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Наталя ХандусенкоGadgets
3 March 2026, 18:50
2026-03-03
Apple unveils M5-powered MacBook Pro Pro and Max, as well as first new monitors in a long time
In October, Apple updated the base MacBook Pro model with the Apple M5 chip, but the more powerful 14- and 16-inch Pro versions remained on the M4 Pro and M4 Max chips. Today, Apple completed the update of the line, adding the M5 Pro and M5 Max to the more expensive models and increasing the base storage capacity: now the versions with the M5 Pro have 1 TB of memory by default, and the models with the M5 Max - 2 TB. It is noted that the speed of the internal storage is "up to 2 times faster" than the previous generation Pro. Apple is also increasing the base storage capacity for the regular M5 MacBook Pro from 512 GB to 1 TB.
In October, Apple updated the base MacBook Pro model with the Apple M5 chip, but the more powerful 14- and 16-inch Pro versions remained on the M4 Pro and M4 Max chips. Today, Apple completed the update of the line, adding the M5 Pro and M5 Max to the more expensive models and increasing the base storage capacity: now the versions with the M5 Pro have 1 TB of memory by default, and the models with the M5 Max - 2 TB. It is noted that the speed of the internal storage is "up to 2 times faster" than the previous generation Pro. Apple is also increasing the base storage capacity for the regular M5 MacBook Pro from 512 GB to 1 TB.
M5-based MacBook Pro Pro and Max
However, these updates come with higher starting prices. The 14-inch MacBook Pro with the M5 Pro chip now starts at $2,199 instead of $1,999, and the 16-inch model starts at $2,699 instead of $2,499. The base MacBook Pro with the M5 now starts at $1,699 (up from $1,599). Sure, you get twice the storage than the old base models, but you're now stuck paying less unless you need 1TB of storage, Ars Technica reports .
The M5 Pro and M5 Max chips look like a pretty significant upgrade over the M4 Pro and M4 Max. Both feature an 18-core processor, consisting of six high-performance cores and 12 energy-efficient cores, but Apple is changing the terminology for each type of core. The performance cores are now called "super cores." Apple notes that this name will also retroactively apply to the performance cores in the base M5 chip. The regular M5 has four, while the M5 Pro and M5 Max have six.
Apple says the other 12 processor cores in the M5 Pro and M5 Max are “all-new performance cores optimized for higher power efficiency and multi-threaded performance for professional workloads.” These appear to be different from the efficiency cores used in the M5 and older Apple chips. The company didn’t provide direct performance comparisons with the previous generation (M4), but it did say that the M5 Pro and M5 Max “deliver up to 2.5x the multi-threaded performance of the M1 Pro and M1 Max.
While they share the same processor cores, the graphics processing unit (GPU) remains the main difference between the Pro and Max chips. The M5 Pro can have up to 20 GPU cores, which is twice as many as the base M5. The M5 Max supports up to 40 GPU cores. Both chips also have higher memory bandwidth than the M4 Pro and M4 Max (up to 307 GB/s for the M5 Pro and 614 GB/s for the M5 Max). Overall, these improvements should increase performance by about 20% compared to the M4-generation GPU with a similar number of cores.
The internal updates are rounded out by the Apple N1 wireless chip — the company switched to its own development to provide support for Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6.
The external design of the 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pros has not changed this year: they look almost the same as the models with the M1 Pro and M1 Max chips that came out half a decade ago.
Pre-orders for the new laptops open on March 4, and they will go on sale on March 11. The models are available in black ("Space Black") and silver colors.
New displays and the retirement of Pro Display XDR
In addition to the new MacBook Pros, Apple also introduced a pair of new displays — the first monitor refresh since the original Studio Display was released four years ago.
The Studio Display update is the less exciting of the two, as it doesn't touch the panel itself. It's still a 27-inch 5K IPS LCD screen, and it still costs $1,599. The changes are mostly minor; Apple says the 12-megapixel Center Stage camera has "improved image quality," likely due to the use of a newer chip instead of the Apple A13 in the first Studio Display. The Thunderbolt port has been upgraded to Thunderbolt 5, and the monitor now has one Thunderbolt input and one Thunderbolt output for connecting high-speed accessories. However, the 600-nit peak brightness, 60Hz refresh rate, and other specs remain pretty much the same as before.
The more expensive model of the display is more interesting, although it is not a full-fledged replacement for the discontinued Pro Display XDR. That screen was a 32-inch 6K monitor costing $5,000; the new Studio Display XDR is more of a “charged” version of the basic Studio Display.
The Studio Display XDR is still a 27-inch 5K display with a 12-megapixel Center Stage camera and a set of Thunderbolt 5 and USB-C ports. However, instead of regular LED, it uses mini-LED technology, supports Adaptive Sync, and has a 120Hz refresh rate (Apple for some reason doesn't use the ProMotion brand, even though it's the same rate as the MacBook Pro screens). The monitor supports up to 1,000 nits of peak brightness for SDR content and up to 2,000 nits for HDR. It also comes with a height-adjustable stand out of the box; for the regular Studio Display, that's a $400 upgrade, but here it comes standard.
These are all great upgrades, but the price tag might still put off many buyers: the Studio Display XDR starts at $3,299. Both the regular Studio Display and the XDR version are available with a matte nano-texture finish for an additional $300.
Like the new MacBook Pros, these displays will be available for pre-order on March 4th and will be available for general sale on March 11th.
