With Apple’s M4 chips still rolling out, anticipation is already building for the next generation: the M5. Expected later this year, the M5 promises significant advancements in performance and efficiency. This article compiles everything we currently know about the Apple M5 chip, from potential release dates and devices to projected performance and rumored features of the higher-end M5 variants.
Expected Release Date and Compatible Devices
Apple CEO Tim Cook at WWDC22
The M5 chip is expected to power a range of Apple devices, including Macs and iPads. Being the entry-level chip, it’s likely destined for most entry-level Macs and several iPads.
The first device tipped to receive the M5 is the MacBook Pro, potentially launching in Fall 2025, aligning with Apple’s typical October/November timeframe for pro-focused MacBook updates.
The iPad Pro is also anticipated to receive the M5 around the same time, possibly slightly later, with Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman suggesting a late 2025 or early 2026 release. The iPad Air is another potential candidate, although it might retain the M3 chip.
A woman using a 2023 MacBook Air with M2 chip.
The MacBook Air is predicted to get the M5 in Spring 2026, roughly a year after the M4 version. A new iMac with the M5 might also appear in 2025, following its recent two-year release cycle (April 2021 and October 2023).
The Mac mini’s future is less certain. While it received updates in 2023 and 2024, skipping the M3 for the M2 and then the M4, it’s unclear if an M5 version is planned.
Pricing for M5-equipped devices remains unknown, but hopefully, Apple will maintain pricing consistent with previous generations.
Projected Performance and Features
Gaming on a laptop
Concrete details about the M5’s performance and features are scarce. However, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicts the M5 will utilize TSMC’s N3P process, a 3nm fabrication process promising performance and efficiency gains over the M4. While a 2nm process was considered, it was deemed too costly.
TSMC’s process will reportedly incorporate System on Integrated Chip (SoIC) technology, enabling 3D chip stacking for improved thermals and reduced electrical leakage. There are also mentions of “thermoplastic carbon fiber composite molding technology,” though its practical implications are unclear.
M5 Pro, M5 Max, and M5 Ultra: The High-End Variants
Apple logo
Alongside the base M5, Apple is also developing mid-range and high-end M5 chips. Kuo suggests the M5 Pro and M5 Max will arrive in 2025, followed by the M5 Ultra in 2026.
These chips will likely follow previous distribution patterns: M5 Pro in the MacBook Pro and Mac mini, M5 Max in the MacBook Pro and Mac Studio, and M5 Ultra in the Mac Studio and Mac Pro. The M5 Ultra’s arrival could potentially mean annual updates for the Mac Studio and Mac Pro, a first for both.
Specifics on core counts, performance, and features for these high-end chips are yet to be revealed. However, Kuo anticipates they’ll use server-grade 2.5D packaging for improved yields and thermals. He also suggests separate CPU and GPU designs, potentially boosting performance, and better suitability for AI inferencing.
