Mac updates coming in 2026
The first few months of 2026 are expected to be busy as Apple focuses on updating Macs with the next generation of M5 chips.
The M5 arrived alongside the MacBook Pro and iPad Pro in October 2025, so the wait is now on for the M5 Pro and M5 Max, which will lend itself to the MacBook Pro, Mac mini and Mac Studio. Hopefully, Apple will also get around to upgrading the Mac Pro, a long-awaited update. Here’s what to expect:
MacBook Pro M5 Pro and M5 Max
Foundry
After the entry-level M5 MacBook Pro launched in October 2025, higher-end models equipped with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips are expected to arrive in spring 2026. In October 2025, it was reported that the M5 Pro and Max chips were delayed until early 2026 due to a new design.
The M5 Pro and M5 Max chips are expected to be significant improvements over the M4 series, continuing Apple’s trend of improving performance by adding more cores and wider memory interfaces. While the base M5 chip already shows impressive gains, particularly in graphics and AI, the Pro and Max versions should push performance even further.
According to a report, Apple designed the M5 Pro and Max with separate CPU and GPU blocks. This could allow for greater user customization at the time of purchase, such as configuring a chip with a base CPU but maxed out GPU to better handle parallel processing for tasks like AI. Read more here: MacBook Pro M5 Pro and Max Rumors.
MacBook Air M5
The MacBook Air is also expected to get an M5 chip update in spring 2026, a year after the M4 MacBook Air arrives in March 2025. The M5 chip itself is expected to be an incremental but significant update over the M4, with a primary focus on improved AI and graphics performance. The MacBook Pro with the same M5 chip will likely outperform the MacBook Air due to the Pro’s inclusion of a fan for active cooling, something the fanless Air lacks.
Rumors suggest that the M5 update for the MacBook Air will primarily be a “chip upgrade”, with no major design changes expected. The current design, introduced in summer 2022, includes a MagSafe charging port and thinner bezels. Read more here: MacBook Air M5 Rumors.
Mac-mini
The next update for the Mac mini is expected to include the M5 and M5 Pro chips, with a possible release in June 2026. Feature-wise, there isn’t much specific information about the M5 Mac mini itself, but it’s not expected to be a major change from the current model, released in October 2024, and has introduced a significant redesign, shrinking the case to just 5 by 5 inches and upgrading the base RAM to 16GB. Read more here: Rumors about the Mac mini M5.
Simon Jary / Foundry
iMac
The current M4 iMac was released in October 2024, so an M5 update may seem timely and could be released in June 2026, alongside other potential M5 Mac updates.
The current iMac design was introduced in 2021 and is not expected to change anytime soon. It is still considered fresh and its components are not obsolete. However, some are calling for Apple to introduce a larger-screen iMac, which hasn’t been done since Apple discontinued the 27-inch model. Many feel that the 24-inch screen is too small. Check out the biggest iMac rumors.
Mac Studio
The current Mac Studio is available in two versions: the Mac Studio M4 Max and the Mac Studio M3 Ultra. The M3 Ultra is a faster chip than the M4 Max, but how much faster would an M4 Ultra, or even an M5 Ultra, be. Hopefully we won’t have to wait long to find out. Based on current information, Apple is expected to launch a new Mac Studio with an M5 series chip, probably in mid-2026. Read more here: M5 Mac Studio Rumors.
Mac Pro
The Mac Pro is long overdue for an update (it’s getting embarrassing now!)
Apple / Foundry / André Martin
While we’re talking about the M5, there’s one Mac that’s still waiting for an M4: the Mac Pro. In fact, the Mac Pro is still stuck with the M2 generation chipset that it acquired in June 2023.
Apple’s lack of attention to the Mac Pro and the fact that it introduced an update to the Mac Studio that makes that Mac more powerful than the Mac Pro has led to questions about whether there is a future for the Mac Pro, with some reports suggesting that Apple may abandon the high-end desktop. According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman in November 2025, Apple has “largely written off” its desktop tower, believing that the target audience is now properly served by the powerful Mac Studio. Check out Mac Pro rumors for more.
