While the release roadmap for the iPhone has remained pretty consistent for the last decade, Apple’s MacBook schedule is a little harder to predict. New models can pop up at WWDC in June, at one-off events throughout the year, or via a quiet press release on the Apple website.
But thanks to new leaks, and a touch of sleuthing from AppleInsider, we now have a pretty solid idea of what to expect from Apple on the Mac front through to the end of 2026 – with no less than fifteen(!) Macs allegedly on the roadmap. We’d better start making space in our roundup of the best laptops for graphic design.
M5 MacBook Pros are imminent (Image credit: Apple)
(Image credit: Apple)
AppleInsider has got hold of a full list of product identifier codes for upcoming Macs, which, thanks to the predictable pattern used for said codes, can fairly easily be attributed to future models.
Most of this isn’t particularly surprising. In 2025, apparently we can expect 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with M5 (and M5 Pro / Max) chips. Meanwhile, a new Mac Studio with the same chip looks set for release before the end of 2025.
Could a new low-cost MacBook see the return of a 12-inch model? (Image credit: Apple)
In 2026, we’re likely to get, surprise, surprise, MacBook Pros featuring M6 chips. The MacBook Air will likely get the M5 chip that year (it tends to lag behind the Pro), and an M5-equipped iMac and Mac mini is set to follow.
So far, so predictable. But there are a couple of surprises. A redesigned MacBook Pro is apparently in the works for the end of 2026, which could feature an OLED display and thinner and lighter chassis.
And then there’s one unattributed product code identifier, which is speculated to belong to a rumoured low-cost MacBook which could feature, instead of the M-series, the A18 chip from the iPhone. Could this be the 12-inch MacBook revival we’ve been waiting for?
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While news has been quiet on the MacBook front, this latest leak suggests Apple is planning to come out all guns blazing for its laptop line up over the next 12 months.