Apple Prepares M5 Pro and M5 Max MacBook Pro Launch as Inventory Tightens [Gurman]

Apple appears to be preparing for a major Mac refresh. With retail stock drying up and shipping estimates slipping weeks out, the company is reportedly poised to launch its next-generation high-end MacBook Pros as early as this month.



According to the latest newsletter from Mark Gurman, the new laptops are tied to the macOS 26.3 release cycle, which is currently scheduled for a window between February and March. Identified internally as J714 and J716, these new machines are expected to retain the current chassis design while swapping the internals for Apple's powerful M5 Pro and M5 Max chips.


Several indicators point to an imminent release. Supplies of the current 14-inch and 16-inch models have tightened significantly on Apple's online store, with delivery dates now pushing deep into February and March. Gurman reports that the new units have already been staged in shipping warehouses globally, meaning the hardware is effectively finished and waiting for the green light.

This launch would complete the transition Apple began in October with the debut of the base model M5 MacBook Pro. While that machine brought the new architecture to the entry-level price point, professional users have been waiting for the higher-core-count variants. Supply chain leaks had correctly predicted this staggered release strategy, forecasting that the high-performance silicon would arrive in early 2026.

Laptops aren't the only hardware facing shortages. Apple's entry-level Studio Display is also becoming difficult to find in stores and online, though a replacement doesn't appear to be imminent. While a successor is in development, it reportedly isn't slated to ship until later in the first half of the year. When it does arrive, previous reports suggest it could finally modernize the external monitor lineup by adding ProMotion support and Mini-LED backlighting.

As for the consumer lineup, the M4 MacBook Air remains readily available, but its days are numbered as well. Gurman notes that an M5 update for Apple's most popular laptop is "not far off," signaling that the entire portable Mac family will soon be running on the same processor generation.


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