March 31, 2025 – In a recent update to his “Power On” newsletter, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has revealed that the iPad Pro equipped with the M5 chip has entered its final testing phase and is scheduled for release this year. This iteration of the iPad Pro will be among the first devices to feature the next-generation M5 chip.
According to Gurman, the new iPad Pro models, identified as J817, J818, J820, and J821, are currently undergoing final internal testing at Apple and are expected to enter production in the latter half of this year. Additionally, Apple has already commenced development on an M6 variant equipped with an internal modem chip, with a projected release date of 2027.
Earlier this month, Apple rolled out updates for the iPad Air and the entry-level iPad, while the iPad mini received an update at the end of last year. In contrast, the iPad Pro was not part of this update cycle, as it was last refreshed in May of last year with a thinner design and the M4 chip. Apple views the iPad Air as a crucial driver for sales in this product category and achieved double-digit revenue growth during the holiday season. Moreover, updates for the low-end iPad, focused on “chip and ship” improvements primarily enhancing processor performance, are also in the pipeline.
Sources indicate that a MacBook Pro variant with the M5 chip will be introduced later this year, following a similar timeline to the release of the M4 processor in 2024 and the M3 processor in 2023. Concurrently, an M5 version of the MacBook Air is also under development. Regarding significant new Mac designs, Gurman predicts that the MacBook Pro will not undergo a redesign until 2026.
