is basically the same generation, or wait until M6 on 2nm

How's it basically the same generation? Microarchitecture designers do actually do something for their job - the result is not all down to manufacturing.

Hell, the "Tick Tock" paradigm was the exact opposite... the shrinks were in many ways the more boring years.

 

[EugW]

On track for a fall release.

I betcha with the iPad Pro M5, it will come with 12-16 GB base unlike my 8 GB M4 (which may actually have 12 GB with 4 GB disabled).

 

[Gengar]

I just got my M4 Mac mini a couple of days ago (and am loving it). I wonder if it'll get an M5 update, since they sometimes skip generations for the certain products...

 

[EugW]

I just got my M4 Mac mini a couple of days ago (and am loving it). I wonder if it'll get an M5 update, since they sometimes skip generations for the certain products...

My prediction (guess) is that the Mac mini will skip the M5 generation.

 

[Icelus]

That Macbook M4 max sitting in ordered… Looking kind of… hmm, cancel? Or let it go through? A new Macbook pro M5 comes out when?

Probably November 2025.

 

[HJM.NL]

if rumors hold through, Apple can improve faster. Long live the competition 😊

 

[brofkand]

On track for a fall release.

I betcha with the iPad Pro M5, it will come with 12-16 GB base unlike my 8 GB M4 (which may actually have 12 GB with 4 GB disabled).

iPadOS is so hobbled, who cares.

 

[wanha]

So for forward with the hardware, but so many bugs in the software it does not really matter.

It may not matter much in the short term, but increases in performance over time eventually open the possibility for new form factors and functionality.

That said, your point about software lagging behind HW for Apple is still painfully true.

 

[parkds]

Just in time for the Mac Studio to feel out of date again when it gets updated to the M4 this summer.

 

[Joe Myers]

Wild. In my mind I just bought my M1 Pro MBP to replace my 2012 MBP. What is time.

Baby don’t hurt me.

 

[jeffpeng]

Few short takes:

1) I don't see standard M5 do horizontal molding. Too expensive for such a small cheap chip.

2) Technically Apple could actually just put a big chunk of memory under the Max or maybe even the Pro and use that as a sort of "L3" cache.

3) Mass Production now? That's still in time for dubdub plus a few weeks. Who say's the next Mac Studio has to be M4? Maybe they skip that entirely, and open the M5 line with M5 Max and whatever above there is.

4) Frankly, as @gphome pointed out: it's still N3. Yes, N3P, still not a big jump. And if 1) is correct there hardly is a point to a standard M5 unless they have some real magic cooking arch wise.

5) M5 debuting on the iPad Pro? Nah. They pulled their stunt with that one. They had a reason to do that with M4, but now there really are other priorities, especially considering the iPad Pro is not selling as great as they had hoped. And "New chip, same evertything!" won't change that.