Apple’s first touchscreen MacBook won’t wait for the M7 chip generation after all. According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, the new laptop will launch with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips instead, hitting shelves between late 2026 and early 2027.
The M7 confusion stems from Apple’s decision to skip the high-end M6 generation entirely. Gurman previously reported that Apple is bypassing M6 Pro and M6 Max chips in favor of jumping straight to M7. But the touchscreen MacBook apparently isn’t waiting for that transition.
Instead, it gets the existing M5 Pro and M5 Max — powerful chips, certainly, but not the latest generation by launch time. It’s a pragmatic move. The touchscreen display, Dynamic Island interface, OLED screen, and updated industrial design are already enough new hardware to validate. Swapping in a brand-new chip architecture on top of all that would complicate things.
For those who want the latest silicon, the M7 versions are reportedly already in advanced testing and could arrive by the end of 2027. Apple is expected to introduce the base M7 chip in early 2027, with M7 Pro and Max following a few months later. An M7 Ultra could land in 2028.
There’s still no official confirmation from Apple on any of this. But Gurman’s track record on Apple hardware leaks is strong. If the timeline holds, we’re looking at roughly six months until the biggest MacBook redesign in years.
