Supplies of the 14-inch M4 MacBook Pro model appear to be constrained amid rumors that an upgraded M5 model could launch as soon as this year.
As noted by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, custom configurations of the M4 MacBook Pro model have a delayed shipping date and will not be delivered to customers until October 23 to 28. The restricted supply could be an indication that Apple is planning to launch a new M5 model at some point in October.
Custom configurations of 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with M4 Pro and M4 Max chips have more standard delivery dates ranging from October 15 to October 20 with express delivery available. Custom configurations of the 14-inch MacBook Pro have a notable delay in comparison, with no express shipping option.
It is possible that Apple is planning to refresh the 14-inch MacBook Pro with an M5 chip, while waiting until early 2026 to introduce 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with higher-end M5 Pro and M5 Max chips.
Last week, the FCC leaked several upcoming devices, including a single MacBook Pro model. The leak was unusual because the FCC only included a single MacBook Pro model number, but usually there are multiple model numbers for different size and chip options.
The single model listed in the FCC's documents makes sense if Apple is splitting up the M5, M5 Pro, and M5 Max MacBook Pro launches.
Rumors about the M5 MacBook Pro have been confusing this year, which could be explained by a staggered launch. At the beginning of 2025, Gurman said that M5 MacBook Pro models would come out before the end of the year. In July 2025, Gurman said that Apple instead planned to launch new MacBook Pro models in early 2026, having decided to push back their debut. Just last weekend, Gurman changed his prediction and said that new MacBook Pro models would be released at some point between late 2025 and early 2026.
In August, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo suggested that high-end M5 chips would not be introduced in MacBook Pro models until 2026, but he didn't mention the base M5 chip.
If Apple introduces the M5 MacBook Pro in October and then waits until spring 2026 to introduce MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, it might not be good news for those 2026 OLED MacBook Pro rumors. For the last couple of years, rumors have suggested that Apple will introduce an upgraded OLED MacBook Pro in late 2026. It is unusual to have two MacBook Pro refreshes in a single year, but not unheard of. The MacBook Pro was updated with M2 Pro and M2 Max chips in January 2023, and then M3 Pro and M3 Max chips in October 2023.
An early 2026 launch for the M5 Pro and M5 Max MacBook Pro models could mean that the OLED MacBook Pro models aren't coming in 2026 after all, with Apple to hold them until 2027. Of course, it's also possible that the FCC's documents were incomplete, and Apple does have plans to introduce the M5, M5 Pro, and M5 Max all at the same time. Here are the scenarios we could see:
- Apple launches the 14-inch M5 MacBook Pro in October. M5 Pro and M5 Max models come out in the spring. No OLED MacBook Pro launches in 2026.
- Apple launches the 14-inch M5 MacBook Pro in October. M5 Pro and M5 Max models come out in the spring. OLED MacBook Pro models follow in the fall, with two MacBook launches in a single year.
- Apple launches just the 14-inch M5 MacBook Pro in October. M5 Pro and M5 Max models are held until late 2026 and are used in the OLED MacBook Pro.
- Apple launches the M5, M5 Pro, and M5 Max MacBook Pro models in October. M6 MacBook Pro models follow in late 2026 as rumored.
It's not unusual for Mac timing to be a little harder to pin down than iPhone timing because there are fewer machines being manufactured and less interest in design details from case makers and other parties. Apple also doesn't have a set time of the year for Mac refreshes, and there is variation from year to year.
At this point, it's unclear if we're going to get an October event. We're also expecting the M5 chip to come to the iPad Pro and the Vision Pro, plus rumors suggest Apple could update the Apple TV and the HomePod mini. If the M5 MacBook Pro launches, that's five new devices in the fall 2025 timeframe, but unfortunately, it's all just spec bumps. It doesn't look like any of the devices that are going to be refreshed in the coming months will have design changes, and in that situation, Apple often does launches with press releases.
The M5 chip confuses the situation. All of the next-number M-series chip upgrades have been announced at events, not through press releases. Apple unveiled the M1, M2, M3, and M4 at events. Some of the "upgrade" chips were introduced with a press release, like the M2 Pro and M2 Max, but never a main chip.
The M5 chip could be the first that Apple announces with a press release, or we could get a short October event like the 2023 "Scary Fast" Mac event. The October 2023 event included the M3, M3 Pro, and M3 Max chips in the MacBook Pro and iMac, and neither Mac got design updates.