Gurman: Apple's M5 MacBook Pro could break its usual release cycle

Reputable analyst and Apple insider Mark Gurman now has interesting things to say about Cupertino's upcoming MacBook lineup. According to his report, the company is planning to release new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros with codenames J714 and J716 later this year, sporting the M5 chip. 

According to the report, Apple is targeting a launch early next year. This pretty much means that the current MacBook Pro release cycle may continue on for a little longer than usual, given the fact that the current MacBook Pro models were released in October of last year. 

Reportedly, things may change though. Previously, Apple launched the M1, M3, and M4 MacBook Pro models in either October or November. There's only one exception to this tradition: the M2 MacBook Pro, which debuted in January 2023.  

Gurman also says that when the new MacBook Pro lineup launches, it may be the last lineup sporting the current design. The design that MacBook Pro models sport right now was introduced in 2021. Reportedly, the follow-up models will include new cases and transition to OLED (organic light-emitting diode) screens. 



These new OLED displays are higher contrast and Apple is currently rocking the technology in iPhones since 2017 and with the iPad Pro since 2024. 



Meanwhile, Gurman also claims that new MacBook Air models (carrying codenames J813 and J815) are coming in the first half of next year as well. The current MacBook Air models were released in March of this year and they come with Apple's M4 chip. Gurman doesn't say much else about these new MacBook Air models. He mentions briefly a new Mac external monitor to come in early 2026 as well. 

Gurman's report doesn't mention the mysterious 'affordable' MacBook with an iPhone chip (with the A18 Pro) that showed up in rumors recently, so for now, this device seems not to be slated for a release with the aforementioned MacBooks. 

I personally think that Apple is playing it smart by spacing out these releases a bit more, if Gurman is right. It gives each lineup a bit of breathing room – and let's be honest, most people don't upgrade their MacBooks every year anyway. What's really exciting is the possibility of an all-new design and OLED displays. If that's true, it could be worth holding off on a purchase until those arrive. 

In the meantime, recently there was also a leak about an M3-Ultra-powered MacBook Pro, which seems to be an abandoned project at the moment (and this Gurman report underlines this fact by not talking about it at all). Nevertheless, we expect strong M5 MacBook Pro performance anyway, with the efficiency and battery life that apparently this beastly M3-Ultra-powered MacBook Pro couldn't achieve. 

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