Apple is set to begin mass production of its next-gen M series chips in the second half of 2025, which will be used in Macs and Apple Intelligence servers. This is the timeline analyst Ming-Chi Kuo shared, and he also suggested which high-end models with the M4 Ultra chip are expected next year.
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Apple’s M5 Chip Series Set for 2025 Launch with Improved Performance and New Design Approach
The new M5 chip will offer up to 30% improvement in computational and graphical performance over the M4 and will be fabricated using TSMC’s latest 3nm N3P process. Although it won’t be on a 2nm node, the M5 will be a more efficient chip, contributing to an increase in battery life in future MacBook Pro and MacBook Air models.
M5 chips should go into mass production in the second half of 2025, and MacBook Pro models could launch by October or November. The same M5 chip is also believed to be coming to the iPad Pro by late 2025. The M4, M4 Pro, and M4 Max MacBook Pro versions are set for October, and the M5 MacBook Air versions are due for early 2026. In late 2026, the arrival of the M5 Ultra will be seen.
The MacBook Pro, the iMac, and the Mac Mini will all be released in Q4 this year. Apple is changing things up. The MacBook Air will follow in March 2025 and the Mac Studio and Mac Pro with up to an Ultra will follow in mid-2025. Apple is also set to transition its current AI servers, based on the M2 Ultra in 2024, to the M4 Ultra in 2025, giving it faster processing in the cloud.
While Apple’s chips have generally taken the form of a system-on-a-chip (SoC) design, the M5 Pro, M5 Max, and M5 Ultra will reportedly have separate CPU and GPU designs. This change, enabled by TSMC’s SoIC-MH (System-on-Integrated-Chips-Molding-Horizontal) technology, will improve thermal performance, efficiency, and overall power management, allowing the chips to run at full capacity longer.
The N3P node is expected to be used for M5 series chips, with mass production of the M5, M5 Pro/Max and M5 Ultra set for the first half of 2025, the second half of 2025, and 2026, respectively. This shift may also impact Apple’s A-series chips, although such a change for the iPhone is less certain for 2025.
FAQs
When will Apple’s M5 chips be released?
The M5 chips are expected to enter mass production in the second half of 2025.
What new features will the M5 chip offer?
The M5 chip will have improved computational and graphical performance, with separate CPU and GPU designs
