Why You Shouldn't Buy a MacBook Pro Right Now

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Speaking as someone who almost pulled the trigger on one this weekend, if you're planning on buying a new MacBook Pro right now, don't do it. According to inside information seen by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, new models are right around the corner. The news came in the latest edition of Gurman's Power On newsletter, a frequent and usually correct source on all things Apple. According to the reporter's sources at the company, new models of MacBook Pro are currently set to come out sometime during the macOS 26.3 release cycle, which will last from February through March.

The new laptops will supposedly keep the same form factor, but will feature newer chips, likely the M5 Pro and M5 Max. That means more performance for power users. Currently, you can only buy a MacBook Pro with either an entry-level M5 chip, and if you want a little bit more power, you'll have to settle for either the M4 Pro or M4 Max, both of which are last gen. Also, the base M5 chip is not available on the 16-inch MacBook Pro, although that's unlikely to change in the new release.

If Gurman's sources are correct, the new MacBooks would be coming out a bit earlier in the year than you might expect, at least going by the last time the MacBook Pro got pro-level chips, which was in October of 2024. However, if you try to buy a MacBook Pro with an M4 Max chip on Apple's website right now, you'll notice shipping delays into the end of February and, in some cases, early March. Gurman also says that his sources are also reporting that the current MacBook Pro is starting to sell out at Apple Stores around the world. Both of these points seem to show that Apple isn't bothering to restock dwindling inventory anymore, which would hint towards a new launch being imminent.

That's great news for Apple power users who want to eke a bit more performance out of their machines, but I'm a little disappointed that there's no mention of OLED or touchscreens in this report, both of which were rumored to potentially start production this year. Still, even going by those earlier rumors, the start of 2026 would be an optimistic timetable for these features—we might expect them closer to either the end of year or early next year.

Apple users might be concerned about the new models releasing during the ongoing RAM crisis, which could theoretically see prices go up. However, according to a separate report from other famed Apple leaker Ming-Chi Kuo, it seems the company is planning to eat rising RAM costs itself rather than pass them on to consumers, at least for its next iPhone. I can't say whether that'll also be the case for the next MacBook, but as Apple will likely stop selling the previous models once the new ones are out, it seems likely to me.

Speaking of previous models, even if you don't necessarily need Apple's latest and greatest chips, I would still hold off on buying until the new models are announced. That's because existing M4 Pro and M4 Max units that are already in stock at sites like Amazon are likely to go down in price immediately afterwards. According to price-tracking sites, these seem to have been unaffected by the RAM crisis so far, and are favorite discounts during deals events like Prime Day. No longer being the latest and greatest means discounts are likely to become even more common, as these stores push to move their remaining stock and give customers a compelling reason to not opt for Apple's slightly newer chips instead.

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