(March 4): Apple Inc updated its two main laptop computer lines, adding faster processors to the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro and raising prices amid an industrywide memory crunch.
The company introduced the new models on Tuesday, giving the Air the M5 chip and the MacBook Pro the first M5 Pro and M5 Max chips. It also revamped its external monitor lineup, introducing two new models aimed at either consumers and professionals.
The new MacBook Air and MacBook Pro look identical to their predecessors but add significantly faster processors, improved storage configurations, better graphics and support for the WiFi 7 standard, Bluetooth 6 and the company’s in-house N1 wireless chip.
The new MacBook Air starts at US$1,099 for the 13-inch version, up from US$999. The 15-inch model, meanwhile, now begins at US$1,299, up from US$1,199. Apple is softening the blow by doubling the base storage amount to 512 gigabytes for the first time in that line.
Apple is raising the price of the 14-inch MacBook Pro with the M5 Pro chip to US$2,199, from US$1,999, and the 16-inch version with that processor to US$2,699 from US$2,499. The 14-inch version with the beefier M5 Max chip starts at US$3,599, up from US$3,199, while the 16-inch configuration starts at US$3,899, up from US$3,499.
The regular M5 MacBook Pro, introduced in October, also got a price increase, moving from US$1,599 to US$1,699. The prices of Apple’s other computer lines remain unchanged.
With all MacBook Pro models, too, Apple is increasing storage, moving to a minimum of one terabyte of storage. The highest-end version, the M5 Max models, include two terabytes of space standard. It’s also offering multi-hundred dollar discounts for users who buy the machines through its education store.
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The new external monitors come in two versions: a standard Studio Display and a Studio Display XDR. Both have 27-inch screens, 12 megapixel FaceTime cameras and speaker systems, but the XDR version has a brighter, mini-LED screen with enhanced dynamic range and a better refresh rate. It is geared towards photo and video editors.
The new standard monitor starts at US$1,599, while the XDR version is US$3,299 and up. Its previously available US$4,999 Pro Display XDR with a 32-inch screen has been discontinued. Apple continues to offer built-to-order versions of both monitors with nano-texture — or matte — screens and different types of adjustable stands.
The MacBook Air comes a year after the M4 model was introduced. The new MacBook Pros, meanwhile, mark Apple’s first high-end laptop update since the end of 2024. All of the new machines come in their prior colors: sky blue, starlight, midnight and silver for the MacBook Air and silver or space black for the MacBook Pro.
See also: Apple debuts iPhone 17e and M4 iPad Air, starting product wave
The release continues a wave of new products this week. On Monday, the company introduced the iPhone 17e and a faster version of the iPad Air.
Apple is also planning a product introduction on Wednesday. It’s been preparing its first low-cost MacBook, a device that will use an iPhone chip. A premature notice on Apple’s website indicates the device may be called the MacBook Neo.
The new MacBook Pro, Air and Studio Displays are available for pre-order on Wednesday and go on sale March 11, Apple said on its website.
The company is coming off a disappointing holiday season for the Mac, with sales of the computer line dropping 6.7% to US$8.39 billion. Analysts had projected more than US$9 billion. The speedier chips should help spur consumers to upgrade their machines.
Tim Cook, Apple’s chief executive officer, said in January that the company continues “to see market pricing for memory increasing significantly” and that it has a range of options to deal with the problem. He said the margin impact would increase as the year goes on.
Like other hardware manufacturers, Apple is contending with surging memory prices as suppliers prioritize lucrative artificial intelligence data centers over consumer applications. The imbalance isn’t expected to be rectified anytime soon. Rival Samsung Electronics Co. raised the price of its new Galaxy S26 and S26+.
The company says the MacBook Pro and Air lines are both four times faster than their predecessors for artificial intelligence-related tasks, while the new MacBook Pro line is up to 30% faster overall.
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The M5 MacBook Air includes up to a 10 core CPU, or main processor, and a 10 core GPU, or graphics component. Apple says the new machine’s storage is twice as fast. It can also be configured with up to 4 terabytes of space for the first time.
The MacBook Pro with the M5 Pro and M5 Max, meanwhile, have up to 18 core CPUs, while the M5 Max model can be topped out with a 40 core GPU. Apple says the new cores are significantly faster across the board and include neural accelerators to boost AI performance.
The new chips use what Apple is calling a Fusion Architecture, meaning that they combine two third-generation 3-nanometer dies onto a single chip, allowing Apple to squeeze more performance into the machines.
More Mac updates are coming later. Near the end of 2026, Apple is planning to launch its first touch-screen laptops — in the form of a new version of the MacBook Pro. Those machines will include faster processors while retaining a full-sized keyboard and trackpad, Bloomberg has reported.
Later this year, Apple is also planning to introduce new Mac Studio desktops, fresh iMacs and an updated Mac mini.
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