Apple announces new M5 Macbook Pro & Studio Displays

Apple has just pulled the curtain back on its most powerful laptops to date, the all-new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro lineup. Built around the M5 series of processors, they represent a significant pivot toward an AI-first future for creative professionals.

While we recently saw the base M5 chip debut in the iPad Pro late last year, its arrival in the MacBook Pro marks the launch of its more powerful siblings: the M5 Pro and the M5 Max.

The headline feature of the M5 Pro and M5 Max is what Apple calls Fusion Architecture. By combining two dies into a single system on a chip, Apple has managed to pack up to 18 CPU cores and a staggering 40 GPU cores into the top-tier Max model.

Perhaps most importantly for modern creators, every single GPU core now features a dedicated Neural Accelerator. This specialised hardware is designed specifically for AI tasks, making things like local image generation, video masking, and Large Language Model (LLM) processing significantly faster than ever before.

If you’re wondering whether it’s time to trade in your current machine, the performance jumps are fairly dramatic, especially if you are coming from an older M-series chip.

The Leap from M1 and M2

For those still running an M1 Pro or Max, the M5 Max offers up to 8x faster AI performance and 2.5x faster multithreaded CPU speeds. Even compared to the M2, the M5 delivers a massive boost in graphics rendering and Ray Tracing, which is essential for 3D designers and film post-production CGI.

The M4 Comparison

While the M5 series introduces improved connectivity through Thunderbolt 5 and the new Wi-Fi 7-enabled N1 wireless chip, the most tangible upgrades for power users are found in the refined hardware.

Apple has finally addressed a long-standing professional request by doubling the starting capacities – 1TB for Pro and 2TB for Max – but it is the speed of this storage that truly transforms the workflow.

These new SSDs are up to twice as fast as the previous generation, reaching read speeds of 14.5GB/s that make opening massive 8K video files or complex CAD models feel nearly instantaneous.

This performance is matched by the Liquid Retina XDR display, now offering an optional nano-texture finish to help eliminate glare – a welcome addition for photographers and editors working on location in high-ambient-light environments.

Verdict - do photographers need to upgrade?

For most photographers, the first ‘choke point’ occurs during the initial ingest—specifically when your computer is tasked with building thousands of previews in Lightroom Classic or Capture One after a heavy shoot.

While general editing and developing are rarely taxing on a modern Macbook Pro, the second major bottleneck is the export. I recently exported 400 images from an event at 1920px on my M2 MacBook Pro (32GB RAM) and it took 10 minutes – a duration that felt surprisingly sluggish for a 'Pro' machine. Switching to my Mac Studio with its M1 Ultra (64GB RAM), that time was cut in half to a reasonable 5 minutes.

So, how much faster is the M5 Max in real-world terms? Apple reports that the M5 Max is up to five times faster than the M1 Max and three times faster than the M4 Max for video effects rendering. They've even reported that it is four times faster than the previous generation in some applications.

Applying that logic to photography post production tasks, a computer that is twice as fast turns a 10-minute wait into five. With the M5 Max, those giant exports could theoretically drop to a very respectable 2–3 minutes – though real-world performance is often governed by software-side limitations. 

Another headline-grabbing spec is the afore mentioned SSD speed, which now reaches an astonishing 14.5GB/s. To put that in perspective, your average off-the-shelf external SSD usually tops out around 1GB/s to 2GB/s. Even the previous MacBook Pro was 'only' 7GB/s, meaning Apple has effectively doubled the internal drive speed in a single generation. This is seriously impressive.

For Pro sports photographers on a live wire where every second is currency, or for video pros moving into 6K and 8K RAW workflows, these saved minutes can be crucial. While an M1 or M2 setup still handles 4K editing without a hint of lag, the M5 series is built for those pushing the absolute limits of the medium. The new M5 Max computer definitely lives up to its 'Pro' title.

The new M5 MacBook Pro is available for pre-order now, with shipping beginning March 11, 2026.

Prices start from $2,699 for the 14-inch base model – and up to wallet-hurting $11,424 for the totally specced out 16-inch with nano-textured glass, 18-core CPU & 40-core GPU, 128GB of Unified Memory and 8TB SSD storage. 

You can find out more about the MacBook Pro on the Apple AU website.

The new Studio Displays

The two new monitors are both 27-inch, but with different price points. 

The Studio Display

The new 27-inch 5K monitor is probably one of the most underwhelming updates for any Apple product in recent memory. For anyone who was holding off buying a monitor for the new model, get ready to be sad.

The original 27-inch 5K was announced in March 2022 and the reception was a mix of high praise for its hardware design and significant backlash regarding its value, basic height-limited stand, slow 60Hz refresh rate and peripherals – such as the maligned 12MP ultra-wide camera.

For those questioning the price gap between Apple and its competitors, the disparity involves more than just a brand premium. Manufacturing an aluminium housing is a significantly more complex and costly process than the standard injection moulding used for most monitors, requiring greater investment in raw materials, precision machining, and production time.

The new updated Studio Display maintains the 27-inch 5K form factor but introduces several minor hardware refinements that really won't appeal to current owners to upgrade. 

Thunderbolt 5: Replaces Thunderbolt 3, allowing for higher data bandwidth and the ability to daisy-chain up to four 5K displays.
Audio and Video: A new 12MP Center Stage camera now supports 'Desk View' and the six-speaker system has been retuned to deliver 30% deeper bass.
Connectivity: Two Thunderbolt 5 ports and two USB-C ports (up to 10Gbps).

The monitor is still an excellent, albeit expensive workhorse, but it would have been nice to at least see a new modernised panel, perhaps with a higher ppi, faster refresh rate and perhaps even higher brightness. You may think that 218 ppi is 'good enough', though we recently tested the ASUS ProArt Display PA32KCX (a 32 inch, 8K, 300ppi monitor) and it was seriously impressive, though extremely expensive at $12,999.

The Studio Display is available from March 11 2026 for $2,599 for standard glass, or $3,099 for Nano-texture glass.

You can find out more on the Apple website.

The High-End: Studio Display XDR

Replacing the now-discontinued 32-inch Pro Display XDR, the new Studio Display XDR is a 27-inch 5K monitor engineered specifically for HDR and print workflows. Starting at AU$5,499, it represents a significant shift in Apple's display strategy.

While the new model is smaller and carries a lower resolution than the original 6K flagship, it is technically superior in several key areas. Most notably, it introduces a 120Hz ProMotion refresh rate and a mini-LED backlight capable of a massive 2,000-nit peak brightness.

Crucially, Apple has addressed a long-standing point of contention by including the tilt-and-height adjustable stand in the base price. When compared to the previous 32-inch setup – which required an additional AU$1,699 for the Pro Stand – this new XDR offering is nearly AU$4,700 cheaper while providing a more responsive and significantly brighter panel for HDR grading.

The Studio Display XDR is available from March 11 2026 for $5,499 for standard glass, or $5,999 for nano-textured glass.

You can find out more about the Studio Display XDR on the Apple website.