Though the rollout of Apple’s M4 chip is still ongoing, with the M4 MacBook Air anticipated to launch shortly, the M5 chip is set to make its debut this fall. Reports indicate that Apple will address a controversial decision made during the M4 rollout.
M5 chip will debut on the Mac rather than Apple’s new iPad Pro
Recently, Mark Gurman shared insights over the weekend about the initial devices expected to showcase Apple’s forthcoming M5 chip, highlighting a significant shift from the M4 strategy.
He states in Bloomberg:
The transition to the M5 chip will launch with new models of the MacBook Pro this fall. Following that, we should see an M5 iPad Pro released by early 2026. Essentially, the introduction of the M4 and M5 chips will swap their typical order, leading to the M5 arriving first on the Mac before it appears on the iPad Pro.
Back in May, Apple surprised customers by releasing the new M4 chip not in a Mac but in the latest iPad Pro.
It then took six full months for any Mac to be equipped with the new chip.
While many iPad Pro users were pleased to receive the latest chip before anyone else, it caused discontent among Mac users. This dissatisfaction likely stemmed from the extended delay before the first M4 Macs were available in November.
However, with the upcoming M5 series, Apple seems to be reverting to its previous strategy of prioritizing the Mac with new M-class chip releases. In this instance, with the launch of the new MacBook Pro.
As the original M5 device, the MacBook Pro will not only see the introduction of the standard M5 chip but also the M5 Pro and M5 Max, rolling out simultaneously, mirroring the release pattern of the M3 series in 2023.
Did you find Apple’s decision to give the M4 to the iPad Pro first problematic? Share your thoughts in the comments.
