New Apple MacBook Pro rears its head before release with Apple M5 and Matter support
It looks like the next MacBook Pro generation is almost upon us, and perhaps sooner than expected. For context, there have been rumours that Apple would miss its typical autumn launch window for new MacBook Pro 14 and MacBook Pro 16 machines (curr. $2,249 on Amazon). To that end, Apple announced Apple M4 generation MacBook Pros a week after the first anniversary of their Apple M3-based predecessors.
Now, an early sighting of what is believed to be an Apple M5-based model has surfaced on the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in the US. While the regulatory body has not published full device photos, it unequivocally links the model number 'A3434' to a future MacBook Pro. Additionally, the FCC has provided a few hints about what Apple has in store for its next MacBook Pro generation.
For instance, some documentations mention that Apple M5-based MacBook Pro models will support Thread connectivity, the wireless protocol that underpins the Matter smart home standard. Missing entirely on current Apple M4 generation MacBook Pros but apparently present internally, Thread connectivity could help new MacBook Pros integrate with smart home devices through Apple's Home app should the company add support for it within macOS Tahoe.
Surprisingly, the adoption of Thread and Matter will not coincide with Apple finally moving its laptops onto the Wi-Fi 7 standard. Instead, the FCC's initial documentation makes clear that at least Apple M5-powered machines will retain Wi-Fi 6E, despite Wi-Fi 7 being offered for equivalently equipped iPad Pro models.
No comments for this article
