All the New M5 Products Apple Just Announced
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Sometimes Apple holds grand presentations to announce new products and services. Other times, the company simply releases news on Wednesday morning. This Wednesday morning is one such example: after a social media announcement, Apple unveiled the M5 chip, along with three products that will usher in a new era of Apple chips: the 14-inch MacBook Pro M5, iPad Pro, and Vision Pro.
M5 chip
The main news unifying all of Apple’s updated products today is the M5 chip . As the name suggests, this is the fifth generation of Apple’s proprietary system-on-a-chip (SoC).
Apple markets the M5 as an AI-optimized chip. The company claims the new 16-core Neural Engine delivers improved performance and efficiency for AI processes. This means Apple Intelligence features should run faster and more accurately, though I’m not sure that’s enough to warrant its use .
Additionally, the chip’s 10-core GPU features a dedicated “neural accelerator” in each core, delivering more than four times the peak GPU performance of the M4 chip and six times the performance of the M1. Apple specifically highlights the improvements for the new 14-inch MacBook Pro and iPad Pro, which can now use “accelerated processing” for AI tasks such as running diffusion models and large language models.
In terms of other graphics benefits, the M5 GPU and its enhanced shader cores are up to 30% faster than the M4 and up to 2.5x faster than the M1. It features Apple’s third-generation ray tracing engine, which accelerates any process that uses ray tracing to calculate lighting effects. Thanks to its improved graphics, the new Apple Vision Pro can render 10% more pixels and support refresh rates up to 120Hz.
According to Apple, the M5’s unified memory bandwidth now reaches 153 GB/s, nearly 30% more than the M4 and more than twice that of the M1. All M5-equipped devices can simultaneously access the entire memory pool, which, according to Apple, enables more complex AI models to be run directly on-device. This is great news for the privacy of everyone using AI on these MacBooks, iPads, or Vision Pros. Users can configure the M5 to use up to 32 GB of RAM.
MacBook Pro
Apple did something interesting with the launch of the M5 for Mac: initially, it was only available with the 14-inch MacBook Pro . If you want the 16-inch MacBook Pro with the M5, you’ll have to wait.
The new 14-inch MacBook Pro features all the performance benefits Apple promises from the M5 chip, as well as some unique advantages. Apple claims this computer can last up to 24 hours on a single charge, which, if true, is very impressive: you’ll be able to work for two full 12-hour days without having to waste time searching for your MacBook’s charger.
The M5 also provides an SSD upgrade in this MacBook Pro, which Apple says will help with professional workflows like importing RAW images or exporting large video files.
Otherwise, it’s the same 14-inch MacBook Pro you already know. It features a Liquid Retina XDR display, a 12-megapixel center-facing camera, an HDMI port, an SD card slot, and three USB-C ports. It’s available in silver or black. The starting price is $1,599, the same as the M4 MacBook Pro, for the model with 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage.
iPad Pro
Like the new MacBook Pro, the iPad Pro appears unchanged, save for the new M5 processor and its improved performance. But there’s more to it than just a new chip. Apple claims the cellular iPad Pro models feature the C1X modem, which delivers up to 50% faster cellular data speeds. If you’re opting for a cellular iPad, that’s good news, although I always opt for the Wi-Fi-only model and use my iPhone as a hotspot. To each their own.
In addition to the C1X, the new iPads also feature the N1 chip, which supports Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and Thread. Apple claims the N1 delivers better performance on 5 GHz networks and improves the performance of features like AirDrop and Personal Hotspot.
Apple says the 256GB and 512GB iPad Pros will come with 12GB of RAM. That’s 4GB more than the iPad Pro M4, which originally came with 8GB. You’ll also notice faster charging speeds on the new iPads: Apple says that with the right adapter, such as the company’s new Dynamic Power Adapter , you can charge the battery to 50% in about 30 minutes. These iPads also now support external displays with refresh rates up to 120Hz.
Vision Pro
The M5 chip will even appear in the updated Vision Pro model. Apple’s mixed reality headset may not have been the success the company had hoped for, but the company hasn’t abandoned the device. On the contrary, the Vision Pro receives several improvements in addition to the performance, efficiency, and AI enhancements of the M5.
As mentioned, the new Vision Pro now displays 10% more pixels on its micro-OLED displays than the previous generation. Furthermore, the refresh rate can be increased to 120Hz if needed, which should help create the illusion of VR, including when working with virtual displays.
But it’s not all about the technology. Apple has updated the Vision Pro’s headband, specifically the Dual Knit Band. Apple claims it should be more comfortable thanks to “3D-knitted” upper and lower straps. The lower strap, in particular, serves as a counterweight, which should help reduce pressure on the user when wearing it. Unfortunately, this band can only be purchased separately for $99. Like the current Vision Pro, this model with 256GB of internal storage starts at $3,499.
All of these devices are available for pre-order today and will go on sale on October 22.