Everything to know about Apple's new MacBooks: M5 chips, specs, pricing
Apple releases new MacBooks with M5 chips, doubled storage amid softening PC market
March 04, 2026
Apple resumed its March product rollout on Tuesday, February 3 with new versions of its MacBook Air and MacBook Pro models with new M5-series processors.
The new models have a massive performance boost, doubled base storage, and updated prices as the company focuses on reviving the demands in a weakening PC market.
New MacBook Air
Apple’s best-selling laptop receives its biggest update since the M4 generation, wherein the M5 chip is the new standard in both display sizes.
The MacBook Air is available in both sizes i.e., 13-inch and 15-inch models, including a new N1 wireless chip by the company. The chip offers improved Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connections.
Both models feature Apple’s Centre Stage webcam, which automatically keeps users in the centre of a video call and provides up to 18 hours of battery life.
Memory starts at 16GB with an option of upgrading to 32GB.
Key specifications are
| Feature | Details |
| Display Sizes | 13.6-inch and 15.3-inch liquid retina display with 500 nits of brightness supporting 1 billion colours |
| Processor | Apple M5 chip |
| Base Storage | 512 GB |
| Memory | 16GB standard, upgradable to 32 GB |
| Battery Life | Up to 18 hours |
| Camera | 12 MP Center Stage Webcam |
| Connectivity | New N1 wireless chip with better Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connection, Two thunderbolt 4 ports |
| Colors | Sky blue, midnight, starlight, silver |
| 12-inch MacBook Air Price | $1,099 |
| 15-inch MacBook Air Price | $1,299 |
M5 Pro and M5 Max chips
The new “Fusion Architecture” introduced by Apple M5 Pro and M5 Max Chips, combines two third-generation 3 nanometre dies into one system-on-a-chip, which allows high bandwidth and low latency performance.
They both have an 18-core processor with 6 high-speed super cores and 12 performance cores that are efficiency oriented, and are up to 30 percent faster on multithreaded performance than the 4-core (M4 Pro) and up to 2.5 times faster than the 1-core (M1 Pro and M1 Max).
The M5 Pro has a maximum of 20 cores of graphics capacity and the M5 Max a maximum of 40 cores.
Every core in the GPUs contains a Neural Accelerator, which provides more than four times the peak AI compute of the previous generation.
Third-generation ray tracing and hardware-based mesh shading also make graphics performance up to 20 per cent faster than the previous generation. Memory is being scaled up to 64GB (307GB/s bandwidth on M5 Pro) and 128GB (614GB/s) on M5 Max, improving AI and 3D processes.
MacBook Pros with 14-inch and 16-inch screens have either M5, M5 Pro or M5 Max processors, and greater base storage in all models. Prices range from $1,699 to $7,349. It has Liquid Retina XDR displays, Thunderbolt 5, better media engines, enhanced Neural Engine performance and inbuilt memory safety features. The lineup will be available in March 2026 focusing on everyday users and the high-end professionals.
Key specifications are:
| Category | Specification | 14-inch MacBook Pro | 16-inch MacBook Pro |
| Processor | M5 Chip | starts at $1,699 | - |
| M5 Pro Chip | starts at $2,199 | starts at $2,699 | |
| M5 Max Chip | starts at $3,599 | starts at $3,899 | |
| CPU | Architecture | Apple Fusion Architecture | Apple Fusion Architecture |
| CPU Cores (M5 Pro/ Max) | Up-to-18 core (6 super core +12 performance cores) | Up-to-18 core (6 super core +12 performance cores) | |
| M5 Pro GPU Cores | Up to 20-core | Up to 20-core | |
| M5 mAX GPU Cores | Up to 40-core | Up to 40-core | |
| Neural Engine | Cores | 16-core with higher bandwidth memory connection | 16-core with higher bandwidth memory connection |
| AI features | Neural accelerator in each GPU core | Neural accelerator in each GPU core | |
| Memory | M5 Pro Max | Up to 64GB | Up to 64GB |
| M5 Max | Up to 128GB | Up to 128GB | |
| Storage | M5 base storage | 1TB | - |
| M5 Pro base storage | 1TB | 1TB | |
| M5 Max base storage | 2TB | 2TB | |
| SSD Read/ Write speed | Up to 14.56 GB/s | Up to 14.56 GB/s | |
| Display | Type | Liquid retina | Liquid retina |
| Resolution | 3024 x 1964 | 3456 x 2234 | |
| SDR Brightness | Up to 1000 nits | Up to 1000 nits | |
| Battery | Battery life | Up to 22 hours | Up to 24 hours |
| Fast charging | 50% in 30 minutes (96W+ adapter) | 50% in 30 minutes (140W adapter) | |
| Camera | 12MP Center Stage with desk view | 12MP Center Stage with desk view | |
| Microphones | Studio quality three-mic array | Studio quality three-mic array | |
| Speakers | Six speaker sound system with force-cancelling woofers | Six speaker sound system with force-cancelling woofers | |
| Dimensions | Height | 1.55 cm (0.61 inch) | 1.68 cm (0.66 inch) |
| Width | 31.26 cm (!2.31 inches) | 35.57 cm (14.01 inches) | |
| Weight (M5 Pro) | 1.61 kg | 2.16 kg | |
| Weight (M5 Max) | 1.63 kg | 2.18 kg |
Which one should you buy?
For students and everyday users, the optimal option is the MacBook Air with M5 in either the 13-inch or 15-inch offering. On the other hand, creative professionals and STEM students should get a 14-inch MacBook Pro due to its improved processing power and graphics capabilities. A 16-inch MacBook Pro with M5 Max in its highest configuration is most suitable for 3D animators, AI researchers, and developers.
