Apple‘s much-anticipated M5 chip will make its debut in fall 2025, with the MacBook Pro models being the first to get it. According to Mark Gurman from Bloomberg, this time, Apple is prioritizing the Mac over the iPad. Unlike the M4 chip, which debuted in the iPad Pro first, the M5 chip will land on the MacBook Pro first, followed by the iPad Pro in early 2026.
This shift in release order means that the current iPad Pro (with the M4 chip) will likely be two years old by the time it gets an update. However, that’s not too concerning, as the iPad Pro remains an extremely powerful device even by 2026 standards. It’s powered by the M4 chip, which offers plenty of performance to last for a while.
But this delay in iPad Pro upgrades gives Apple’s other iPads some breathing room. Gurman also mentions that we can expect new versions of the entry-level iPad and iPad Air models in the first half of 2025. The iPad Air, powered by the M2 chip, might even get bumped up to an M4 chip for its 2025 release, making it a more budget-friendly alternative to the 2024 iPad Pro.
Before we see those new iPads, though, Gurman expects the M4-powered MacBook Air to hit the shelves. The model has already been shipping from factories in Asia, and Gurman predicts it will go on sale by March 2025, roughly one year after the release of the M3 MacBook Air.
So, it looks like 2025 is shaping up to be a very exciting year for Apple, with new iPads, a MacBook refresh, and plenty more in the pipeline. With Tim Cook teasing the “newest member of the family” — likely the iPhone SE 4 — this is just the beginning of a very busy first half of the year.