Rumor mill: Apple may have completed its M4-series product updates in October, but mass production of its highly anticipated M5 processor is already underway. This SoC is expected to power the next generation of Cupertino's desktops, laptops, and high-performance tablets. This news comes from the Korean news outlet ET News and should be viewed with some skepticism since much of it is based on an unofficial source. However, the account is detailed and, in many respects, aligns with previous rumors about the M5 chip.The processors will use TSMC's N3P fabrication process, which was slated for mass production in the second half of 2024. This third generation of the company's 3nm technology is expected to offer a 5 percent improvement in performance and 5-10 percent better power efficiency than the M4 chip's N3E process.N3P will use organic substrates featuring upgraded ABF films from Ajinomoto, which are expected to increase interconnection density and decrease SoC package thickness, potentially leading to improved performance and energy efficiency.The M5 family is projected to include several variants: the M5, M5 Pro, M5 Max, and M5 Ultra. The initial production run will focus on the base M5 model, with the more advanced variants following later. While Apple has not officially disclosed specifications, industry experts anticipate these chips will feature new general-purpose cores, revamped GPUs, improved NPUs, and possibly enhanced memory subsystems.Interestingly, the higher-tier variants are expected to employ TSMC's SoIC-mH (molding horizontal) technology. This 2.5D packaging technique allows for vertical stacking of chips, potentially separating the CPU and GPU components. Specifically, the base M5 is expected to maintain the integrated CPU and GPU design, while the M5 Pro might introduce the distinct CPU and GPU components. This approach could lead to improved thermal management and possibly larger, more powerful GPUs. // Related StoriesThe M5 generation is poised to bring significant performance improvements despite the lack of a major node shrink. The N3P manufacturing technology, an optical shrink of TSMC's N3E process, offers either a 4 percent performance boost at the same power level or a 9 percent power reduction at identical clock speeds. It also increases transistor density by 4 percent for mixed designs.Although mass production has reportedly begun, consumers shouldn't expect M5-powered products to hit the market immediately. The first devices featuring the M5 chip are not likely until late 2025 or early 2026.The first M5 chip is rumored to appear in the next-generation iPad Pro. Following Apple's typical release pattern, the MacBook Pro line is expected to be upgraded to the M5 chip next, followed by other products in the lineup.