Apple to Quietly Launch M5-Powered iPad Pro, MacBook Pro, and Vision Pro This Week
Apple is about to announce new products with the M5 chip. The iPad Pro, Vision Pro and the MacBook Pro basic model are to be presented this week – without a big Apple-typical event, but via an online presentation.
Apple announces M5 products
Apple is preparing to unveil several new devices with the M5 chip later this week. The iPad Pro, the Vision Pro and probably also the basic MacBook Pro will be equipped with Apple’s latest generation of processors. Unlike previous product launches, Apple is not planning a large keynote or long event, but will introduce the devices via press releases and possibly with short promotional videos.
The approach without an elaborate presentation shows that Apple sees these updates as evolutionary improvements. The Cupertino company has communicated minor product updates via press releases in the past, particularly when the changes primarily involve internal hardware upgrades. As Mark Gurman writes in Bloomberg’s Power On newsletter, both the iPad Pro and Vision Pro are already in mass production and close to launch.
M5 chip brings noticeable improvements
Initial benchmark tests show that the M5 chip offers up to twelve percent faster multi-core CPU performance and up to 36 percent better GPU performance compared to the M4 chip. The new processor retains the 9-core CPU architecture with three performance and six efficiency cores, but optimizes manufacturing technology and internal processes.
What this means for users is that video editing applications such as Final Cut Pro should run more smoothly, 3D rendering will noticeably speed up and demanding games will also benefit from the improved graphics performance. The biggest jump is particularly evident in GPU performance.
Vision Pro only receives minimal updates
The revised Vision Pro will mainly be characterized by the new M5 chip. Apart from an improved headband for longer wearing comfort, no major design or hardware changes are planned. The headset could additionally be offered in a Space Black color variant to differentiate itself from the current silver version. Wi-Fi support remains at Wi-Fi 6 and will not be expanded to Wi-Fi 6E or Wi-Fi 7. This is surprising, as newer standards would enable higher data rates for complex mixed reality applications. However, Apple seems to be focusing on processor performance to improve the performance of VR and AR applications.
MacBook Pro updates staggered
Apple is probably planning a staggered market launch for the MacBook Pro models. The basic MacBook Pro with M5 chip is scheduled to appear this week, while the higher-end models with M5 Pro and M5 Max will not follow until early 2026. This delayed release may explain the conflicting rumors between a late 2025 and early 2026 launch. The strategy makes sense from a technical perspective: the standard M5 chip is already production-ready, while the more complex Pro and Max variants with more CPU cores and expanded GPU units require additional development time. For Apple, this also means a more even distribution of product announcements throughout the year.
