At least Apple doesn’t tease us for long. The American tech maker has unveiled its new M5 MacBook Pro models, set to go on sale internationally later this month. That wasn’t all Apple had in store — upgraded iPad Pro models, a revamped Vision Pro, and a few other bits and pieces were on the menu for its semi-stealth announcement.
There’s… a reason it hasn’t made a huge deal of its new high-end notebooks. Mainly, the MacBook Pro devices aren’t terribly different from the M4 models. Apple, being the marketing masters that they are, calls the unchanged parts “renowned features”.
Missable M5 MacBook Pro?
These features include “gorgeous Liquid Retina XDR display with a nano-texture option, a 12MP Center Stage camera, a six-speaker sound system, [and] a wide array of ports”, so if you are mostly keen on these bits and already have an M4 on your desk, you can stop reading now. But if the drawcard for you is enhanced AI capability, the M5 MacBook Pro might spark your interest.
As with its new iPad Pro models, and unsurprisingly, since they have the same chipset, buyers can expect “3.5x” the AI performance compared to the M4 Pros. Enhanced graphics performance, thanks to the addition of a Neural Accelerator (Apple loves its proper nouns) per GPU core, is possible, and the company also touts speedier SSD performance. Battery life, thanks to the M5’s efficiency upgrades, has been extended up to 24 hours.
Read More: The 2025 iPad Pro now packs an M5 chip and other, smaller upgrades
“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,” said Apple’s John Ternus.
Pricing for the new 14in M5 MacBook Pro model remains static in the States when it launches on 22 October. Should that carry over to South Africa, buyers can expect to pay from R36,000 for Apple’s latest powerhouse computer.
