The immediate successor of the M4, the M5, could arrive much sooner than expected, and where it was assumed that Apple would outfit this chipset in its upcoming family of Macs and iPad Pro models, it turns out these SoCs would serve another purpose. According to the latest report, the upcoming silicon will also be used in the technology giant’s AI servers, which will be manufactured in Houston as part of Apple’s investment push in the region, where it will inject $500 billion over a period of four years.
The facility in Houston will be made in collaboration with Foxconn, with the M5-powered AI server manufacturing hub expected to be completed by 2026
We previously reported that the M5 has already entered mass production, and it was scheduled to be found in a host of Macs, iPad Pro models, and the next-generation Apple Vision Pro. However, TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has come forward through a post on X, stating that at the earliest, the new Apple Silicon will be mass produced in the second half of 2025, with the possibility that the timeline is delayed to 2026.
There could be some ambiguity in his statement, and it could suggest the timeframe at which the M5 will be found in the AI servers manufactured in Houston. Unfortunately, since there are two conflicting estimated schedules, we have to wait for more updates on this matter. As for the facility, Apple is said to be working with Foxconn to construct a 250,000-square-foot factory intended to manufacture AI servers that would house the M5.
Apple在美國Houston於2026年開張的新工廠將生產配備M5高階處理器的AI伺服器。
Apple於2025年2月24日公告，預計未來四年將在美國花費超過5,000億美元。當中提到2026年將會在Houston開設新的工廠，生產用於Apple Intelligence Private Cloud Compute (PCC) 的AI伺服器。
我先前關於Apple… https://t.co/HYWJCs8L3n
— 郭明錤 (Ming-Chi Kuo) (@mingchikuo) February 24, 2025
It is likely that the new SoC will leverage TSMC’s third-generation 3nm process, or ‘N3P,’ obtaining a small but meaningful efficiency and performance improvement. This means that not only will the AI servers use less power when processing prompts, but these prompts can be done quicker thanks to the improved capabilities of the M5. Kuo also stated last year that Apple’s Private Cloud Compute infrastructure would include the more powerful M5 Pro and M5 Max. Even though we have yet to see the M4 Ultra in action, the analyst believes that the M5 Ultra will enter production in 2026.
News Source: Ming-Chi Kuo
About the author: Omar Sohail is a reporter and analyst for Wccftech's mobile section, specializing in the technology and business of the mobile industry. His expertise lies in the intricate hardware supply chain, covering developments in semiconductor manufacturing, chip lithography, and camera sensor technology.
Follow Wccftech on Google to get more of our news coverage in your feeds.
