Mac buyer's guide: buy now or wait?
How far each Mac is through its usual update cycle: the days since Apple last updated it against the average gap between its last few updates. Reports of what comes next are linked to whoever made them, as of October 19, 2026.
Buy now Mac mini
55days since update
Just updated: the next model is a long way off. Last updated August 25, 2026, Mac mini (M6 and M5 Pro); the last 4 updates came every 714 days on average.
Current: Mac mini (M6, 2026) · Mac mini (M5 Pro, 2026)
Buy now Mac Studio
55days since update
Just updated: the next model is a long way off. Last updated August 25, 2026, Mac Studio (M5 Max and M5 Ultra); the last 3 updates came every 544 days on average.
Current: Mac Studio (M5 Max, 2026) · Mac Studio (M5 Ultra, 2026)
Neutral MacBook Air
230days since update
Mid-cycle: fine to buy if you need one now. Last updated March 3, 2026, MacBook Air 13- and 15-inch (M5); the last 4 updates came every 485 days on average.
Next: A MacBook Air with the M6 chip in early 2027 - any time from February to April, most likely March - with the same design as the M5 model. (9to5Mac, 2026-09-30)
Current: MacBook Air 13-inch (M5, 2026) · MacBook Air 15-inch (M5, 2026)
Caution MacBook Pro
230days since update
Getting late in the cycle: an update may not be far off. Last updated March 3, 2026, MacBook Pro 14- and 16-inch (M5 Pro and M5 Max); the last 4 updates came every 285 days on average.
Next: MacBook Pro models with OLED displays and a 14-inch MacBook Pro with the M6 chip, expected to be announced around 27-28 October and released Friday, 6 November 2026. (MacRumors, citing Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, 2026-10-18)
Current: MacBook Pro 14-inch (M5, 2025) · MacBook Pro 14-inch (M5 Pro, 2026) · MacBook Pro 16-inch (M5 Pro, 2026) · MacBook Pro 14-inch (M5 Max, 2026) · MacBook Pro 16-inch (M5 Max, 2026)
Wait iMac
721days since update
Past the usual gap between updates: one is due. Last updated October 28, 2024, iMac 24-inch (M4); the last 4 updates came every 512 days on average.
Next: An iMac with the M6 chip, expected to be announced around 27-28 October and released Friday, 6 November 2026. (MacRumors, citing Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, 2026-10-18)
Current: iMac 24-inch (M4, 2024)
Buy now under 45% of the usual gap · Neutral to 75% · Caution to 100% · Wait past it
Release dates are Apple's announcements; the average is of the line's last four gaps. A guide, not a promise: Apple does not pre-announce.