The MacBook Pro with Apple’s M5 processor will be released this year and won’t bring any radical changes, while the M6 model will be a significant upgrade.
But first, tablets. According to Mark Gurman of Bloomberg, Apple plans to make the iPad Pro the first device with the new M5 processor. The versions of this model, codenamed J817, J818, J820, and J821, are in the last stage of testing and will be ready for production in the second half of this year. The company has also begun preliminary work on M6 processors with its own built-in modems, with chips planned for 2027.
According to the journalist, the MacBook Pro M5 will be released later this year. This is likely to happen around the same time as the M4 models in 2024. MacBook Air with the M5 chip is also in development. The MacBook design is unlikely to be updated this year, and in 2026, the MacBook Pro will supposedly receive a «overhaul» and an M6 processor. Probably, those who like changes and new technologies should wait for this model.
The 2026 MacBook Pro will celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Pro version and is likely to offer more than a simple chip upgrade to M6. Apple Insider adds that the anniversary edition may get a thin OLED screen.
It is possible that Apple will offer MacBook models with and without its own modem. The latter option could become the basis for less expensive models. The presence of a modem would save MacBooks from the need to connect a phone when Wi-Fi is not available. It could also become an access point if needed. It is likely that the modems will even have satellite connectivity and GPS, as the C1 already contains these features.
Modem Apple C1 5G debuted iPhone 16e in February 2025. Despite lack of mmWave communication protocol, which is relevant in the US (millimeter waves), it showed itself quite fast and energy efficient. Apple is expected to improve its design in future devices.
