In a week that saw millions of Windows users lose access to critical security updates and bug fixes, Apple has unwrapped its most powerful 14-inch MacBook Pro ever. The announcement arrived less than 24 hours after Apple Senior Vice President of Worldwide Marketing Greg Joswiak posted a teaser of the release of a new MacBook Pro, hinting that new products are "coming soon" from the secretive technology company.
And now we know exactly what the Californian brand had up its sleeve.
Apple has unveiled three new devices powered by its new M5 system-on-a-chip, including a refreshed Vision Pro, all-new iPad Pro lineup, and its latest generation of 14-inch MacBook Pro. From the outside, the MacBook Pro looks almost identical to last year, with the same aluminium unibody case, Liquid Retina XDR display, and six-speaker system. All of the change comes from the powerful new M5.
MacBook Pro arrives with 3x Thunderbolt 4 ports, 1x HDMI port, 1x SDXC card slot, headphone jack, and a MagSafe 3 port for quick charging
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Apple says MacBook Pro owners can expect 3.5x speedier performance in Artificial Intelligence (AI) tasks, and up to 1.6x faster graphics than the laptop it released just 12 months ago. If you're running local running large language models (LLMs) or looking to automate large chunks of your workflow, whether that's transcribing lecture notes or quickly analysing data in webAI, this could be a game-changer.
When compared to older models, like 13‑inch MacBook Pro with M1 — one of the first laptops released with a custom-designed Apple Silicon chipset instead of an off-the-shelf component from Intel — this new model delivers up to 6.8x faster 3D rendering in Blender, up to 7.7x faster AI video-enhancing performance in Topaz Video, and 2.1x faster build performance when compiling code in Xcode. Yikes.
The higher memory bandwidth in the new system-on-a-chip means your favourite macOS apps will launch faster than ever.
It's not just the custom-designed M5 that brings faster speeds. Apple has equipped its new 14-inch MacBook Pro with 2x faster SSD, which promises to slash waiting times when importing RAW image files or exporting large videos.
You can transcribe lecture notes, create storyboards using AI tools, or analyse data through local models in webAI with improved speed
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Thankfully, the speedier performance hasn't come at the expense of efficiency. Apple says its new 14-inch MacBook Pro can endure a full 24-hours of usage on a single charge. The device is built to maintain consistent performance, whether running on battery or connected to power, so you shouldn't see a dip in performance just because you're out on-the-road.
When it's finally time to refill the MacBook Pro, you can charge to 50% capacity in just 30 minutes using a 96W or higher USB-C adapter. Apple includes a 2m magnetic MagSafe 3 cable to USB-C in the box, but there's no wall plug, so you'll need to buy one of those separately.
Based on tests conducted by Apple, you can expect specific macOS apps like Topaz Video AI and Blender to run much faster than M4 models released just last year
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Discussing the new laptop, Apple Senior Vice President of Hardware Engineering, John Ternus said: "MacBook Pro continues to be the world’s best pro laptop, and today, the 14-inch MacBook Pro gets even better with the arrival of the M5 chip.
"M5 marks the next big leap in AI for the Mac and delivers a huge boost in graphics performance, accelerating demanding workflows for everyone from students to creatives, developers to business professionals, and more. With its amazing performance, extraordinary battery life, and unrivalled display, M5 takes the new 14-inch MacBook Pro to another level."
Elsewhere, the 14-inch MacBook Pro remains pretty similar to the model unveiled around this time last year. That means you'll find the same Liquid Retina XDR display with up to 1,600-nits peak HDR brightness and up to 1,000-nits of brightness for SDR content. These newer MacBook Pro models can drive up to two high-resolution external displays. You'll also have the option to upgrade to a nano-texture finish that cuts out distracting reflections on-screen when working outside or close to a window.
For video calls, you'll benefit from a 12MP Centre Stage camera for high-quality photos, as well as studio-quality microphones. The six-speaker audio system supports Spatial Audio for an immersive listening experience too.
Despite rumours swirling that the new MacBook Pro would ship in blue, that didn't happen. Available in the same Space Black and Silver colourways as last time around, the new 14-inch MacBook Pro with M5 is available to preorder today, with availability beginning Wednesday, October 22. Prices start from £1,599, which includes 16GB of RAM and 512GB of that speedier SSD storage.
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