Apple Launches M5 Pro and Max MacBook Pros Alongside New Display Monitors

Apple has unveiled its latest MacBook Pro models featuring the new M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, marking a significant update to its higher-end 14-inch and 16-inch laptops. These models now come with increased base storage, with the M5 Pro offering 1TB and the M5 Max providing 2TB, both boasting storage speeds up to twice as fast as their predecessors. However, these upgrades come with higher starting prices; the 14-inch MacBook Pro with an M5 Pro chip now starts at $2,199, while the 16-inch model begins at $2,699. The standard M5 MacBook Pro also sees a price increase, now starting at $1,699.

The M5 Pro and M5 Max chips represent a substantial upgrade from the previous M4 series. Both chips utilize an 18-core CPU, with six high-performance "super cores" and 12 newly optimized performance cores designed for power-efficient, multithreaded tasks. Apple claims these chips deliver up to 2.5 times higher multithreaded performance compared to the M1 Pro and M1 Max. The GPU capabilities also differ between the two chips, with the M5 Pro supporting up to 20 GPU cores and the M5 Max up to 40, alongside improved memory bandwidth.

In addition to the new laptops, Apple has introduced two new display monitors, marking its first update in this category in years. The updated Studio Display maintains its 27-inch 5K IPS LCD screen but now features a Thunderbolt 5 port and improved camera quality. The more advanced Studio Display XDR offers a mini-LED screen with Adaptive Sync support and a 120 Hz refresh rate, capable of reaching up to 2,000 nits of brightness for HDR content. This model starts at $3,299 and includes a height-adjustable stand as standard.

These new products are available for preorder starting March 4 and will be released on March 11. The announcements are part of a series of product launches by Apple this week, which also include a new iPhone 17e, an updated iPad Air with an M4 chip, and new MacBook Airs featuring the M5 chip.