The M5 Pro and M5 Max announcements wouldn’t have been complete without the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models, and Apple has proudly announced the updated family, with the lineup now starting with 1TB of storage as standard. The latest portable Macs also come with Apple’s in-house N1 wireless chip that debuted in the iPhone 17 series, and despite sticking with the same design, there are a ton of upgrades added to these machines, which we’ve discussed below.
Apple retains the same design for the M5 Pro and M5 Max MacBook Pro models, with the majority of upgrades happening on the inside
We have talked about the performance and efficiency uplifts delivered by the new chipsets, and if you want to compare the latest MacBook Pro range with the previous-generation lineup, the list is given below. Both 14-inch and 16-inch models feature the same Liquid Retina XDR mini-LED displays, which feature 1,600 nits of standard HDR brightness and up to 1,000 nits of SDR brightness. Just like before, there’s a nano-texture option available for those who want to pay extra.
For connectivity, the new MacBook Pro models come with three Thunderbolt 5 ports, an HDMI port that supports up to an 8K resolution, an SD card reader, and a MagSafe 3 charging connector. Those who want to increase their display workspace can connect up to two high-resolution external monitors to the M5 Pro MacBook Pro and up to four to the M5 Max. The N1 wireless chip is complemented by Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6.
Coming to the camera, all M5 Pro and M5 Max MacBook Pro models feature a 12MP Center Stage shooter with Desk View support. For audio clarity, studio-quality microphones are added, with Apple incorporating a six-speaker sound system with Spatial Audio to deliver the best possible experience for users.
M5 Pro MacBook Pro
- Up to 2x faster SSD, with read and write performance reaching 14.5GB/s
- Up to 24 hours of battery life
- Up to 270 percent faster than in AI image generation compared to M4 Pro
- Up to 290 percent in LLM prompt processing compared to M4 Pro
- Up to 40 percent faster in Maxon Redshift compared to M4 Pro
- Up to 60 percent faster gaming performance in Cyberpunk 2077 with ray tracing enabled compared to the M4 Pro
M5 Max MacBook Pro
- Up to 2x faster SSD, with read and write performance reaching 14.5GB/s
- Up to 24 hours of battery life
- Up to 280 percent faster than in AI image generation compared to M4 Pro
- Up to 300 percent faster in LLM prompt processing compared to M4 Max
- Up to 200 percent faster video effects rendering performance in Blackmagic DaVinci Resolve Studio compared to M4 Max
- Up to 250 percent faster AI video-enhancing performance in Topaz Video compared to M4 Max
The latest 14-inch M5 Pro MacBook Pro starts from $2,199 in the U.S. ($2,049 for students), whereas the 16-inch version starts from $2,699 ($2,499 for students). As for the 14-inch M5 Max variant, the starting price is $3,599 ($3,299 for students), whereas the 16-inch model will set you back from $3,899 ($3,599 for students). Apple hasn’t introduced any new paint jobs, with the Silver and Space Black finishes available as they were last time. Pre-orders begin tomorrow, March 4, with the official release on March 11.
About the author: Omar Sohail is a reporter and analyst for Wccftech's mobile section, specializing in the technology and business of the mobile industry. His expertise lies in the intricate hardware supply chain, covering developments in semiconductor manufacturing, chip lithography, and camera sensor technology.
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