The M5 MacBook Pro has just been announced, and just like the past few generations, it's more of an internal speed bump than a dramatic overhaul to one of the best MacBooks you can buy.
Bear in mind that we're only seeing the standard M5 chip. We'll have to wait for M5 Pro and M5 Max, which will come later down the line.
Just like the M4 MacBook Pro, we're seeing similar specs for the laptop itself — same webcam, same great (but optional) nano-texture glass for minimizing reflectivity and the same port array packed into that same utilitarian design.
But the real boost comes from M5. And you're getting these iterative updates for the same starting price of $1,599. Pre-orders open today (October 15th), and the official launch date is set for October 22nd.
M5 MacBook Pro specs
The M5 MacBook Pro boasts a spec bump in a couple of key areas. Here's how it compares to the M4 MacBook Pro.
MacBook Pro M5: What's new?
The two big updates here are simple. Apple's M5 chip, manufactured using an advanced 3nm process for zippier speeds and better stamina, alongside a big boost in graphics and faster SSD read/write speeds.
This is sure to help speed up intense 4K rendering tasks and AAA gaming — especially with an expected upgrade of 20% faster multithreaded performance over M4's CPU, 1.6x faster GPU, and 3.5x faster AI. Topping all this off is a whopping 24-hour battery life!
Beyond these, you're still getting that same great Liquid Retina XDR display, tactile keyboard and massive haptic trackpad, a 12MP Center Stage camera for impressive webcam clarity, Thunderbolt galore alongside SD card reader and HDMI, and the same flat design that is still a stunner (even though it's getting a little old now).
To those who were waiting for M5 Pro and M5 Max, it looks like this MacBook Pro launch will happen in stages. But as I found when daily driving the base MacBook Pro, for most folks, this is more than enough performance.
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