The leak supports previous claims that Apple is changing its processor designs to improve the speed of the M5 Max and M5 Pro, but also contradicts all previous reports about when the next MacBook Pro will be released.
Despite strong expectations that more MacBook Pro models will be released soon, one leaker suggests that these M5 Max and M5 Pro updates won’t arrive until March. Leaker Fixed Focus Digital has had mixed results, but has seen some success, such as naming the iPhone 16e.
This time, their leak concerns the use of SolC production by foundry TSMC. This is an advanced package design that means Apple is moving away from having both the CPU and GPU on the same chip.
Fixed Focus Digital says that these M5 versions are now expected to use this advanced packaging. Specifically, it’s supposed to help with heat dissipation and should also increase performance.
While the leak also states that these versions of the M5 will be released in March, it does not specifically say that they will be in the MacBook Pro. It’s possible they could be in the new Mac Pro or maybe Mac Studio.
But it will most likely be a MacBook Pro as the update is coming and these new processors will be the major upgrade. Also, previous reports about the advanced packaging design were related to the MacBook Pro.
So this leak is most likely about the MacBook Pro, and the question mark over it is only over the March release date.
The new models were recently expected to be launched during February and MacRumors reports that independent Apple retailers are running out of stock. However, AppleInsider research in this report, both after and before the report, shows mixed results, with no consistent decline in availability across the board.
The two-month delay for most models to configure to order at Apple’s online store is still about two months away. But that wasn’t a good sign because it was regularly two months from October 2025.
It has been reported that Apple is planning a second MacBook Pro refresh later in 2026 that would bring an OLED screen and an M6 processor. This is not expected until late 2026, but recent reports indicate that it is now approaching series production.
No other leaker has announced a March release date for the next MacBook Pro. But then Fixed Focus Digital is also one of the few people insisting that there will be an iPhone Air 2 in 2026.
It’s possible that this leaker has better sources for Apple’s plans than its rivals, but that has yet to be proven on a decent track record.