Apple appears to be laying the groundwork for the long-rumoured debut of its next-generation MacBook Pro lineup, powered by the M5 Pro and M5 Max chips.
After weeks of speculation pointing to a late-January announcement, the company has now fueled expectations by inviting members of the press to an “Apple Experience” event scheduled for Los Angeles between January 27 and 29, 2026.
While Apple has not officially disclosed the purpose of the gathering, the timing closely aligns with recent reports suggesting that refreshed MacBook Pro models are imminent.
Adding to the speculation, Apple is set to officially launch its Apple Creator Studio software on January 28, a release widely expected to be optimised for the upcoming M5-based MacBook Pro machines.
Accelerated Chip Roadmap
Industry leaks indicate that Apple may be accelerating the rollout of its M5 Pro and M5 Max processors following delays linked to the M4 Max supply. According to those reports, the higher-end M5 Ultra chip is still planned for release later in the first half of 2026, maintaining Apple’s staggered approach to its silicon lineup.
If confirmed, the earlier arrival of the M5 chips would mark a notable shift in Apple’s recent hardware cadence, which has been disrupted by ongoing component shortages—particularly in memory.
Supply Constraints and Early Refresh
Signs of strain in Apple’s current MacBook Pro supply chain have already emerged. Certain configurations of the 14-inch MacBook Pro with the M4 Max chip, including models with 64 GB of unified memory, are not expected to ship until February, while higher-end variants with 128 GB are reportedly delayed until March. Apple has not commented publicly on the reasons behind these delays, though broader global shortages of memory modules are believed to be a contributing factor.
An early refresh with M5-powered models could help Apple stabilize availability and restore confidence in its notebook lineup, particularly among professional users who rely on predictable upgrade cycles.
Performance Expectations
Leaks surrounding the M5 Max chip point to a significant leap in graphics performance. Early benchmark results suggest that its integrated GPU—reportedly featuring a 40-core design—could outperform the mobile version of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti in raw performance. The chip is also said to surpass the GPU capabilities of the M3 Ultra, despite using fewer cores, indicating major architectural gains.
If those claims hold true, the M5 Max could position Apple’s next MacBook Pro models as formidable machines for gaming, video editing, and 3D rendering workloads, further blurring the line between integrated and discrete graphics solutions.
For now, Apple has yet to officially confirm any new hardware announcements. However, with an event scheduled squarely in the rumored launch window, expectations are high that the next chapter of the MacBook Pro—and Apple Silicon—will soon be unveiled.
