I tested Apple's new MacBook Pro M5 – and there's an unexpected change

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Apple MacBook Pro M5 Design

Apple has kept the design of the new laptop similar to its replacement model. That’s no bad thing: the MacBook Pro design is elegant, businesslike, and attractive.

It has extensive connectivity options: there are three Thunderbolt 4 USB-C sockets, two on one side and one on the other. This means you can plug in your laptop with USB-C on either side. But it also has Apple’s proprietary MagSafe connection, a clever charging cable that attaches by magnet – if one trips on your power lead, it’s the cable that blows, not the laptop. There’s also an SD card reader and an HDMI port for connecting the laptop to a TV or other external display.

Apple has kept the design of the new laptop similar to the model it replaces (David Phelan/The Independent)

This extra connectivity is one of the things that separates the Pro from the Air in the Apple laptop world. Likewise, the upward-facing speakers on either side of the keyboard deliver stronger audio than the Air – this includes spatial audio, which means watching movies in Dolby Atmos sounds tremendous.

Apple MacBook Pro M5 Display

Apple’s MacBook Pro displays have been exceptional for years, and that includes what Apple calls Liquid Retina XDR. This means it’s an LCD screen with mini-LED backlighting that can boost or dim zones to ensure high contrast levels.

apple-macbook-pro-14-indiebest-review (1) — The nanotexture finish is as important an upgrade as it is when buying extra storage (David Phelan/The Independent)

The screen has what Apple calls ProMotion, which means it has adaptive refresh rates up to 120Hz to make sure everything looks smooth. Additionally, it is capable of delivering brightness levels up to 1,600 nits peak brightness with HDR content and up to 1,000 nits for other content. By comparison, the Apple MacBook Air has a maximum brightness of 500 nits and does not have ProMotion.

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There’s one more thing the Air is missing: the option of a nanotexture finish. It costs an extra £150, but it makes a great screen even better by reducing reflections or glare. I’d argue that this is just as important an upgrade as additional storage when buying. That said, don’t skimp on storage – you can use a MacBook Pro for years.

apple macbook pro m5 performance

Last year’s MacBook Pro came with M4 processor and was released in October 2024. At the same time, Apple unveiled versions with two other chips, the M4 Pro and M4 Max. This time, it’s only the regular M5 chip that’s been released – although you can bet others are being worked on right now, too. In other words, while the processor is much faster than the M4 chip in the MacBook Air, there will definitely be more powerful M5 chips coming.

The extra cores in the CPU and GPU found in the M4 Pro and M4 Max mean those chips will be more useful depending on your processing needs. If you use advanced programs for 3D rendering or intensive code compilation, the M5 delivers fast performance. And the same applies to gaming, which is more demanding, especially with the most advanced graphics.

Apple says it’s the world’s fastest CPU core, and, thanks to the neural accelerator in the graphics processor, it’s designed to accelerate AI workloads. Speaking of, the new processor is specifically geared towards AI demands, whether it’s Apple Intelligence or ChatGPT. These are demands that are likely to increase significantly in the coming years.

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Apple says it’s three and a half times faster than last year’s MacBook Pro with M4. In other words, it can handle demanding tasks without any issues.

Apple MacBook Pro M5 battery life

Despite the added workload, the M5’s efficiency means battery life remains the same as the previous 14-inch MacBook Pro, up to 24 hours, Apple says, if measured in terms of video streaming, or 16 hours for wireless Web browsing. In my tests, these claims seemed true.

Apple MacBook Pro M5 Design Power Adapter

An unexpected change is related to what’s not in the box. The new MacBook Pro M5 comes without a USB-C power adapter in the box. This is a first for Apple, and it only applies to sales in the UK and EU. Apple says this is done to get ahead of upcoming EU legislation that affects the inclusion of the power adapter.

The UK, I hardly need to remind you, is no longer in the EU, but Apple has decided to treat the pan-European market equally. This means that when you buy a MacBook Pro, you decide whether you need to buy a charging plug or not. You may already have more things in your home than you need.

Nonetheless, it’s a curious thing to unpack a MacBook Pro and realize you need something else to charge it. I’m all for reducing electronic waste, and these days we don’t bat an eyelid when we buy a smartphone without a charger. Nevertheless, Apple is at the forefront in this matter. My advice is to make sure you have a powerful enough adapter – a smartphone charger is probably too weak to charge it quickly – and that it has a USB-C socket. If you have that, you’re all set, as the MagSafe charging cable is still in the box.

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The move currently only applies to MacBook Pros with the M5, though other models are expected to follow suit.