The recent uncertainty around M5 MacBook Pro launch timing may be starting to clear up, as a new report indicates the base M5 MacBook Pro is launching soon, while higher-end models aren’t coming until later.
Base M5 MacBook Pro expected soon, with M5 Pro and M5 Max delayed into next year
Reporting has been back-and-forth regarding when the M5 MacBook Pro will launch, with a release possible either this month or not until early 2026.
Which is it? According to a new AppleInsider report, the answer is: both.
Marko Zivkovic writes at AppleInsider:
People familiar with the matter have told AppleInsider that a Mac with the identifier J704 is nearing release. Apple has been testing this model with a dedicated hardware-focused variant of macOS Tahoe, version 26.0.2. Other Mac models remain in the works, but they are not expected to launch just yet. Based on the identifier J704, Apple appears to be gearing up for the debut of the base model M5 MacBook Pro. For reference, the preceding model, with the standard M4 chip, is known as the J604.
Later in the piece, Zivjovic adds:
All variants of the J714 and J716 MacBook Pros are expected to ship with macOS 26.3. For reference, macOS 15.3 became available to the general public in January 2025. This suggests the M5 Pro and M5 Max MacBook Pros are set to debut in early 2026, after the release of macOS 26.3.
This report would help explain why only the base model M4 MacBook Pro is seeing reduced stock at the Apple Store, while high-end models remain readily available.
9to5Mac’s Take
For the last few years, Apple has shipped the Pro and Max variants of the MacBook Pro at the same time as its base model. The last exceptions were with the M1 and M2 MacBook Pros, which were followed by Pro and Max models later on.
In those cases, however, Apple’s base model and high-end SKUs were different in practically every way—including in industrial design. Since that time, the MacBook Pro lineup has been consolidated to include a more similar feature set.
It makes sense, though, that if Apple plans to ship the base M5 chip in new iPad Pro and Vision Pro hardware, it might as well release the M5 MacBook Pro too. If M5 Pro and Max aren’t ready yet, that doesn’t need to delay the base model.
If this report proves true, the biggest outstanding question is whether Apple details its high-end MacBook Pro models when it unveils the base M5 option. It could always announce those models but ship them later. I suspect, though, that we might have to wait until early next year for details.
What do you think of Apple reportedly splitting the M5 MacBook Pro launches? Let us know in the comments.
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