It’s time for an M5 vs. M4 chip smackdown. Apple unveiled its new M5 chip Wednesday, marking a significant leap forward in on-device artificial intelligence performance over its predecessor.
While maintaining the same core architecture as the M4 chip, the M5 delivers dramatic improvements in AI processing, graphics capabilities and memory bandwidth that position it as Apple’s most AI-focused silicon to date. But it enough to temp would-be upgraders?
Apple’s newest M5 MacBook Pro does not ship with a power brick in the box in Europe and the U.K. But this time, don’t blame Apple for the move.
The change stems from new EU regulations around energy efficiency and electronic waste reduction.
Apple just revealed the 2025 iPad Pro, which gets a speed boost from the new M5 processor, and some variants get 50% more RAM. The premium tablet includes an OLED screen in both the 13-inch and 11-inch versions.
“Powered by the next generation of Apple silicon, the new iPad Pro delivers our most advanced and versatile iPad experience yet,” said John Ternus, Apple’s senior vice president of Hardware Engineering. “iPad Pro with M5 unlocks endless possibilities for creativity and productivity — with a huge leap in AI performance and a big boost in graphics, superfast wireless connectivity, and game-changing iPadOS 26 features, it pushes the boundaries of what iPad can do yet again.”
Apple launched the M5 Vision Pro on Wednesday, bumping the impressive headset up from the years-old M2 processor. The punchier M5 processor boosts the headset’s video resolution and refresh rate for a clearer, sharper image.
The updated Vision Pro is “setting a new standard for what’s possible in spatial computing,” said Apple Vice President of Worldwide Product Marketing Bob Borchers in Apple’s press release. “Spatial computing is even more capable, entertaining, and magical with the new Vision Pro.”
The M5 isn’t the only upgrade, either. A new Dual Knit Band elegantly adds comfort and style to the headset. And as icing on the cake, the M5 Vision Pro boasts noticeably improved battery life.
The M5 Vision Pro starts at the same high price of $3,499 with 256GB of storage. It’s available for preorder today, with deliveries and in-store availability beginning on October 22.
Apple’s new M5 chip packs more power than predecessors, with advanced performance for Apple Intelligence and pumped up GPU performance boosting graphics processing, among other incremental improvements across the chip.
“M5 ushers in the next big leap in AI performance for Apple silicon,” said Johny Srouji, Apple’s senior vice president of Hardware Technologies. “With the introduction of Neural Accelerators in the GPU, M5 delivers a huge boost to AI workloads.”
“Combined with a big increase in graphics performance, the world’s fastest CPU core, a faster Neural Engine, and even higher unified memory bandwidth,” he added, “M5 brings far more performance and capabilities to MacBook Pro, iPad Pro and Apple Vision Pro.”
Apple unveiled an upgraded 14-inch MacBook Pro powered by the new M5 chip on Wednesday. While the laptop looks the same as its predecessor, it sports a faster new Apple silicon processor to deliver even better performance.
“MacBook Pro continues to be the world’s best pro laptop, and today, the 14-inch MacBook Pro gets even better with the arrival of the M5 chip,” said John Ternus, Apple’s senior vice president of hardware engineering, in a press release.
Apple’s SVP of Marketing, Greg Joswiak, teased the imminent launch of the M5 MacBook Pro on X today.
“Mmmmm… something powerful is coming,” Joswiak said on X, with his post accompanied by a short clip giving a quick glimpse at the upcoming MacBook Pro.
Some previous rumors point to an upgraded MacBook Pro with Apple’s M5 processor launching very soon, but other reports say it won’t be out until 2026. Turns out both might be correct.
A leak on Friday indicates the MacBook Pro running the base version M5 chip will debut quite soon. However, the variants with the M5 Pro and M5 Max supposedly won‘t launch before 2026.
Supplies of iPad Pros and 14-inch MacBook Pros powered by M4 chips are running low across Apple Stores. This indicates the imminent arrival of M5-powered models.
While reports of an M5 iPad Pro refresh surfaced before, this marks the first solid indication that Apple could launch an M5 MacBook Pro this year as well.
Apple guards its upcoming products with extreme secrecy. However, a major leak in October 2024 saw the Russian YouTuber Wylsacom unboxing the M4 MacBook Pro weeks before its official release.
The same story now unfolds with the upcoming M5 iPad Pro. Wylsacom unboxed and showcased the device a few days ago, again weeks before launch. And another Russian YouTuber did the same the next day. So how do Russian YouTubers manage to grab unreleased Apple products so early?
We can stop wondering about the details of the M5 iPad Pro — a YouTuber apparently got hold of Apple’s next tablet and revealed nearly everything about it. That includes running benchmark tests on the unreleased processor and finding a huge jump in graphics performance.
His time with the tablet — assuming this is a legitimate leak — shows that Apple must consider the previous M4 iPad Pro to be an excellent device because all that changed seems to be the newer, faster M5 processor.
Don’t set your heart on a MacBook Pro with a speedy new Apple M5 processor under the Christmas tree this year. A growing body of evidence indicates the next version of Apple’s premier laptop won’t arrive until 2026.
But the M5 processor should be available before then.
Apple might not get the next-generation MacBook Pro with the upcoming M5 processor out this autumn, as had been expected. The notebook will instead launch early next year, according to a respected source of insider information.
If true, it means that Apple’s new Mac processor will once again launch in an iPad.
The next-generation iPad Pro is on the horizon. Its OLED screen is reportedly already in production, and the launch is rumored for this autumn with a new Apple M5 processor on board.
The upcoming iPadOS 26 might do more to spur sales of the tablet than a faster processor or gorgeous screen, though.
Apple’s M5-equipped iPad Pros reportedly already entered “late testing” stages inside the company and should go into mass production in the second half of 2025.
And, sticking to its regular upgrade cycle, Apple also will refresh the MacBook Pro lineup with the M5 chip later this year.
This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: Our first glimpse at Apple’s AI-powered robotic lamp makes us giddy with hope for the secret iPad-on-a-stick project we’ve been skeptical about in the past. The surprisingly lifelike Apple robo-lamp looks just like Pixar’s Luxo Jr. How cute is that?!?
Join us for the conversation about the future of Apple robotics. (We really want the lamp.)
Also on The CultCast:
Listen to this week’s episode of The CultCast in the Podcasts app or your favorite podcast app. (Be sure to subscribe and leave us a review if you like it!) Or watch the video live stream, embedded below.
The Apple M5 processor is reportedly now in mass production in Korea, ready to improve the performance of Macs and iPads later this year.
With production already taking place, it’s possible the M5 will launch as an Apple product in the middle of the year, and not wait until autumn. As Apple continues to integrate AI capabilities into its chips, many users are looking for insights on how to use Apple AI to enhance their workflows.
It’s a safe bet that the Apple M5 processor will start replacing the current M4 in 2025, and it might even happen in the first half of the year.
That’s according to a roadmap of when the various versions of the chip will go into production leaked Monday by a reliable source of insider Apple information.
What does Apple have planned for the Mac in 2025? For the last couple of years, Apple’s been killing it with its desktop and laptop computers. The chips scream, the industrial design has never been better, and the Mac lineup is undoubtedly the best in Apple’s history. Just look at the amazing new Mac mini.
But can Apple keep up the pace next year?