Apple's new M5 Pro and M5 Max MacBook Pro models have landed, and early reviews gush about performance gains. But before you upgrade from an M1, consider this: if your current laptop still handles your workload, holding onto your cash and waiting for the next redesign might be the smarter call.
The M5 generation does bring genuine improvements. The new chips deliver up to 8x faster AI image generation compared to M1 models and up to 4x AI performance compared to the previous generation. For professionals working with large datasets, video editing, or machine learning models, these gains are measurable. Apple says the M5 Max can train AI models up to 12 times faster than the M1 Max, meaning tasks that once required a desktop workstation can now run on a laptop.
However, the practical reality is more nuanced. The M5 Pro and M5 Max offer approximately 15% faster CPU performance and approximately 20% faster GPU performance compared to M4 models. If you upgraded to an M4 just two years ago, this is not a compelling reason to buy again. Battery life improvements are similarly modest: the 16-inch M5 Pro lasted 21 hours and 10 minutes in testing, compared to 20 hours and 46 minutes for the M4 Pro. That is a 24-minute difference.
The hardware story is more interesting where storage is concerned. M5 Pro models now start at 1TB, and M5 Max models start at 2TB, double the previous generation. Storage is up to two times faster, with sequential read and write speeds reaching up to 12 GB/s. For anyone regularly moving large video files or training AI models locally, this matters. SSD performance has doubled, reaching up to 14.5GB/s in top configurations, which is a meaningful improvement for anyone regularly ingesting 4K and 8K media or working with large datasets.
What about those M1 owners considering the leap? Users coming from M1 models will get up to three more hours of battery life. The M5 Pro and Max offer 2.5 times the multithreaded performance of the M1 Pro and Max. After five years of use, this is a genuine generational jump, particularly if you work with professional software or handle demanding creative tasks.
The architectural change under the hood deserves mention. The M5 Pro and M5 Max are built using Apple's new Fusion Architecture, bonding two third-generation 3-nanometer dies into a single SoC, whereas previous Apple silicon chips use a single-die design. This fundamental rethinking of how to scale Apple silicon delivers significant performance gains over previous models.
There is, however, a caveat to consider. There have been no meaningful changes to the design or display hardware on the M5 Pro and Max MacBook Pro models compared to the previous generation. The notch remains. The bezels remain. The MacBook Pro is rumoured to receive a major redesign in either late 2026 or 2027, with key new features expected including an OLED display, a touch screen, a Dynamic Island, and M6 Pro and Max chips manufactured with TSMC's advanced 2nm process.
For M4 owners, the prudent move is likely to wait. If you picked up an M4 model recently, the improvements are real but more incremental, with the biggest draws being AI training capabilities, faster storage and Wi-Fi 7. For most everyday work, your current machine will remain capable for another 12-18 months. By then, you will know whether the rumoured redesign materialises, and you can make a more informed decision about whether to jump to M6 or refresh the M5 at a discount.
The upgrade path is clearest for Intel users and the ageing M1 cohort. If you have been holding off, the M5 generation represents a meaningful step forward in real-world performance and efficiency. But if your machine handles your workload without strain, patience may serve you better than haste. The laptop market moves fast, and the next generation may bring the design refresh many have waited five years to see.