Apple is developing many new M5 and M6 Mac configurations, and we now have exclusive details on exactly what the company is developing.
Nearly all Macs available new in 2025 feature Apple’s state-of-the-art M4 chip, with the MacBook Air and Mac Studio receiving the new processing hardware in March 2025. Internally, however, Apple is already working on the two devices’ respective replacements, and even the practically forgotten Mac Pro is set to get a major hardware upgrade.
Through our own data and information shared with us, AppleInsider has learned of 15 new Mac models currently in development. People familiar with the matter — and common sense — have told us that Apple plans to introduce its M5 chip within a matter of months, and that M6-equipped devices could see some significant changes in late 2026.
Apple’s product identifiers follow a pattern, so it is easy to figure out which identifier belongs to which future Mac. The following Macs are expected to be released in the next year, though exact release windows mentioned in this report are based on rumors and Apple’s expected schedule.
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M5 family expected to launch in late 2025
Apple tends to update the MacBook Pro in the fall of each year, and it looks like 2025 won’t be an exception. In late 2024, the MacBook Pro received M4, M4 Pro, and M4 Max configurations. The Mac Mini was made available in an M4 and M4 Pro variant, while the base M4 chip made its way to the iMac.
The M5 chip is expected to launch with the 2025 MacBook Pro.
Apple’s 2025 releases could follow a similar pattern, based on what we were told. People familiar with the matter told us that Apple is testing a Mac with the identifier J873s.
As the current M4 Pro Mac mini is known as the J773s, the J873s is likely an M5 Pro variant of the Mac mini. Though we saw no signs of a base M5 Mac mini, it’s unlikely that Apple would introduce only a high-performance M5 Pro model of the device.
There’s also an unreleased Mac with the identifier J833ct, which could be an M5-equipped iMac. The 2023 24-inch iMac is known as the J433 within Apple, so an M5 iMac seems plausible, though this is not definitive proof.
Along with those base M5 Macs, Apple is expected to introduce the MacBook Pro with M5, M5 Pro, and M5 Max, which the leaked identifiers line up with. Apple is expected to maintain the current design of the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro for the fall 2025 release, meaning that it is a basic spec upgrade overall.
Previous rumors have suggested there would be no significant changes, and our findings corroborate these claims. Specifically, AppleInsider was told Apple plans to release four distinct hardware configurations:
- J714c — MacBook Pro 14-inch with an M5 Max chip
- J714s — MacBook Pro 14-inch with an M5 Pro chip
- J716c — MacBook Pro 16-inch with an M5 Max chip
- J716s — MacBook Pro 16-inch with an M5 Pro chip
The device identifiers mirror Apple’s existing M4 MacBook Pro lineup, which is similarly codenamed J614c, J614s, J616c, and J616s, meaning that we likely won’t see any significant chassis or design changes. In terms of processing power, however, we could see some major improvements.
One report says the M5 Pro and M5 Max “will use 2.5D packaging” that has “separate CPU and GPU designs,” and which will “improve production yields and thermal performance.” TSMC’s latest chip packaging process, known as “System-in-Integrated-Chips-Molding-Horizontal (SoIC-mH)” puts together different chips into one package, and the M5 Pro may be the first Apple chip with these changes.
The M5 MacBook Pros are expected to launch roughly the same time as the M5 iPad Pro and M5 Apple Vision Pro, according to two previous reports.
Desktop Macs are getting upgrades too
We were also told that a new Mac Pro is in the works, and that it bears the codename J704. Earlier rumors have suggested this particular device will debut before the end of 2025. For reference, the Mac Pro has seen no significant updates since 2023.
Apple is working on an updated Mac Studio, known under the identifiers J775c and J775d.
The last Intel-based Mac Pro was released in 2019, and it was replaced by an Apple Silicon model in 2023. The current Mac Pro is equipped with the relatively powerful M2 Ultra chip, but it hasn’t been updated in two years.
It’s also not an ideal option for pro users, given the lack of external GPU support. It’s not immediately clear whether the new Mac Pro will use Apple’s M3 Ultra or M5 Ultra chip, but a performance upgrade is expected nonetheless.
Apple used to release its desktop Macs during the summer, but this has since changed. While the new Mac Pro is expected to debut in late 2025, an upgrade to the Mac Studio may not arrive until sometime in 2026.
We have learned that two new Mac Studio configurations are in development, known as J775c and J775d. For reference, the current J575 Mac Studio can be configured with an M4 Max or M3 Ultra chip, so it makes sense for Apple to provide two similarly powerful chips for the device’s successor in 2026.
The company is said to be experimenting with chips much more powerful than the M3 Ultra, and the Mac Studio would be a logical choice for the new chips.
Still, it remains to be seen exactly what Apple will use for its new-and-improved Mac Studio configurations, which are currently in development.
The MacBook Air could get the M5 in early 2026
After the arrival of the new-and-improved MacBook Pro in late 2025, Apple will likely introduce two MacBook Air models in early 2026. Much like their MacBook Pro counterparts, the new MacBook Airs are expected to maintain the same chassis design as their respective predecessors.
The MacBook Air is set to gain Apple’s M5 chip in early 2026.
AppleInsider was told that the new MacBook Air configurations will bear two device identifiers: J813 and J815. This suggests we’ll see the same 13-inch and 15-inch sizes currently available, as the existing M4 MacBook Air models are similarly known as J713 and J715.
The M4 MacBook Air received a Center Stage-compatible camera, a carry-over from the M4 MacBook Pro. The M5 MacBook Air may gain similarly minor improvements, but it will otherwise be little more than a spec bump.
Late 2026 should see the debut of a redesigned MacBook Pro
While Apple’s 2025 MacBook lineup will undoubtedly look and feel familiar, more significant changes to the lineup are set to arrive in 2026.
The MacBook Pro will likely receive a redesign in 2026.
It’s been rumored that the MacBook Pro will receive a chassis redesign, which will make the device significantly thinner and lighter, just in time for the platform’s 20th anniversary. We’ve also heard about Apple’s plans for a new OLED display, which would be a logical choice given that both the iPhone and iPad Pro already use the technology.
We were told that Apple once again plans to offer four high-end MacBook Pro configurations sometime in 2026, with device identifiers similar to their respective predecessors:
- K114c — MacBook Pro 14-inch with an M6 Max chip
- K114s — MacBook Pro 14-inch with an M6 Pro chip
- K116c — MacBook Pro 16-inch with an M6 Max chip
- K116s — MacBook Pro 16-inch with an M6 Pro chip
The device identifiers of these unreleased Macs suggest that we will once again see two size options: a 14-inch model and a 16-inch MacBook Pro, with different variants of the M6 chip. The M6 chip may feature a built-in cellular modem, as was previously rumored.
Having a built-in modem in future MacBook models would eliminate the need for using cell phones to tether a data connection when Wi-Fi is unavailable. A MacBook model with a built-in cellular modem could also act as its own hotspot, providing a signal for other nearby devices.
Apple’s potential A18 Pro MacBook
Apart from the iterative M5-equipped devices and the redesigned 2026 MacBook Pro, AppleInsider was made aware of two other unreleased Mac configurations: J700 and J804.
Apple is said to be working on a low-cost MacBook with an iPhone system-on-chip.
While the J804 could be a future Mac Pro or low-end MacBook Pro, it’s not entirely clear what the J700 is. It may or may not be the low-cost A18 Pro MacBook that’s recently been rumored.
Apple’s entry-level MacBook was introduced in 2006. The white polycarbonate MacBooks were sold until 2012, when the range was discontinued. Apple then brought back the MacBook in 2015, in the form of a 12-inch laptop, which quietly vanished from store shelves only four years later.
While the MacBook Air has arguably taken the place of the once-iconic base-model MacBook, its $999 price tag isn’t for everyone. A budget-oriented MacBook, with an A18 chip, would allow for an Apple Intelligence-capable device at a relatively low and accessible price point.
While Apple clearly wasn’t going to abandon any of these lines, there was little evidence of the upcoming products beyond the usual rumors surrounding the supply chain. The existence of these identifiers solidifies the existence of these Macs, which can be expected between now and the end of 2026.
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