Apple debuts beefed-up MacBook Pro with new M5 Pro, M5 Max chips

Source: Apple

Apple expanded its laptop lineup with the debut of the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro powered by the all-new M5 Pro and M5 Max chips. Externally, they look similar to their predecessors, while the internals received a massive overhaul centred on a new "Fusion Architecture." These chips feature an 18-core CPU with "super cores" that Apple claims are the fastest in the world, delivering a 30% boost in overall performance. Additionally, base storage has been doubled, with M5 Pro models now starting at 1TB and M5 Max models at 2TB.

One of its significant leaps arrives in the form of artificial intelligence processing and specialized hardware. Each GPU core now includes a Neural Accelerator, enabling M5 Pro and M5 Max to process LLM prompts up to four times faster than the previous generation. Professionals will also see a 50% increase in graphics performance and SSD speeds that are twice as fast as before, reaching up to 14.5GB/s.

Complementing this power is the new N1 wireless chip, which brings Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6 support to the MacBook Pro for the first time, to guarantee more reliable cross-device features like AirDrop and Personal Hotspot. Even with the power increase, efficiency remains a priority, with the 16-inch model promising up to 24 hours of battery life. The laptops also feature a Liquid Retina XDR display with a new nano-texture option, Thunderbolt 5 ports, and a 12MP Center Stage camera.

Available in Space Black and Silver, the new MacBook Pros are available for pre-order starting March 4, with official store availability beginning Wednesday, March 11. In Canada, pricing starts at $2,999 for the 14-inch M5 Pro and scales up to $5,399 for the base 16-inch M5 Max. These devices launch following the introduction of the new iPhone 17e and iPad Air.

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