Apple's M5 MacBook Pro lineup is shaping up to be one of the most anticipated tech launches of the year. Here is the twist: not all models are arriving at the same time. Recent reports suggest the base model could debut as early as this month, and power users might need to exercise some patience for the more advanced configurations.
Your decision hinges on timing, performance needs, and patience. If you are a power user and waiting for a more advanced Apple device, then you want to wait until 2026. If a project is looming and your current machine bogs down, the base model could be the right stopgap.
On price, there is a bit of good news. Apple is likely to maintain the current pricing structure of the M4 lineup, making sure that the transition to the M5 series remains accessible to a broad audience. That stability, plus launching the M5 is likely to result in price reductions for M4 models, offering more affordable options, gives buyers leverage.
It also matters where you are coming from. The M5 MacBook Pro is strategically positioned to appeal to users upgrading from older Intel-based or M1 models. If you are on a 2019 Intel or an original M1, the jump to M5 will feel dramatic. M3 and M4 owners face a tougher call, the gains are meaningful but may not justify a swap unless you hit specific bottlenecks in daily work.
There is a design wrinkle too. The M5 MacBook Pro is likely to retain the design introduced in 2021. In July, Mark Gurman reported that the M5 MacBook Pro series will be the last of this current design though. In other words, you are choosing between the final, refined version of today's look or waiting for the next big redesign.
What comes after M5?
The M5 generation looks like a bridge, the end of one design chapter and a setup for the next. While the M5 MacBook Pro is unlikely to feature OLED display technology, this innovation is widely anticipated in future models. The OLED version of MacBook Pro is not expected before late 2026 or early 2027.
Why wait for OLED at all? Expected to debut with the M6 generation around 2026-2027, OLED technology will deliver superior contrast, thinner designs, and improved energy efficiency. That sets up a classic choice. Catch the M5 Pro or Max in early 2026, or hold for the OLED redesign that could change the feel of the product entirely.
There could be bigger swings ahead. Much bigger changes are rumored for the next-generation MacBook Pro, with the M6 model possibly offering a touch screen and more. A touchscreen MacBook would be the boldest interface shift since the Touch Bar, and probably far more useful.
The schedule adds one more curveball. This scenario, which would see two MacBook Pro refreshes in a single year, could lead to the widely rumoured OLED MacBook Pro, which is long predicted for late 2026 launch, might be pushed back to a 2027 debut. Patience could pay off if you want the biggest leap, not just the next one.
Bottom line: The M5 MacBook Pro is a transitional product, bridging the gap between the current generation and the OLED redesign era. If you need speed this fall, the base M5 should deliver without a price shock. Power users can wait for early 2026 and the Pro or Max, or, if you crave the overhaul, hold out for the OLED MacBook Pro with M6 in 2027.
The beauty of Apple's staggered approach is that it gives different user segments clear decision points that match their priorities, immediate needs, maximum performance, or next-wave innovation. If it were my money, I would line up the purchase with a real deadline, not just FOMO, and pick the window that saves me the most time on the work I do every day.
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