- The M4 MacBook Pro is running low on stock on Apple’s website
- This might hint that a new M5 model is about to launch
- Don’t expect more than a minor upgrade, though
The M5 MacBook Pro has been rumored for months, but it looks like the laptop could finally be ready to step into the limelight. If a recent report is to be believed, Apple’s next MacBook might make an appearance as soon as this month.
That wouldn’t be too unexpected – Apple often releases new MacBook Pro models in the fall – but this idea is not just based on past form. Well-known Apple tipster Mark Gurman has pointed out a telling clue that Apple is getting ready to release the M5 MacBook Pro.
As noted by Gurman on X, the entry-level 14-inch MacBook Pro with M4 chip is seeing “fairly constrained” supply on Apple’s website, with shipments delayed until October 23 to 28. That’s often a key sign that Apple is limiting stock of a soon-to-be-released model ahead of the release of a successor model. If the M4 MacBook Pro is showing a shipping date of mid-to-late October, that could be when the M5 edition arrives.
Gurman also noted that the M4 iPad Pro is similarly affected by low stock, and this device is also expecting an imminent M5 upgrade. That strengthens the contention that new models could be on the way, as the two Apple devices that are rumored for an impending upgrade – the MacBook Pro and the iPad Pro – are both low on stock.
A staggered launch schedule
The MacBook Pro’s M5 upgrade is expected to be a fairly minor one, with the new chip likely to be the only change of note. We are expecting to see an OLED display and redesigned chassis in the not-too-distant future, but not until the M6 MacBook Pro arrives in 2026.
That device has been rumored for 2026, but the M5 MacBook Pro could throw that idea into uncertainty. That’s because there have been hints that Apple might only launch the base-level M5 MacBook Pro in 2025, with the M5 Pro and M5 Max editions coming in 2026.
The M4 MacBook Pro shipping delays suggest that that might be the case. Only the entry-level M4 MacBook Pro is facing constrained shipping times, while the M4 Pro and M4 Max models are largely unaffected. That may imply that Apple is phasing out the base M4 laptop but is waiting to do the same for its high-end counterparts, indicating a staggered release schedule.
If Apple does indeed release a set of M5-class MacBook Pros in 2026, it might also decide to delay the OLED MacBook until 2027. While the company has launched two MacBook Pro generations in one year before – it did that with its M2 and M3 laptops in 2023 – it’s very unusual.
Ultimately, we won’t know for sure until the first M5 MacBook Pro models make an appearance. An October launch event seems unlikely – the MacBook Pro, iPad Pro, Vision Pro and more are rumored for imminent updates, but only small spec bumps that may not be worth a full-blown event – so we’ll likely get our first glimpse through an Apple press release. We’ll let you know as soon as that happens.
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alexblake.techradar@gmail.com (Alex Blake)
