Apple Nears M5 Pro MacBook Pro Refresh

Apple may be nearing a refresh of its high-end MacBook Pro lineup with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips.

Last fall, Apple upgraded only the base 14-inch MacBook Pro with the M5. Power users expecting updates to the M4 Pro and M4 Max models were left waiting. New shipping patterns now suggest that wait may soon end.

Several high-end MacBook Pro configurations no longer ship immediately. Delivery estimates for M4 Max models now stretch into mid-to-late February. Apple often lets availability slip when it winds down production ahead of a replacement. The signal isn’t definitive, but it’s familiar to anyone who has tracked Apple launches.

The delays affect M4 Max versions of both the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro. Many M4 Pro models remain readily available, though upgrades like extra RAM or nano-texture displays still slow delivery. That uneven slowdown points to a specific phase-out rather than broad supply trouble.

Apple could time new hardware alongside its recently announced Creator Studio subscription. The $13-per-month bundle targets independent creators using Final Cut Pro, Logic Pro, and Pixelmator Pro. Those tools scale directly with CPU, GPU, and memory performance. Launching more powerful laptops would reinforce the pitch.

Other explanations exist. AI-driven demand has tightened RAM supply, and Apple may be prioritizing higher-volume base chips over Max variants. But one detail weakens that theory: the Mac Studio, which also uses the M4 Max, shows no comparable delays. The bottleneck appears isolated to the MacBook Pro.

A wider Mac refresh looms

Most of Apple’s Mac lineup now trails the M5 generation. Only the entry-level MacBook Pro received the new chip last year, leaving the MacBook Air, Mac mini, iMac, Mac Studio, and Mac Pro due for updates in 2026.

Apple doesn’t update every desktop with every chip cycle. Laptops refresh more consistently. Buyers face a familiar decision: purchase now or wait for the next turn of the roadmap.

Questions also surround the Mac Pro. Reporting from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman suggests the product may be nearing the end of its life. Even if an M5 Ultra reaches the Mac Studio, the Mac Pro—still on M2 Ultra—may not follow.

Apple may also move downmarket. A rumored entry-level Mac with an A-series chip could replace the aging M1 MacBook Air still sold through Walmart. Expect modest specs, likely a 13-inch display and 8GB of RAM, but a significantly lower price than the current MacBook Air.

Walmart now lists the M1 Air as low stock. Inventory drawdowns often precede

replacements.

If Apple updates high-end MacBook Pros while introducing a cheaper entry model, it would reshape the lineup from both ends. The question for buyers is simple: wait a little longer, or lock in today’s hardware before the transition begins.

Author: George Nathan Dulnuan