Highlights
- Apple may unveil new high-end MacBook Pro models on January 28.
- Reports suggest the announcement can coincide with the rollout of its Creator Studio subscription.
- The refresh could include the first-ever 16-inch MacBook Pro with the M5 chip, alongside updated 14-inch and 16-inch versions powered by M5 Pro and M5 Max processors.
Apple may have subtly hinted at the launch date for its next wave of high-end MacBook Pro models. Previously, it was widely expected to debut later this month. The upcoming lineup is tipped to include the first-ever 16-inch MacBook Pro powered by the M5 chip, along with refreshed 14-inch and 16-inch models featuring M5 Pro and M5 Max processors.
Earlier reports suggested that Apple would introduce these devices sometime in January. Now, Macworld’s Roman Loyola has speculated that the announcement could take place on January 28, coinciding with the launch of Apple’s newly announced Creator Studio subscription.
Loyola writes, “I’m purely speculating here, but Creator Suite and the MacBook Pro have the same professional target audience. In other words, MacBook users are users of the apps in the Creator Suite. It seems like a perfect marketing opportunity to tie them together […] To add more to the speculation: January 28 is a Wednesday, and Apple often releases new products on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. It seems to be an ideal setup.”
While Loyola clearly notes that this theory is speculative, the timing does appear plausible. Apple is set to roll out the Creator Studio bundle on January 28. Reports say pairing it with new MacBook Pro hardware aimed at creative professionals would align well with Apple’s usual marketing strategy.
First M5-Powered MacBook Pro
Apple introduced the first M5-powered MacBook Pro in October last year, positioning the chip as a major step forward in on-device artificial intelligence. At the time, however, only a single 14-inch MacBook Pro with the base M5 chip was announced, leaving the 16-inch model and higher-end configurations untouched.
That gap has fueled expectations that Apple will soon unveil upgraded MacBook Pro models including a 16-inch variant and configurations with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips. The January 28 timeline could finally mark their arrival.
Apple kicked off the M5 MacBook Pro generation in October with the 14-inch model featuring the base M5 chip. The company highlighted notable performance improvements, particularly in AI workloads.
Apple explained, “With M5, the 14-inch MacBook Pro gets even faster, more capable, and delivers a huge leap in AI performance. The M5 chip features a next-generation GPU with a Neural Accelerator in each core, delivering up to 3.5x the AI performance and up to 1.6x faster graphics than the previous generation. M5 also includes a faster and more efficient CPU, an enhanced Neural Engine, and higher memory bandwidth that accelerates everything from launching apps to running large language models (LLMs) on device.”
The currently available M5 MacBook Pro configuration comes with a 10-core CPU and a 10-core GPU across all variants. Buyers can choose between 16GB or 24GB of unified memory, along with 512GB or 1TB of SSD storage.
Apple is yet to update the 16-inch MacBook Pro or introduce M5 Pro and M5 Max options. Meanwhile, all eyes are now on January 28 to see if the company will finally complete the M5 MacBook Pro lineup.
FAQs
Q1. When is Apple rumoured to launch its new high-end MacBook Pro models?
Answer. Apple may announce the refreshed MacBook Pro lineup on January 28, coinciding with the launch of its Creator Studio subscription.
Q2. What new MacBook Pro configurations are expected?
Answer. The lineup is tipped to include the first-ever 16-inch MacBook Pro with the M5 chip, along with updated 14-inch and 16-inch models featuring M5 Pro and M5 Max processors.
Q3. What performance improvements does the M5 chip bring?
Answer. The M5 chip delivers up to 3.5x faster AI performance and 1.6x faster graphics compared to the previous generation, thanks to a next-gen GPU, enhanced Neural Engine, and higher memory bandwidth.