Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has provided insights into the production schedule for the upcoming M5 chip series, which is anticipated to be utilized in future Macs and Apple Intelligence servers. The mass production of these chips is expected to commence next year.
According to Kuo, the standard M5 chip is projected to enter mass production during the first half of 2025. Following that, he anticipates the M5 Pro and M5 Max chips will begin production in the latter half of the same year, with the M5 Ultra chip set for a 2026 rollout.
This timeline suggests that the launch of M5 Macs will follow a similar pattern to that of the M4 Macs. Specifically, Kuo believes that Apple will introduce the MacBook Pro lineup featuring M5 chips in October of next year.
The MacBook Air is expected to receive its M5 update in early 2026, while updates for the Mac Studio and Mac Pro are likely later in 2026 or into 2027. It remains uncertain if the iMac and Mac mini will see updates next year, as those models do not always receive annual upgrades.
The rollout of M4 Macs has followed a comparable trajectory, with updates for the MacBook Pro, iMac, and Mac mini launched in October. The MacBook Air is anticipated to undergo an update by the end of March.
Kuo also indicated that the M5 series chips will be manufactured using TSMC’s advanced third-generation 3nm process, known as N3P. This process is expected to yield significant performance and power efficiency enhancements over the M4 series chips.
Meanwhile, Apple Intelligence servers currently using the M2 Ultra chip are expected to transition to M4 chips next year, with future plans for high-end M5 chips optimized for artificial intelligence tasks.
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