Apple announces new MacBook Air and Pro models with M5, M5 Pro, and M5 Max chips
Apple today announced updated models of the MacBook Air and the MacBook Pro with its latest generation M5 processors, which also include the brand new M5 Pro and M5 Max. The company also announced two new models in the Studio Display series.
The 2026 MacBook Air now gets the Apple M5 chip, which was first introduced last year on the 14-inch MacBook Pro and iPad Pro. This chip features the same 10-core CPU and 8- or 10-core GPU configuration as the previous M4, but all the cores are now faster, with the GPU also incorporating a neural accelerator in each core. The base storage has been doubled from 256GB to 512GB, and the storage options now max out at 4TB. You still get the same 16GB base memory, which still tops out at 32GB in the configurator.
Other changes include upgraded connectivity in the form of Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6, as well as a faster bundled charger in the form of the awkwardly named '40W Dynamic Power Adapter with 60W Max', which replaces the previous 30W and 35W models. The only other change you need to consider is the $100 increase in price, as the 13-inch MacBook Air now starts at $1099, while the 15-inch starts at $1299.
The MacBook Pro models get the very latest M5 Pro and M5 Max chips that are also being launched today. The 14-inch model can be configured with the M5, M5 Pro, and M5 Max, while the 16-inch model is only available in Pro and Max configurations.
As a brief outline of the new chips, the M5 Pro and M5 Pro Max are built on what Apple calls its Fusion Architecture, where two dies are combined to create a single SoC with a high core count. They have up to 6 high-performance cores called super cores, and up to 12 new performance cores. The GPU count varies between 16, 20, 32, and 40 cores.
The M5 Pro on the MacBook Pro can be configured with a 15-core CPU, 18-Core GPU configuration on the 14-inch model, and 18-core CPU, 20-core GPU on the 14 and 16-inch models. The M5 Max can be configured with an 18-core CPU, 32-core GPU and 18-core CPU, 40-core GPU variants. Memory options start from 24GB baseline for the M5 Pro all the way up to 128GB for the M5 Max. Storage now starts at 1TB and goes up to 8TB.
Like the MacBook Air, the MacBook Pro models also get faster Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, but the price here has gone up by $200. The 14-inch model with the M5 Pro now starts at $2199, while the 16-inch model starts at $2699.
Apple also announced two new monitors, the updated Studio Display and the new Studio Display XDR. The Studio Display gets a new 12MP webcam, a new three-microphone array, a new six-speaker system with spatial audio, and finally Thunderbolt 5. The rest of the specifications, as well as the pricing, are identical to the original Studio Display model, including the 27-inch 5K 60Hz IPS panel.
The Studio Display XDR addresses that last part. This new model gets a new 27-inch 5K IPS panel that now refreshes at 120Hz. It also has a new mini-LED backlighting system with 2304 local dimming zones. It outpaces the 600 nits peak brightness of the standard Studio Display by hitting 1000 nits in SDR and 2000 nits in HDR. It also supports a wider range of reference color gamut modes, including Adobe RGB. The rest of the specifications are similar to the Studio Display, except this model comes with a tilt and height-adjustable stand, whereas the Studio Display only gets a tilt-adjustable stand.
The Studio Display is priced at the same $1599 as the outgoing model. The Studio Display XDR is priced at $3299 and replaces the old Pro Display XDR, which has now been discontinued.
