New M5 MacBook Pro: Design

• No change to the design expected.
• Big changes are said to be coming to the M6 MacBook Pro.

Apple updated the design of the MacBook Pro in 2021, and it seems like Apple will stick with it for a while. It’s always possible that a new color makes an appearance—like Space Black in 2023—but for the most part, the MacBook Pro design is set for a while.

In July, Mark Gurman reported that the M5 MacBook Pro series will be the last of this current design though. Apple appears to be saving the next major design upgrade for the MacBook Pro for 2026. The M6 upgrade is said to include OLED screens, a camera “hole” to replace the notch, and a thinner design.

New M5 MacBook Pro: Display

• No change to display expected.

On February 11, 2025, The Elec reported that OLED displays for the MacBook Pro are going into production, but they won’t be featured in the laptop until 2026.

On July 28, 2025, Dealsite reports that Apple has a deal in place with Samsung Display for OLED displays for the MacBook Pro that will ship in late 2025.

There could be something even more exciting coming with the M6 generation: a touchscreen! Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo believes that Apple is going to launch a MacBook with a touch screen, and it could arrive on a MacBook Pro as soon as 2026. However, this update is not expected to arrive until the M6 generation and could be delayed until 2027.

Foundry

New M5 MacBook Pro: Camera

• No change expected.

The M4 MacBook Pro added a 12MP FaceTime camera, a decent upgrade from the 1080p FaceTime camera.

We could see a similar FaceTime camera update to 18MP as seen on the iPhone 17. The square sensor is less relevant here as the MacBook Pro will only ever be in one orientation, although it could allow for more of the area around a person to be visible.

New M5 MacBook Pro: Processor

With its third straight annual update, the M5 MacBook Pro may be little more than a chip refresh. Reports say to expect the typical performance boost from one chip generation to another–between 15 and 25 percent over the M4.

On May 8, 2025, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reported that Apple is working on M6 and M7 chips, but they won’t be in the MacBook Pro until later. Apple is also working on a “more advanced Mac chip” called Sotra, but no details were provided.

On July 3, AppleInsider reported that Apple plans the release four standard configurations with the following code names:

• J714c: M5 Max 14-inch MacBook Pro
• J714s: M5 Pro 14-inch MacBook Pro
• J716c: M5 Max 16-inch MacBook Pro
• J716s: M5 Pro 16-inch MacBook Pro

On October 7, 2025, MaxTech’s Vadim Yuryev reported that Apple is working on a new chip design for the M5 Pro and M5 Max that would feature the CPU and GPU on separate blocks. This would allow customers greater options to configure these components. For example, one could set up a base CPU configuration with a maxed out GPU. Yuryev stated that this new design is why the M5 Pro and M5 Max are delayed until 2026.

New M5 MacBook Pro: Specs

• N1 chip: Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6.
• Thunderbolt 5.

With the launch of the M4 MacBook Pro, Apple made a series of upgrades that replaced outdated components, including upping the base RAM to 16GB, bringing Thunderbolt 5 to the M4 Pro and Max models, and offering a Nano-texture glass option.

Wi-Fi 7 is expected to arrive on the MacBook Pro M5. Apple may integrate the N1 chip, as used in the iPhone 17, which will bring Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6, as well as improve features like Personal Hotspot and AirDrop.

In addition, the entry-level model may get Thunderbolt 5.

There are reports that Apple is working on a 5G modem for the Mac, but it’s unlikely to arrive before 2026.

New M5 MacBook Pro: Release date

• Possible launch in October 2025.
• M5 Pro and M5 Max MacBook Pro may not be released until 2026

Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reported in March 2025 that Apple is on schedule to ship the M5 MacBook Pro “around the same time of year” as when the M4 and M3 MacBook Pro shipped. That suggests an October/November timeframe.

Gurman then reported on May 8 that the M5 MacBook Pro could arrive “as early as the end of this year.”

However, Gurman later felt less confident about this, and reported on July 9 that Apple may move the ship date from later 2025 to early 2026.

Then on September 28, Gurman reported that the M5 MacBook Pro is “nearing mass production” and is expected between the end of 2025 and early 2026.

Backing up the idea that Apple could be gearing up to launch the new models, at the beginning of October, the FCC published documents relating to unreleased Apple devices with model numbers that are thought to represent versions of the MacBook Pro (and new M5 iPad Pro). This suggests that the new models are nearing mass production.

With Apple’s Back to School deal for 2025 ending on October 21 in U.K. and Europe (it has already finished in the U.S. and Canada), Apple may be timing the on-sale date for the new MacBook Pro to come after this deal ends.

Gurman reported on October 7 that the M5 MacBook Pro may be released the week of October 13. However, Apple may release only the base M5 MacBook Pro in 2025, and the M5 Pro and M5 Max models won’t be released until 2026. (See the Processor section above.)