Is it finally time to upgrade from M1? Apple's MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR sure is tempting

After a long wait, Apple revealed the MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display, the first MacBook to feature a touchscreen. Powered by the M5 Pro or the M5 Max chip, these MacBooks are surely going to rank among the best laptops in no time.

Meanwhile, M1-based MacBooks are slowly slipping into irrelevance. The chip is now six years old. With each passing year, the upgrades get bigger and bigger, and now, Apple finally pulled out the big guns: it's not just raw performance you're getting. You're getting a whole different device.

Should M1 Pro MacBook Pro owners finally pull the trigger and upgrade? And are these OLED MacBooks really the best option? Let's find out.

How does the Apple M1 compare to newer chips?

The spec gap between the generations is now big enough that M1 owners should start thinking about upgrades. While the M5 Pro and the M5 Max are in a league of their own, even the base M6 offers a sizable upgrade over the M1.

Memory size grows exponentially, ranging from 32GB to 128GB compared to the M1's max of 64GB. Throw in a huge speed boost in memory bandwidth and it becomes a buffet of fast tranfers.

That extra memory matters more than ever, since running AI models locally eats RAM for breakfast. Even if you don't dabble in AI, 16GB RAM is pretty restrictive in 2026 (and beyond).

How much faster are the new Macs than the M1?

We've learned the specs, so let's put them into some perspective. Over the years, we've tested every single generation of MacBook, so we've amassed quite the database of benchmarks.

While the M6, found in the latest Mac mini, is technically the newest generation of Apple chips, the M5 Pro and the M5 Max are still the fastest in the more intense multi-tasking workloads, and they're the chips you'll find inside the new PROLEDs.

The scores speak for themselves. The base M6 already more than doubles the performance offered by the M1, and the M5 Pro and the M5 Max take it to another level. While the three chips are similar in single-core, the Pro and the Max pull far ahead in multi-core operations. The M5 Pro and the M5 Max score over 20,000 points more than the base M1.

You'll also see a comparison to the MacBook Neo, which doesn't even run on one of Apple's M chips—it uses the A18 Pro. The MacBook Neo, which we rank as the best budget laptop, actually beats the base M1 in both single-core and multi-core benchmarks.

Apart from the $699 MacBook Neo, every new model on this list doubles the performance of the M1, and that's at minimum, not at most.

Battery life: How long do the new MacBooks last?

M1 MacBooks were once the uncontested battery champions, but that was true when they first hit the market.

Now, years later, Apple has continued to perfect its proprietary chip technology with every generation, and that translates to more than performance gains: you also get better battery life.

In our web surfing test, the newer MacBook Pros last up to seven hours longer than their M1 equivalents, with the 16-inch M5 Pro reaching 21 hours and 25 minutes. We expect similar numbers from the OLED MacBook Pros once they're fully out (Apple claims 24 hours). But even if there's a slight drop in battery life, they should still outlast most of the M1 lineup.

If you're still on an M1 MacBook, remember that there's another catch: Apple's MacBook batteries are designed to keep up to 80% of their original capacity after 1,000 full charge cycles, so a five- or six-year-old M1 is likely lasting less today than it did at the beginning. Food for thought.

What your M1 MacBook still does well

As you can see, the numbers are decidedly not in M1's favor, but don't let it get to you. Many people still use M1 MacBooks with great success, so while the new OLED MacBooks are tempting, don't forget that your M1 laptop still makes sense.

Apple is still fully supporting M1 MacBooks, which have been updated to run macOS 27 Golden Gate. Apple's new Siri AI works on M1 too, so you're not locked out of the latest software by sticking to an older MacBook. These laptops are still good enough to handle browsing, video calls, and streaming, and the M1 Pro is still capable for its age.

The cracks start to show when you look closer. Some of macOS 27's newer AI features, like the custom Siri voice and improved dictation, need an M3 chip or later with at least 12GB of memory, so M1 is out. And if you have a base MacBook Air M1 with 8GB RAM, you've probably already felt it struggle during multitasking.

Is it time to upgrade from your M1? Upgrade options from $699 to $3,000+

When you're still using the M1, most MacBooks are an upgrade. Let's look at some options.

So, what should you choose? Obviously, the new OLED MacBooks are the most impressive option, but they're also really pricey, with pricing starting at $2,899 for the 14-inch model.

Pick based on your needs. If you mostly browse, stream, and do some light office work, the $699 MacBook Neo is the cheapest way out, as it's about 50% faster than the M1 Air in single-core tasks. Even after the price hike, it's fairly affordable.

For most M1 Air owners, the M5 MacBook Air is the safer bet. It starts at $1,299 after Apple's June price hike, but it doubles the M1 Air's multi-core performance and starts with 16GB of RAM.

The new OLED MacBook Pro finally marks a time when even M1 Pro and M1 Max owners should consider upgrading. The price point is steep, but with huge performance gains, a touchscreen, and a new OLED panel, you're getting a lot in return.

For most M1 owners, the time to upgrade has finally come, especially if you’re on a base M1 MacBook Air. If you're not happy with your old MacBook, there are plenty of options available to replace it.

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