New MacBook Pro Release in March: M5 Pro and M5 Max Chips Expected!

The highly anticipated update to the high-end MacBook Pro models featuring M5 Pro and M5 Max chips is expected to launch three weeks after the release of macOS 26.3, which is set to be unveiled in the coming days. According to Mark Gurman from Bloomberg, Apple plans to introduce these models in the week of March 2.

Last week, Apple released the RC version of macOS 26.3, and it includes references to the new M5 generation chips, corroborating earlier rumors that suggested a debut with this specific version of macOS Tahoe before transitioning to macOS 26.4 around late March or early April. Initially, it was believed that the introduction would occur at the start of the cycle, especially as supplies of the M4 Pro and M4 Max models are dwindling at retailers.

Recent discoveries could indicate a potential surprise: Apple’s code snippets appear to align with the M5 Max and M5 Ultra chips, without a separate platform for the M5 Pro chip. Thanks to TSMC’s new SoIC modular technology, the M5 Pro and M5 Max chips could indeed be based on the same technical foundation, featuring separate production for the CPU and GPU and a three-dimensional assembly that enhances performance and energy efficiency compared to the UltraFusion technology. This could also lead to a better yield and hence lower cost. These advancements might enable the inclusion of an even more powerful Ultra chip for the first time on a MacBook Pro.

Introduced in the entry-level 14-inch MacBook Pro last October, the M5 chip already marked significant improvements with a 15% increase in raw power and substantial advancements in GPU performance due to the integration of a neural engine accelerator in each core: graphics performance is up to 1.6 times better and AI computations can be up to 3.5 times faster. More details on these features can be found in this article.

Besides these new chips, Apple is likely to incorporate SSDs with speeds twice as fast as those in the standard M5 model, though we should not expect more generous storage or RAM options, given the significant rise in component prices. A major unknown for this edition is whether it will include a cellular option for the first time on a Mac: a prototype of the M5-generation MacBook Pro equipped with the Apple C1 modem was spotted last August, but it’s possible that this significant feature may not arrive until the M6 generation redesign. Furthermore, the MacBook Pro M5 Pro and M5 Max will likely not include a charger within the European Union and the United Kingdom due to regulatory issues.

This revision of the MacBook Pro is expected to be the last one with the current design. Apple is reportedly preparing a new, thinner design centered around touch-sensitive OLED displays and the upcoming M6 Pro and M6 Max chips, which could be introduced by the end of this year, 2026. The 14-inch model featuring the M6 chip, however, is expected to retain the current chassis. More details about this upcoming redesign can be found in this article.