Apple appears to be on the cusp of launching its first major products of the new year, namely, the M5 Pro and M5 Max MacBook Pro devices, as two tantalizing signs beef up our confidence in this upbeat projection.
Sign #1: The macOS 26.3 RC update and the connection to the M5 Pro and M5 Max MacBook Pro devices
Apple has just launched the 26.3 release candidate (RC) build for Xcode, allowing users to leverage OpenAI's Codex and Anthropic's Claude Agent natively for coding-related tasks.
So, why is this development a harbinger of sorts? Well, this suggests that the rest of the macOS 26.3 RC build might roll out soon. And, according to the prolific tipster, Mark Gurman, Apple will debut the M5 Pro and M5 Max chips with the new MacBook Pro models, which are expected to launch within the ongoing macOS 26.3 update cycle.
Also, back in January 2023, Apple released the M2 Pro and M2 Max MacBook Pro models just a day before launching the macOS 12.3 RC build. So, clearly, there is some sort of a correlation, albeit anecdotal, between a given RC build and the launch of new MacBook Pro models.
Sign #2: Depleting inventories
In yet another sign, as per the testimonies of third-party Apple retailers, the inventory of the current-gen MacBook Pro devices has now become chronically depleted.
Do note that Apple typically coordinates the inventory levels of its devices with third-party retailers, especially before a major product launch. As such, given the chronically low inventories at the moment, it stands to reason that Apple will push out the M5 Pro and M5 Max MacBook Pro devices quite soon.
About the author: Writing is my one incontrovertible passion. Over the past six years, he has authored over 2,200 distinct articles on financial and tech-related topics, spanning nearly 1 million words. And he has been a member of Wcctech mobile team since 2025. As an alumnus of the University of Toronto, Rotman Commerce Program, I bring nuance, in-depth knowledge, and a unique perspective to every topic that I cover. When I'm not writing, I'm traveling the world, exploring hidden confectionaries and restaurants as an aspiring food connoisseur.
Follow Wccftech on Google to get more of our news coverage in your feeds.
