MacBook Pro models with more powerful M5 series chips could be right around the corner

A new Apple service aimed at creative professionals could signal the imminent arrival of M5 Pro and M5 Max MacBook Pros.

By Shikhar Mehrotra Published January 15, 2026

Rear view of lid on M4 MacBook Air. — Nadeem Sarwar / Digital Trends

Apple’s first big hardware launch of the year could be the new MacBook Pro(s), powered by the purported M5 Pro and the M5 Max chips. According to a Macworld report, the Cupertino giant could unveil the new MacBook Pro models with the Creator Studio.

For those catching up, Creator Studio is Apple’s latest service that bundles the company’s pro-grade creative apps, including Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro (along with four others), in a monthly subscription that costs $12.99. It will be available via the App Store from January 28, 2026.

Creator Studio could set the stage for the new MacBook Pro

The publication argues that the Creator Studio and the purported MacBook Pro models “have the same professional target audience.” Hence, the launch of the creative bundle service could be the perfect time to launch the new, more powerful MacBooks.

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I believe there’s more to this than just tying the two things together. For the M4 MacBook Pro lineup, Apple unveiled all the notebook and chip variants on October 30, 2024. The M4 MacBook Air then followed in March 2025.

However, in October 2025, the company released only the baseline 14-inch MacBook Pro with the M5 chip, without the M5 Pro or M5 Max variants. Both chips, along with their corresponding MacBook models (including the 14-inch and 16-inch variants), are due for launch.

Even otherwise, Apple has been rumored to launch the M5 Pro and M5 Max MacBook Pro models in early 2026. Connecting all the dots, January 28, 2026, is a plausible launch date after all. Interestingly, it’s also a Wednesday.

However, whether the announcement or the general availability date is clear isn’t immediately clear. Either way, keep an eye on the official X handles of the top-level Apple executives, as they could tease the launch of the new notebooks sometime before the launch.

Shikhar Mehrotra

News Writer

For more than five years, Shikhar has consistently simplified developments in the field of consumer tech and presented them…

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