Category: Mac Pro

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We might finally know when the M4 MacBook Air will launch

The M4 MacBook Air was expected to be Apple’s first launch of 2025. However, the company seems to have other plans, as the new iPhone SE will likely be the first release from Cupertino this year.

Still, Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman has reported that the M4 MacBook Air could launch anytime. After saying this machine could have been available as soon as the last week of January and then correcting his report to “within the next few weeks,” the journalist wrote in his Power On newsletter that this laptop will be available by March “at the latest.”

While “within the next few weeks” is still accurate, as February won’t last much longer, Apple might be holding up this release to coincide with other products. Previously, a top Mac executive said the company would release new computers “as soon as they were ready.”

Even though Gurman has been inaccurate about the M4 MacBook launch date, we’ve seen evidence that this might happen soon. For example, inventory for the M3 MacBook Air has been dwindling. In addition, the company revealed on its macOS beta code that these laptops exist. This is why we believe the company might want to wait at least a year to release a new iteration of its MacBook Air models.

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That said, customers won’t have to wait that long. After all, WWDC 2025 is in June, and Apple might have other Macs to unveil, such as the long-rumored Mac Studio with M4 Ultra processor. A redesigned Mac Pro can be teased at the conference, as it happened previously.

Despite the new chip, which is a great improvement over the M3 processor, the new MacBook Air could have the new 12MP Ultrawide camera, which has been available on the latest MacBook Pro and iMac models.

We don’t expect this laptop to have other design tweaks or improved specs. Still, the M4 MacBook Air will likely have the best battery of any Apple laptop. Currently, the most power-efficient MacBook is the base-model MacBook Pro.

BGR will let you know once Apple releases its new Macs.

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When will Apple release M5 Macs?

Apple has a few more M4 Macs to release before moving on computers powered by its next-generation M5 chips. This generation will mark an important milestone for Apple, as the company keeps improving its processors to better perform AI tasks.

While there are only a few rumors about when Apple is expected to release M5 Macs, the picture of what the company could unveil in the next few quarters is taking shape.

M5 will be big for Apple Intelligence

2023 Mac Studio On DeskImage source: Christian de Looper for BGR

Apple reportedly started mass-producing the M5 chip in January. While we’re still many months away from an official release, ET News says the “Apple M5 chip packaging is handled by Taiwan’s ASE, the U.S.’s Amkor, and China’s JCET. Initial mass production has been started by ASE, and mass production with Amkor and JCET will follow suit.”

These companies also add resources to make the high-end M5 Pro, M5 Max, and M5 Ultra chips. While power efficiency has been improved by 5-10% and performance improved by 5% compared to the M4 chip, we need to see them in action to know if the AI processors can fully power Apple Intelligence and other complex tasks.

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According to The Elec, the M5 chip will feature an enhanced ARM architecture and be manufactured using TSMC’s latest 3-nanometer process technology, an improvement over the M3 and M4 chips. The M5 processor will adopt a new System on Integrated Chip (SoIC) technology, which enhances thermal management and reduces electrical leakage.

With that, we could see enhancements in performance and efficiency and a broader focus on Neural Engine tasks for AI and Apple Intelligence. While we know that Apple has moved on to producing its newer processors, the company will still release a number of new M4-powered devices, including some that have yet to be unveiled.

M5 MacBook and Mac release dates

M4 MacBook Pro keyboardImage source: Christian de Looper for BGR

The M5 Macs aren’t expected to be released before the fall of 2025. Currently, Apple has to launch the M4 MacBook Air, expected by March, then the Mac Studio in mid-2025, and a new Mac Pro by the second half of this year.

With that in mind, this is when we could expect new M5 Macs:

  • MacBook Pro: The M5 MacBook Pro is expected to be released in the second half of 2025, not before the fall; should include M5, M5 Pro, and M5 Max options.
  • MacBook Air: If Apple follows the trend, a new MacBook Air will likely be released by the beginning of 2026, around the first quarter.
  • Mac Studio: Rumors suggest that Apple is planning a new Studio Display, so the company might release a new Mac Studio with the M5 chip as well. This computer could ship with an M5 Ultra chip by mid-2026.

Apple’s schedule for releasing Mac mini, iMac, and Mac Pro updates has been irregular lately. That said, if the company plans to release these Macs, the first two could be available anytime from late 2025 to mid-2026, while the latter could be available from mid-2026 to late 2026.

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Apple reportedly started M5 mass production ahead of 2025 Mac releases

A few months after Apple ordered TSMC to start the production development of the M5 chip, ET News reports that mass production for this upcoming processor has now begun. According to the publication, mass production for the M5 chip, which is expected to power new Macs, iPads, and Apple Vision Pro, started in January. ET News writes: “Apple M5 chip packaging is handled by Taiwan’s ASE, the U.S.’s Amkor, and China’s JCET. Initial mass production has been started by ASE, and mass production with Amkor and JCET will follow suit.”

These companies also add resources to make the high-end M5 Pro, M5 Max, and M5 Ultra chips. While power efficiency has been improved by 5-10% and performance improved by 5% compared to the M4 chip, this is yet Apple’s new tackle on AI processors to power Apple Intelligence and other complex tasks.

While the M5 mass production has already started, Apple has yet to release its M4 MacBook Air models. They’re expected to be released in the first half of 2025, in addition to the M4 Ultra chip with the Mac Studio, which is scheduled for mid-2025. Finally, a new Mac Pro could also be in the works for late 2025. If that turns out to be accurate, this release could coincide with the first M5 products.

So far, the first Apple products we expect to unveil with the M5 chip are the iPad Pro, the MacBook Pro, and the Apple Vision Pro. Still, none of them should debut before fall 2025.

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That being said, we still have plenty of time with M4 products. Also, it doesn’t seem Apple plans a major revamp for its products with the M5 chip. According to rumors, Cupertino could start tweaking the design of some of its Macs by 2026 when it plans to ditch the miniLED display for a new OLED technology.

Below, you can learn more about when to expect new M4 Macs.

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M4 MacBook Air to launch before iPhone SE 4 and iPad 11

Apple upgraded several Macs to the M4 chip a few weeks ago, including the MacBook Pro, iMac, and Mac mini. The former is easily the most exciting of the three, as Apple gave fans a much-needed upgrade. The M4 MacBook Pro comes with 16GB of RAM instead of 8GB, effectively reducing the laptop’s price for those who would spend extra money for more memory.

It’s all in the name of Apple Intelligence, a suite of genAI features still in its early days. Apple is ensuring that all its devices will have the resources to handle AI and one’s non-AI computing needs.

I said at the time that Apple had no choice but to give the M4 MacBook Air the same 16GB memory upgrade. Apple practically confirmed this during the M4 Mac launch week when it said that existing M2 and M3 MacBook Airs will also come with 16GB of RAM as the new default.

Apple didn’t reveal the M4 MacBook Air release date at the time, but leaks said the 13-inch and 15-inch laptops would drop at some point in the first quarter of 2025. A new update from an insider teases an even faster launch than expected, as Apple might not want to wait until the iPhone SE 4 and iPad 11 are also ready to launch.

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After the iPhone 16 launch event, we thought we’d get a Mac-centric keynote for the M4 Macs. Apple chose to announce the laptops via press releases, though it also posted extended presentations on YouTube for each of the three Macs that got the M4 treatment.

Before Apple’s announcements in the first quarter of 2025, reports said that the iPhone SE 4 would drop in March. That’s also going to be a rather exciting iPhone for certain buyers.

Considering the mid-ranged iPhone’s rollout expectations and what Apple did with the M4 Macs, it’s easy to assume the company would repeat the play: Pick a week in March and announce a new product each day. We’d get the M4 MacBook Air, the iPhone SE 4, and the iPad 11, in whatever order Apple chooses to do it.

However, Mark Gurman said on X that the M4 MacBook Air launch is coming sooner than expected. He didn’t divulge an actual release date for the M4 MacBook Air models, but he said that the laptops will precede the iPhone SE 4 and iPad 11:

As I wrote in October, new entry level iPads (J481 and J482) are coming in the spring. iPhone SE, new iPad Air are on the same general timeline. The M4 MacBook Air will be earlier.

The Bloomberg reporter also penned a newsletter over the weekend, where he also addressed Apple’s tentative roadmap for the M4 Macs. He said the M4 MacBook Airs will arrive early next year, without mentioning the iPhone SE 4 and iPad 11:

But the real meat of the Mac lineup will get refreshed in the first three quarters of 2025. Things will kick off pretty early next year with M4 versions of the 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air (these models are already deep into the manufacturing phase). As the year progresses, there will be a new Mac Studio with a high-end M4 chip. The M4 transition will get completed later in the year with a version of the Mac Pro. This will mark the first time since Apple began using in-house chips that its entire computer portfolio moved to a new M-series generation.

The tweet above gives us a better estimate of when to expect the new MacBook Airs. That said, we have no release dates, so it’s unclear how soon the M4 MacBook Airs will arrive.

Finally, I’ll remind you that Apple has confirmed the M4 MacBook Air in a recent software update. Given Gurman’s claims, Apple’s accidental reveal makes sense if the launch is imminent.

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New iPad Pro won’t be Apple’s first product with an M5 chip

Apple won’t follow the trend of introducing a brand new chip with its best new iPad models, as it did with the M4 iPad Pro. According to the latest reports, the M5 iPad Pro won’t arrive before late 2025 or even early 2026.

Top insider Ming-Chi Kuo wrote a blog post on Medium saying the M5 iPad Pro is expected to enter mass production in the second half of 2025. “The iPad Pro equipped with the M5 processor is expected to enter mass production in 2H25,” he wrote. “The company’s business momentum in 2H25 is anticipated to benefit significantly from Apple’s new product launches.”

While this might not mean much, Kuo is likely talking about the significant refreshes expected by this time of the year, such as the iPhone, Apple Watch, and possibly a new version of the Apple Vision Pro. That said, users shouldn’t be that worried about their M4 iPad Pro becoming an obsolete product in the near future.

If rumors are accurate, the iPad Pro with the M4 processor could be almost two years old before Apple introduces a new variant. Even when that happens, we don’t expect significant changes. Based on what we’ve heard so far, it seems that the iPad Pro will only get a specs bump with the M5 processor, and the next-generation chip won’t even be such a big deal.

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Image source: Apple Inc.

While the M4 greatly improves over the M3, Apple has apparently canceled the M5 with the newer 2nm process developed by TSMC due to cost concerns. According to The Elec, the M5 chip will adopt a new System On Integrated Chip technology, which enhances thermal management and reduces electrical leakage.

With that, we could see enhancements in performance and efficiency and a broader focus on Neural Engine tasks for AI and Apple Intelligence. While knowing that Apple has moved on to producing its newer processors, we still have several months with M4 products, including some new ones that need to be unveiled.

When will Apple start introducing new M5 products?

If the company follows the schedule analysts predict, the M5 family won’t be available before the end of next year. Here’s what we expect:

  • Late 2025: Apple should unveil at least new M5 MacBook Pro models with the M5 Pro and M5 Max options; the company could also update the Mac mini and iMac, although it’s unclear at this moment;
  • Late 2025/Early 2026: Apple introduces the M5 iPad Pro;
  • Early 2026/Mid 2026: Cupertino unveils new MacBook Air models with the M5 processor;
  • Mid 2026/Late 2026: Apple expands the M5 chips for the Mac Studio and potentially to Mac Pro, depending on the upgrades expected for this processor.

It’s important to note that bigger changes are expected to start appearing by 2026 or 2027, when Apple will unveil a new OLED display technology for the MacBook Pro, followed by an improved display on the iPad Pro. In the next couple of years, we could also see Apple unveiling its first foldable products as well.

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