M5 Pro and M5 Max MacBook Pro Launch Imminent as Reseller Stock Dwindles

Tuesday February 3, 2026 12:12 pm PST by Juli Clover

New M5 Pro and M5 Max MacBook Pro models are slated to launch in the near future, according to information shared with MacRumors by an Apple Premium Reseller.

The third-party Apple retailer said that ‌MacBook Pro‌ stock is very low currently because there is an imminent new product introduction. Apple typically coordinates supply with retail stores ahead of a new model launch to avoid leaving resellers with too many outdated machines.

Over the weekend, Bloomberg said that the new MacBook Pros are going to launch alongside macOS Tahoe 26.3 during the February/March timeframe, and we are getting closer to the software's release date. Today's Xcode 26.3 release candidate launch also suggests that a debut isn't far off.

It's atypical for Apple to introduce an Xcode release candidate without also providing iOS and macOS release candidates, and we haven't seen the iOS 26.3 or macOS 26.3 RCs yet. Holding back a macOS release candidate is sometimes an indication that the RC contains information that Apple doesn't want to leak. If the M5 Pro and M5 Max ‌MacBook Pro‌ models are going to come out alongside macOS Tahoe 26.3, it's possible that the ‌macOS Tahoe‌ 26.3 RC includes new model identifiers that would give away the upcoming launch.

Apple has most commonly held macOS release candidates for a few days to a week. Prior to when new M3 Macs came out in October 2023, for example, Apple provided the iOS 17.1 and accompanying Xcode release candidate on October 17, but held the macOS 14.1 release candidate. New Macs were introduced on October 23, and then the macOS 14.1 RC came out on October 24. Apple followed the same pattern ahead of the first M1 Macs in November 2020, and the M2 Mac mini in October 2022. In each case, Apple held the macOS RC while launching the iOS and Xcode RCs.

What's different in this situation is that we haven't seen the iOS 26.3 RC either, so the hold time is less clear. Apple could debut new ‌MacBook Pro‌ models as soon as tomorrow, then release both RCs. There's also a possibility we have to wait a week or two before new ‌MacBook Pro‌ models come out, especially if the RCs aren't quite ready to go and another beta update is planned.

It's not entirely clear why Apple released the Xcode 26.3 RC now instead of holding it, but it does include agentic coding tools that Apple worked with Anthropic and OpenAI to implement, so Apple may have committed to a specific schedule for the functionality.

All signs suggest that we're going to get the M5 Pro and M5 Max ‌MacBook Pro‌ models soon. Apple already released the standard 14-inch M5 ‌MacBook Pro‌, but higher-end 14-inch and 16-inch models have yet to be refreshed.

The reseller that spoke to MacRumors also said that HomePod mini supplies are drying up with many models sold out, but there is no official word on whether that's because of supply chain issues or because of an imminent update. ‌HomePod mini‌ stock has been dwindling since October 2025, so stock continuing to be low doesn't give us new information on the ‌HomePod mini‌ 2, unfortunately.

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