Apple's M5 Chip Expected to Debut in Late 2025 Across Multiple Devices

Apple is preparing to introduce its next-generation M5 chip, with initial releases anticipated in late 2025. The first devices expected to feature the M5 chip include the MacBook Pro, iPad Pro, and Vision Pro. Broader updates to the Mac lineup are projected for 2026.

The MacBook Pro is likely to be among the first to receive the M5 chip. An unannounced MacBook Pro model has appeared in an accidental FCC filing, and supplies of the current 14-inch M4 MacBook Pro are dwindling. This suggests a potential update to the 14-inch MacBook Pro with the M5 chip later this year, with M5 Pro and M5 Max models possibly arriving in early 2026.

The iPad Pro is also slated for an upgrade. Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo indicated that M5-equipped iPad Pro models could enter mass production in the second half of 2025, aligning with a potential release in late 2025 or early 2026. The current iPad Pro models with the M4 chip were launched in May 2024, following Apple's typical 18-month update cycle.

Additionally, the Vision Pro is expected to be updated with the M5 chip later this year. Kuo anticipates that mass production for the M5-equipped Vision Pro will commence in the third quarter of 2025, with the new chip being the primary change from the current model.

Other Mac updates are projected for 2026. New 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air models with M5 chips are expected in early 2026, around March or April. The iMac, last updated with the M4 chip in October 2024, could see an M5 update alongside the MacBook Air models. The Mac mini may also receive an M5 refresh as soon as early 2026, following the discovery of an alleged identifier for an M5 Mac mini in August.

Apple has not officially announced these updates, and the projected timelines are based on current rumors and supply chain analyses.