Apple roadmap leak confirms hardware upgrades for MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, iMac, Mac Mini and Mac Pro
A previous roadmap confirmed that Apple was already working on its future M-series chips. At this point, they will launch annually, but this year, the Apple M5 is slated to debut alongside a MacBook, and not an iPad Pro. Apple Insider has now shed light on what Cupertino has in store for later this year. The Apple M5 is expected to power many devices in the second half of 2025.
First, there's the MacBook Pro with an M5, M5 Pro and M5 Max. Then, there's an Apple M5-powered iMac lined up alongside a Mac Mini with an M5 Pro and an M5. Essentially, everything that launched in 2024 gets an M5 refresh. The M5 (and likely the M5 Pro and M5 Max) will be manufactured on TSMC's N3P node. Interestingly, the new iPad Pro is notably absent from the lineup, despite having entered mass production.
However, the M5 Pro and M5 Max will use TSMC's System-in-Integrated-Chips-Moulding-Horizontal (SoIC-mH) packaging, which will allow Apple to separate the CPU and GPU for better performance and thermal management. Finally, the Mac Pro is also expected to receive a much-needed update, but it is unclear which chip will power it.
If the recent Mac Studio is anything to go by, it could be either the Apple M3 Ultra or the yet-to-be-announced M4 Ultra (code name Hidra), which was mentioned in a roadmap last year. The MacBook Air, like its last-gen counterpart, won't get an M5 refresh until 2026. Furthermore, Apple Insider has also stated the previously rumoured A18 Pro-powered MacBook Air is real.
Things begin to get interesting with the Apple M6 lineup. For starters, it might be the first M-series chip to get an integrated 5G modem. Whether it will be Apple's in-house C1 remains to be seen. Another notable upgrade in store for the MacBook Pro lineup is a tandem OLED screen, similar to the one found on the current iPad Pro lineup, although at least one report suggests otherwise.
The Apple M6, M6 Pro and M6 Max will arrive in the latter half of 2026. It is said to be manufactured on TSMC's N2 (2 nm) node. TSMC N2 is the first node to use Nanosheet (also known as GAAFET) transistors, paving the way for a noticeable increase in performance and thermal efficiency.
Source(s)
