Apple Unveils M5-Powered MacBooks, Hikes Prices
Apple just launched new MacBook Pro and MacBook Air models powered by new M5, M5 Pro, and M5 Max chips. The high-end chips feature a new "Fusion Architecture" with dedicated AI accelerators. Alongside the new laptops, Apple also debuted an upgraded Studio Display XDR with Mini LED, but raised prices across the MacBook line, citing an ongoing global memory supply crunch.
The price increases for the new MacBook Pro and Air models, with the 14-inch M5 Pro model starting at $2,199 (up from $1,999), are directly linked to a global memory shortage. This crunch is driven by surging demand for AI data centers, which is causing DRAM and NAND flash memory prices to skyrocket. To mitigate some of the price increase, Apple has doubled the base storage on several models, such as the MacBook Air, which now starts with a 512GB SSD. Apple's typically stable supply chain may face challenges, as reports indicate its long-term DRAM supply agreements with major suppliers like Samsung and SK hynix are only secured through mid-2026. This leaves the company exposed to volatile market prices for the latter half of the year. The cost for some memory components has already seen a significant premium compared to early 2025. The new M5 Pro and M5 Max chips mark a significant architectural shift for Apple. Dubbed "Fusion Architecture," the design moves away from a single-die chip to a multi-die package, bonding two third-generation 3-nanometer dies together. This allows for greater scalability, particularly for increasing GPU cores and memory bandwidth to handle intensive AI tasks. The new chips feature a redesigned 18-core CPU, replacing traditional efficiency cores with six high-performance "super cores" and 12 "performance cores" optimized for multithreaded workloads. This new layout is claimed to deliver up to a 30% boost in CPU performance for professional workloads compared to the M4 generation. The M5 Max, with its top-tier configuration, can support up to 128GB of unified memory with up to 614GB/s of bandwidth, crucial for large-scale AI models and high-resolution video editing. A key enhancement for AI performance is the inclusion of a dedicated Neural Accelerator within each GPU core. This allows for a significant increase in AI-focused computation, with Apple claiming over four times the peak GPU compute for AI tasks compared to the M4 series. This hardware is designed to speed up on-device machine learning tasks, from image generation to running large language models locally. The upgraded Studio Display XDR features a 27-inch 5K Retina screen with Mini LED backlighting, providing 2,000 nits of peak HDR brightness and a 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio. It also boasts a 120Hz refresh rate and support for the Adobe RGB color gamut, targeting creative professionals. The new professional display starts at $3,299.
