Apple updates MacBook Pro line with new M5 chips and brighter displays
Apple's MacBook Pro has been refreshed with the M5 processor family, enhanced mini-LED screens, improved cameras and AI-focused features, while retaining the 2021 chassis.
Apple is set to roll out a refreshed MacBook Pro lineup that builds on the 2021 redesign but adds a new generation of its own silicon and brighter displays. The upcoming models will be powered by the M5, M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, which use a 3-nanometer process and a new Fusion Architecture to raise core counts, graphics performance and AI capabilities. Apple says the M5 family delivers up to 2.5 times faster graphics than the original M1, more than double the memory bandwidth and up to six times the neural-engine compute for AI tasks.
The refreshed laptops will keep the 14-inch mini-LED chassis introduced in 2021 but will feature a brighter Liquid Retina XDR panel that can reach 1,000 nits for SDR content and 1,600 nits for HDR, roughly twice the brightness of the earlier models. Customers selecting the Pro or Max configurations can also opt for a nano-texture screen that reduces glare.
Apple has also upgraded the webcam, moving from a 720p to a 1080p sensor in 2021 and now adding a 12-megapixel Center Stage camera with Desk View in the latest generation. Software enhancements such as Portrait, Studio Light, Background replacement and Edge Light are available across the line.
The base-model MacBook Pro, now equipped with the M3 chip, will retain the full port selection—including MagSafe, an SD-card slot and Thunderbolt 5—and will be priced at $1,599, making the professional features more accessible.
During its 2026 WWDC event, Apple highlighted the role of artificial intelligence in the new devices, noting that the M5 Pro can generate images 7.8 times faster and process large-language-model prompts 6.9 times faster than the M1 Pro. The company emphasized that its recent press releases reference AI more frequently than earlier ones, reflecting a strategic shift toward AI-centric performance.
"The M5 family introduces a new Fusion Architecture with 3-nanometer process technology that significantly increases core counts and efficiency," a company spokesperson said.
Analysts expect a further redesign of the MacBook Pro in late 2026 or early 2027 that could include an OLED screen and touchscreen capability, but the current updates already represent a substantial evolution of the product line.