- We tested Apple’s latest M5 Pro and M5 Max MacBook Pros for battery life
- While one device scored extremely well, the other fell a little behind
- We’ve compared the results from our past reviews, with interesting results
Apple prides itself on the extensive battery life of its best MacBooks, and they’ve been going from strength to strength ever since the company switched to its own Apple silicon chips. With the recent release of new MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, we thought we’d put the devices through their paces to see how well their batteries held up — and the results contain a few interesting surprises.
According to benchmark data gathered by our own labs (below) – which is all focused around web browsing longevity – the 16-inch MacBook Pro with M5 Pro chip is the best-performing Apple laptop for battery life that we’ve reviewed in the M3, M4 and M5 generations. That includes any size and any chip tier (such as M3 Pro or M5 Max).
Its average battery life score of 21 hours, 10 minutes and 16 seconds easily exceeds Apple’s estimation of 14 hours of web browsing and pulls ahead of last year’s 16-inch MacBook Pro with M4 Pro chip, which clocked in at 20 hours, 46 minutes and 29 seconds. That’s great news for anyone who is looking at the new MacBook Pro laptops and considers battery life to be a key feature in their buying decision.
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The size of the laptop on test undoubtedly will have had an effect — simply put, a 16-inch MacBook Pro has more internal space for larger batteries compared to a 14-inch equivalent. If battery life is a priority, a larger laptop will generally be a better option for you.
|
Model |
Battery test (web surfing in hours / mins, Future Labs) |
Official battery life (web surfing in hours / mins, Apple) |
|
Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch (M5 Max) |
17:58 |
13:00 |
|
Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch (M5 Pro) |
21:10 |
14:00 |
|
Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch (M5) |
18:00 |
16:00 |
Latest isn’t always best
The improvements seen in the M5 Pro suggest that Apple is making efficiency improvements to its latest chips, as both the M5 Pro and M4 Pro scores were recorded in a 16-inch MacBook Pro. That similarity ensures most of the focus can be placed on the chip rather than the space available for battery cells.
But there were some interesting discrepancies, and the latest chips are not always the most performant, according to our test results. For example, we also benchmarked the M5 Max chip, this time inside a 14-inch MacBook Pro, and its performance was somewhat disappointing.
It achieved an average battery life of 17 hours, 58 minutes and 18 seconds. That’s still ahead of Apple’s web browsing figure of 13 hours, but compared to other 14-inch MacBook Pros with similar battery capacity, the M5 Max fell behind both the M4 and the M5 chips. It did outdo the M3 Pro, however, which scored 17 hours, 23 minutes and nine seconds.
If you’re considering buying a new MacBook Pro, then, it’s well worth researching the battery capabilities of the model you’re looking at. You can read our full thoughts on the new MacBooks in our updated MacBook Pro 14-inch review.
Generally speaking, a larger laptop will get you more juice, and Apple has been making progress in terms of its chips’ efficiency. But as the M5 Max in the 14-inch MacBook Pro suggests, latest doesn’t always mean best.
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alexblake.techradar@gmail.com (Alex Blake)
