New M5 chip offers up to 20% faster CPU and 1.6x faster GPU performance.
Design, display, and battery life remain unchanged from the M4 model.
The 2025 MacBook Pro with M5 chip is a small but meaningful evolution.
Apple’s new MacBook Pro powered by the M5 chip is here, and on the surface, not much seems to have changed. The design, display, ports, and even the weight remain exactly the same as last year’s M4 model. But the real difference lies inside, in the new M5 chip. This is the main, and perhaps the only, significant upgrade this year. So, if you already own an M4 MacBook Pro, you might wonder whether there’s any point in upgrading, or if this is simply another one of those ‘spec bump’ updates Apple often does. Let’s break it down.
SurveyAlso read: Will the new M5 MacBook Pro come with a charger in India? Here’s what you should know
Design and build: Same as before, and that’s fine
In terms of design, Apple has kept everything exactly as it was. The M5 MacBook Pro carries the same flat aluminium body that’s become instantly recognisable over the years. It’s still 12.31 inches long, 8.71 inches wide, and 0.61 inches thick, identical in every way to last year’s model. Even the colour options remain unchanged, with Space Black and Silver being your two choices. The laptop weighs about 1.55 kg, which again is the same as before. It’s clear that Apple believes the MacBook Pro’s design doesn’t need fixing yet, and to be fair, most people would agree.
Display: Still one of the best in the business
The display also remains untouched. You get the same 14.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR screen with a resolution of 3024×1964 pixels, offering excellent clarity, brightness, and contrast. The panel still supports ProMotion with adaptive refresh rates up to 120Hz, and it can hit 1,000 nits of brightness for SDR and 1,600 nits for HDR content. Basically, it’s still one of the best laptop displays you can buy. There’s also the option for a Nano-texture glass finish to reduce glare, just like last year. So, no upgrades here either, but also no complaints.
Performance: The only real upgrade this year
Now, let’s talk about the real change: performance. The M5 chip replaces last year’s M4 and brings noticeable gains in speed and efficiency, though not a complete transformation. The M5 still has a 10-core CPU setup with four performance cores and six efficiency cores, but these are faster than before. Apple claims up to 20 per cent better multi-core performance compared to the M4. The GPU is also a 10-core setup but with enhanced features like third-generation ray tracing and a dedicated Neural Accelerator in each GPU core, something we first saw with the A19 Pro chip in the iPhone 17 Pro.
This makes the M5 MacBook Pro better suited for AI-related workloads and creative apps that use machine learning. Apple says the new chip delivers up to 1.6 times faster graphics performance in professional apps and games compared to the M4. In simpler terms, if you’re into video editing, 3D modelling, or using heavy design software, you’ll see smoother performance. Everyday users, however, may not notice a massive difference while doing regular tasks like browsing or watching videos.
The memory and storage options remain mostly the same. The base model still comes with 16 GB of unified memory and 512 GB of SSD storage. You can configure it up to 32 GB RAM, but now there’s a new 4 TB SSD option for those who need more space, which wasn’t available on the M4. The rest of the connectivity setup: three Thunderbolt 4 ports, HDMI, an SD card slot, MagSafe 3 charging, and a headphone jack, is identical. There’s still no Thunderbolt 5 support yet.
The camera and audio setup are also unchanged. You still get the 12-megapixel Centre Stage webcam, which adjusts framing automatically during video calls, and a six-speaker sound system with support for Spatial Audio and Dolby Atmos. The microphones remain ‘studio quality’, as Apple puts it, and the overall audio experience is already among the best you’ll find on a laptop.
Battery life, too, is rated the same, up to 24 hours of video playback or 16 hours of web usage. The 72.4 Wh battery is also expected to hold up well even with the new chip, thanks to Apple’s efficiency-focused design.
Coming to India pricing, Apple has kept things exactly the same as last year. The base M5 MacBook Pro with 16 GB RAM and 512 GB storage starts at Rs 1,69,900. The 1TB version costs Rs 1,89,900, while the 24 GB RAM and 1 TB variant goes up to Rs 2,09,900. You can still add the Nano-texture display option and upgrade memory up to 32 GB if needed. Pre-orders are live, and deliveries start from 22 October 2025.
So, should you upgrade? If you already own the M4 MacBook Pro, the short answer is no. This year’s model doesn’t bring enough visible improvements to justify an upgrade. The design, display, and battery life are identical, and while the M5 chip is more powerful, it mainly benefits users running professional or AI-heavy workloads. However, if you’re buying a MacBook Pro for the first time, the M5 model makes complete sense. It’s as polished and future-proof as they come.
All things considered, the 2025 MacBook Pro with M5 is a small but meaningful evolution. It’s not an exciting redesign, but it’s a reliable refinement. If Apple sticks to this pattern, we might need to wait until the rumoured OLED MacBook Pro in 2026 to see a truly fresh upgrade.
Also read: Apple MacBook Pro with M5 chip available for pre-order, here is how much it costs in India
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Aman Rashid
Aman Rashid is the Senior Assistant Editor at Digit, where he leads the website along with the brand’s YouTube, social media, and overall video operations. He has been covering consumer technology for several years, with experience across news, reviews, and features. Outside of work, Aman is a sneaker enthusiast and an avid follower of WWE, Dragon Ball, and the Marvel Cinematic Universe. View Full Profile
