Apple Might Be Days Or Even Hours Away From Launching The M5 Pro And M5 Max MacBook Pro Devices As Two Tantalizing Signs Lead The Way Rohail Saleem • at Add on Google Could Apple's M5 Pro and M5 Max MacBook Pro sales suffer because customers will wait for a significantly better model later this year? Apple appears to be on the cusp of launching its first major products of the new year, namely, the M5 Pro and M5 Max MacBook Pro devices, as two tantalizing signs beef up our confidence in this upbeat projection. Sign #1: The macOS 26.3 RC update and the connection to the M5 Pro and M5 Max MacBook Pro devices Xcode 26.3 RC is here! Hopefully we get the rest of the software RC's soon.If they come today/tomorrow, this could be a huge hint at M5 Pro/Max MacBook Pros being announced tomorrow.In Jan 2023, macOS 13.2 RC was released one day after M2 Pro/Max MacBook Pros were announced. Vadim Yuryev (@VadimYuryev) February 3, 2026 Apple has just launched the 26.3 release candidate (RC) build for Xcode, allowing users to leverage OpenAI's Codex and Anthropic's Claude Agent natively for coding-related tasks. Related Story Apple Researchers Figure Out A Way To Unlock Faster, More Natural-Sounding Conversations With SiriSo, why is this development a harbinger of sorts? Well, this suggests that the rest of the macOS 26.3 RC build might roll out soon. And, according to the prolific tipster, Mark Gurman, Apple will debut the M5 Pro and M5 Max chips with the new MacBook Pro models, which are expected to launch within the ongoing macOS 26.3 update cycle. Also, back in January 2023, Apple released the M2 Pro and M2 Max MacBook Pro models just a day before launching the macOS 12.3 RC build. So, clearly, there is some sort of a correlation, albeit anecdotal, between a given RC build and the launch of new MacBook Pro models. Sign #2: Depleting inventories In yet another sign, as per the testimonies of third-party Apple retailers, the inventory of the current-gen MacBook Pro devices has now become chronically depleted. Do note that Apple typically coordinates the inventory levels of its devices with third-party retailers, especially before a major product launch. As such, given the chronically low inventories at the moment, it stands to reason that Apple will push out the M5 Pro and M5 Max MacBook Pro devices quite soon. Follow on Google to get more of our news coverage in your feeds. Further Reading Apple’s Latest Smartphone Market Share Statistics In The U.S. For Q4 2025 Shows It Is Impossible For Rivals To Compete; Even Samsung Is Experiencing Growth Problems Apple’s New Packaging Tech For M5 Pro And M5 Max Chips Hinted Within The Revamped Mac Configurator Apple’s M6 Not Moving To TSMC’s Newer 2nm N2P Process, As Company Likely Wants To Focus On Architectural Upgrades Than Newer Manufacturing Processes Apple Reportedly Exploring An ‘iPhone Flip’ With A Clamshell Design, With The Company Hoping That The iPhone Fold Can Generate ‘Real Demand’ So It Can Pursue This Form Factor Read all on Apple Might Be Days Or Even Hours Away From Launching The M5 Pro And M5 Max MacBook Pro Devices As Two Tantalizing Signs Lead The Way
