Apple has just announced the M5 MacBook Pro, bringing the latest Apple silicon chips to the company’s flagship laptop range. The big question, then, is should you buy it?
While it can be tempting to dive in and get the latest and greatest device as soon as it’s released, I think this is one occasion where it pays to have a little more patience.
For one thing, we don’t really know how well the M5 chip performs in this laptop, and until we’ve managed to go hands-on with the latest MacBook Pro, you might want to wait. It certainly doesn’t look like the groundbreaking upgrade Apple wants you to think it is.
But there’s a bigger issue at play here, namely that you can get some truly fantastic bargains by stepping back a little and opting for something from one or two generations ago.
Do you actually need to fork out $1,599 / £1,599 / $2,499 for the M5 MacBook Pro, or would you be served just as well by getting something a touch older – the M3 MacBook Air, say – that costs a fraction of the price yet still gives you everything you need? If it was me, I know what I’d be going for – let me explain.
Take a step back
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not knocking the M5 MacBook Pro or saying it’s a bad laptop. It has plenty going for it, of course – it may even be the best laptop you can buy, if we’re taking price and value out of the equation entirely.
Apple claims that the M5 chip offers 1.6 times the graphics performance of its M4 predecessor, for example. Given the fact that MacBooks are becoming genuine gaming machines with a wide selection of popular games on offer, that kind of gain is a welcome development for Mac gamers.
There’s also the phenomenal battery life, which clocks in at 24 hours, according to Apple’s figures. Apple silicon MacBooks have always boasted incredibly longevity, but the M5 model takes that to new heights. With the M4 version lasting over 18 hours in our tests, that quoted figure probably won’t be excessively unrealistic.
That this is an excellent laptop is not in doubt, then. But is it the right laptop for you? In most cases, I’d be tempted to say it’s not. If you’re looking for the perfect laptop, there are probably better options.
Up in the Air
Take the M3 MacBook Air that I mentioned earlier. It was released in March 2024, a mere 18 months ago. Sure, that means it doesn’t have the latest chip generation anymore, but the M3 chip it’s equipped with offers more than enough computing power for most people.
In our review, for example, we gave it full marks – five stars out of five – and praised its portable form factor, long-lasting battery and brilliant performance (provided you’re not doing any heavy-duty creative work). For the majority of laptop buyers, it’s a top choice.
There are a few areas where the M5 excels – Apple boasts of 7.7 times faster AI video enhancements in Topaz Video, for example, and up to 6.8 times faster 3D rendering in Blender. But ultimately, if you are looking to render videos, work with animations, or perform other creative tasks, the M5 MacBook Pro probably isn’t going to be a far superior choice over the M3 MacBook Air.
That’s mainly because both laptops are outfitted with entry-level chips. If this is the sort of work you need to be doing, you’re better off waiting until the M5 Pro and M5 Max chips land next year or finding a higher-tier laptop from a previous Apple silicon generation, like the M3 Pro or M4 Pro.
And then there’s the price. Right now, you can get a refurbished M3 MacBook Air for just $649.99 from Best Buy – way less than half the price of the base $1,599 M5 MacBook Pro.
In our review of the M3 MacBook Air, we recommend you upgrade the 8GB memory and 256GB storage. Do that and you can get a refurbished model with 16GB memory and 512GB storage for $859.99, which is still only just over half the price of the equivalent M5 MacBook Pro.
Buy for the work you do
The key component here is Apple silicon. Apple’s chips are so good that even previous-generation models are fantastic options. You can get an M3 MacBook Air, save yourself a bunch of cash, and still get a device that will last you years.
This issue boils down to one simple question: how much power do you actually need? Because while it can be tempting to ‘futureproof’ your purchase by opting for a more expensive chip or higher-tier laptop, for a lot of us that is unnecessary. Buy for the things you know you need to do, not what you think you might or might not do in the future. In most cases, the M3 chip still has enough power to last you years.
Once you’ve accounted for the type of work you actually do, you might find that a model like the M3 MacBook Air offers easily enough oomph for your needs. The reality is that most laptop buyers aren’t training AI models or rendering 8K videos. If you’re like most people, an earlier (but still recent) model like the M3 MacBook Air will serve you well.
And if it doesn’t, you’re better off waiting until next year when the M5 Pro and M5 Max chips are rumored to arrive. For now, unless you’re absolutely desperate for a new laptop, the M5 MacBook Pro might not be your best choice.
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alexblake.techradar@gmail.com (Alex Blake)
