For a company that thrives on repetitive timing, this shift suggests something is off in the temple of silicon.

According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Job’s Mob is “considering” the delay, which would leave its end-of-year hardware calendar looking unusually empty. The last MacBook Pro update came in October 2024, so expectations were set for a repeat performance in 2025. Instead, Apple is apparently holding off, with no official reason offered.

One plausible explanation is that M4 MacBook Pro sales have not lived up to expectations. Reports suggest the company is still trying to hit its shipment targets, likely hoping the upcoming holiday season gives M4 models a final push. It would not be the first time Apple stretched a product cycle to clear unsold inventory.

The timing shift means the gap between the M5 MacBook Pro and the expected M5 MacBook Air will shrink, which might not help either product. Buyers looking at a thin performance gap between the two could opt for the cheaper option, especially if Job’s Mob keeps pricing as ambitious as ever.

There is the matter of the rumoured OLED MacBook Pro, expected to appear sometime in 2025. It is unclear whether Apple will slot the M5 into that machine or wait for the M6.

Launching back-to-back generations of high-end Macs in quick succession would be a bold strategy, even for a company that charges extra for polishing cloths.

In the meantime, those in need of a MacBook Pro might be tempted by the current discounts. The base 14-inch M4 model is already down to $1,429 on Amazon, and the M4 Pro and M4 Max versions are also seeing significant price cuts.

Whether that is enough to move the needle before the M5 finally arrives is another question, particularly when there are better and cheaper PC models out there.