Apple has a new MacBook Pro coming soon, here’s what we know
Apple announced new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models featuring the M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, with pre-orders starting March 4 and availability beginning March 11 in 33 countries, the company said. The updated laptops offer enhanced AI performance, expanded memory bandwidth, and a new wireless architecture, positioning them as Apple’s top-tier professional notebooks.
The new MacBook Pro models will be available for pre-order starting March 4 on Apple’s website and through the Apple Store app, with shipments and in-store availability beginning March 11 in 33 countries, including the United States, according to Apple’s official Newsroom release. The 14-inch and 16-inch laptops continue Apple’s tradition of offering professional-grade notebooks, now powered by the latest M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, which succeed the M4 Pro and M4 Max processors introduced in late 2024.
The new chips incorporate next-generation GPUs and a Neural Accelerator in each core, delivering up to four times the artificial intelligence performance compared to the previous generation and up to eight times compared to the original M1-based models, according to Apple’s announcement.
Apple highlighted a range of performance improvements with the M5 series, including a new CPU architecture that the company claims features “the world’s fastest CPU core.” Tom’s Guide reported that the M5 Pro can be configured with an 18-core CPU and up to a 20-core GPU, while the M5 Max supports up to a 40-core GPU, with the new processors offering roughly a 30% boost in CPU performance over the M4 generation.
Memory and storage configurations have also been expanded. The M5 Max supports unified memory bandwidth of up to 614 gigabytes per second and can be configured with up to 128 gigabytes of unified memory, according to Tom’s Guide. Storage options start at 1 terabyte of solid-state drive (SSD) capacity for M5 Pro models and 2 terabytes for M5 Max configurations. Apple claims the SSDs deliver up to twice the speed of the previous generation’s drives. Pricing for the new MacBook Pros begins at $2,199 for the 14-inch model and $2,699 for the 16-inch, with higher-end configurations, such as an 18-core CPU, 20-core GPU, 24 GB of RAM, and 1 TB SSD, priced at $2,999, while a top-tier M5 Max model with 18-core CPU, 32-core GPU, 36 GB RAM, and 2 TB SSD can reach $4,399, according to MacRumors.
The laptops retain the Liquid Retina XDR display with mini-LED backlighting and an optional nano-texture finish, maintaining brightness levels consistent with prior models. Color options remain space black and silver. The chassis continues to feature a large trackpad and a full-sized keyboard. Apple also emphasized battery life, stating the new MacBook Pro offers up to 24 hours of use, which the company describes as the longest ever in a MacBook Pro, a claim reiterated by multiple sources including Tom’s Guide and Apple’s Newsroom.
Connectivity has been upgraded with the inclusion of Thunderbolt 5 ports, which triple data transfer speeds compared to Thunderbolt 4, enabling faster connections to high-bandwidth peripherals, according to Tom’s Guide. Apple introduced a new wireless chip, dubbed N1, which supports Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6, designed to improve wireless performance and reliability. The laptops continue to feature a 12-megapixel Center Stage camera, studio-quality microphones, and a six-speaker sound system, as detailed in Apple’s official release.
The new MacBook Pros ship with macOS Tahoe, Apple’s latest operating system optimized for the M5 architecture and Apple’s AI capabilities, collectively branded as Apple Intelligence. This integration leverages the enhanced neural processing and memory bandwidth of the M5 chips to support on-device AI tasks, according to Apple’s Newsroom.
Industry analysts and media outlets note that Apple is postponing the next generation of MacBook Pro models based on the anticipated M6 chip due to global memory chip shortages. Sources including MacRumors and 9to5Mac report that the M5 Pro and M5 Max models will serve as Apple’s flagship professional notebooks into late 2026 or early 2027. A more significant redesign featuring OLED displays, touchscreens, Dynamic Island, and M6 processors is expected but may not arrive until early next year, according to 9to5Mac. This delay aligns with Apple’s recent pattern of annual MacBook Pro updates focused on advancing Apple Silicon performance and features, following the M4-based models released in late 2024.
