Whether you are updating your old MacBook laptop or planning to buy your first Mac part of the decision of which model to buy should be based on timing. Before you part with your money you should check that the model you are buying isn’t about to be upgraded by Apple. There is nothing worse than buying a new MacBook Air only to see Apple update the models a month later. Luckily you are here reading this article so the chance of you making a mistake like that is slim (although you should check the date this article was last updated!)

In this article, we’ll tell you the best time to buy a MacBook, when to buy a Mac, at what time of year Apple usually updates its Macs, and whether an update is expected soon. We’ll also mention if there are any particular configurations to avoid.

We will run through each Mac and MacBook Apple currently sells and assess whether now is a good time to buy one based on educated guesses as to when the next one will launch. Sometimes if you wait a month or two you can get more for your money – provided Apple keeps its prices the same.

Before you make the decision of which Mac to buy you should also check out our Mac buying guide. Wondering which MacBook to buy, look at MacBook Pro vs MacBook Air. We also offer advice about how much storage, RAM and cores in How much MacBook RAM, SSD, GPU and CPU do you really need?

If you are reading this around Black Friday, read our advice in our guide to the Best Black Friday MacBook and Mac deals. And if you want to know what other Apple products are discounted read Best Black Friday Apple deals.

When will Apple launch new Macs?

There are a couple of things that can help when predicting when a new model might land. One is to be aware of when Apple last updated the range. The other is to note when Apple has previously announced updates to that range.

Apple updated the MacBook Pro with an M5 chip in October 2025. Prior to that the MacBook Air and Mac Studio gained an M4 in March 2025. The MacBook Pro update was only for the entry-level model, a move from M4 to M5. This means that the MacBook Pro M5 Pro and M5 Max are yet to launch. The M4 Pro and M4 Max MacBook Pro arrived in October 2024, as did the M4 Mac mini and iMac.

The next update is expected to come in spring 2026, with Apple expected to introduce the M5 Pro & Max MacBook Pro and M5 MacBook Air. The Mac Pro is also expected to get an update soon, as it is long overdue.

Take a look at our article about Apple Events and the new products expected from Apple to check that the outlook hasn’t changed since we last updated this article.

Most recent/current Mac launches:

• 14-inch MacBook Pro M5 – October 2025





• 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air M4 – March 2025





• Mac Studio, M4 Max and M3 Ultra – March 2025





• 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro, M4, M4 Pro and M4 Max – October 2024





• 24-inch iMac, M4 – October 2024





• Mac mini, M4 and M4 Pro – October 2024





• Mac Pro, M2 Ultra – June 2023

As for the times when a Mac launch is most likely. In the past, the most likely times to see Mac updates were: WWDC in June for professional Mac models (e.g. Mac Studio and Mac Pro) and October for consumer-focused Macs (e.g. MacBook Air and Mac mini). However, as you will see when you read on, this is not a rule that Apple abides by particularly, nor does Apple always launch new Macs at special events: it often just takes the Apple Store offline for a few hours and then when it returns new Mac models are available as it did in October 2025 and March 2025.

We expect that updates for the following Macs are likely to arrive in the next few months.

• MacBook Pro, M5 Pro & Max: The MacBook Pro is expected gain M5 Pro and M5 Max options in spring 2026.





• MacBook, M5: The MacBook Air is expected to gain the M5 chip in the spring of 2026.





• Mac Pro, M4 Ultra: Like the Mac Studio, we hope for a update to the Mac Pro before June 2026.





• Mac mini, M5/M5 Pro: Update possible in June 2026.





• iMac, M5: Update possible in June 2026.





• Mac Studio, M5 Max: Update possible in June 2026.





• iMac Pro: Apple discontinued the larger-screened 27-inch iMac when the Mac Studio was introduced, but there are rumors that it could make a comeback. Read about the new iMac Pro.

When can you get the best Mac deals?

If you are thinking of buying a new Mac and the last few months of the year are approaching, you should hold on to take advantage of deals season. From October onwards is when we tend to see the most deals, with everyone saving their best discounts for the weeks around Black Friday at the end of November. If you are wondering whether to wait until Black Friday itself or take advantage of an early deal that’s marked as being ‘early Black Friday’ or similar, our advice is to just go for it! In the past lots of retailers have started their Black Fridays sales a long time before the day itself and promised that prices won’t go any lower on Black Friday itself.

Apple never offers any discounts for Black Friday though. The company tends to offer vouchers with qualifying sales around Black Friday (read more about what Apple does for Black Friday). You might be able to get money off Apple products from another reseller, though. We see many resellers offering Black Friday deals on Apple products, so come back around Black Friday and check out the best. See our Best Black Friday deals on MacBooks and Macs.

But we don’t only see prices cut for Black Friday, we see deals on Apple products all year round – so don’t assume you can’t get money off a new Apple product when you need to buy one. Check out our round-ups of the best Apple deals:

• Best MacBook Air deals





• Best Mac Studio deals





• Best MacBook Pro deals





• Best Mac mini deals





• Best iMac deals

There are other ways to save money too:

• How to get an Apple student discount at Apple’s Education Store





• Apple Back to School deal





• Why you should buy a refurbished Mac





• Best place to buy a refurbished Mac





• How much can you save at Apple’s refurbished store?

Is it a good time to buy a Mac or MacBook?

Let’s take a look at each Mac and MacBook on the market and assess if you should consider buying it now. Check the date at the top of the article to see when we last