- Apple updated the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro, the company’s two main laptop computer lines, adding faster processors and raising prices as it copes with an industrywide memory crunch.
Apple debuted the new models on
March 3
,
giving the Air the M5 processor and the MacBook Pro the first M5 Pro and M5 Max chips. It also revamped its external monitor line-up, introducing two new models aimed at both consumers and professionals.
The new MacBook Air and MacBook Pro look identical to their predecessors but add significantly faster processors, improved storage configurations and better graphics. They also get support for the Wi-Fi 7 standard, Bluetooth 6 and the company’s in-house N1 wireless chip.
The new MacBook Air starts at US$1,099 (S$1,400) 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 512GB for the first time in that line.
The company 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 will rise 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, an increase 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 1TB. The highest-end versions, the M5 Max models, include 2TB of space standard. The company is also offering discounts amounting to hundreds of dollars for customers who buy the machines through its education store.
Like other hardware manufacturers, Apple is contending with surging memory chip prices – a problem stemming in part from suppliers prioritising lucrative artificial intelligence data centres over consumer applications. The imbalance is not expected to be rectified anytime soon. Rival Samsung Electronics raised the price of its new Galaxy S26 and S26+.
Memory chips are a critical component in both smartphones and computers, helping the devices manage data. In addition to boosting prices, the shortages are expected to reduce the number of devices available to consumers.
Mr Tim Cook, Apple’s chief executive, 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.
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 toward photo and video editors.
The new standard monitor starts at US$1,599, while the XDR version is US$3,299 and up. Apple’s previously available US$4,999 Pro Display XDR with a 32-inch screen has been phased out. Apple continues to offer built-to-order versions of both monitors with nano-texture screens – offering a matte look – 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.
The release continues a wave of new products this week. On March 2, the company introduced the iPhone 17e and a faster version of the iPad Air.
Apple is also planning a product introduction on March 4. It has been preparing its first low-cost MacBook, a device that will use an iPhone chip. A premature notice on Apple’s website indicates the product may be called the MacBook Neo.
The new MacBook Pro, Air and Studio Displays are available for pre-order on March 4, and go on sale on March 11, Apple said on its website.
The Cupertino, California-based company is coming off a disappointing holiday season for the Mac, with sales of the computer line dropping 6.7 per cent to US$8.39 billion. Analysts had projected more than US$9 billion. The speedier chips should help spur consumers to upgrade their machines.
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 per cent faster overall.
The M5 MacBook Air includes a central processing unit with up to 10 cores – a measure of data-crunching ability. The graphics processing unit, or GPU, also has 10 cores. Apple says the new machine’s storage is twice as fast. It can also be configured with as much as 4TB of space for the first time.
The MacBook Pro with the M5 Pro and M5 Max, meanwhile, have CPUs with up to 18 cores, 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 a component known as neural accelerators to boost AI performance.
The new chips use what Apple is calling a Fusion Architecture, meaning that they combine two third-generation 3nm dies onto a single chip, allowing the company 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 in 2026, Apple is also planning to introduce new Mac Studio desktops, fresh iMacs and an updated Mac mini. BLOOMBERG
