MacBook Pro and iPad Pro get an M5 upgrade that's focused on AI

The first M5 Apple silicon chip has been revealed, and it is coming to the iPad Pro and MacBook Pro. With another big jump in performance expected, the focus this time is on its AI capability. A new version of the Vision Pro headset will also feature an M5 chip.

The new iPad Pro M5 offers up to 3.5x the AI performance of the M4 version and up to 1.5x faster 3D rendering. Coming once again in a choice of 11-inch and 13-inch sizes, the iPad Pro M5 also offers 2x faster read/write speeds from the onboard storage and a base level of 12GB of memory on the 256GB and 512GB versions.

Apple's own N1 wireless connectivity chip will be featured in the iPad Pro for the first time, and the C1X modem will be featured in cellular versions. It also now supports faster charging, being capable of reaching 50% charge in 30 minutes using a 70W charger.

The 11-inch iPad Pro starts from £999 / $999 (€1099 / AU$1699), while the 13-inch model starts from £1299 / $1299 (€1449 / AU$2199). Presales are now open with deliveries from 22 October.

Mac is back, part V

The 14-inch MacBook Pro also gets the M5 treatment, delivering up to 3.5x the AI performance and 1.6x faster graphics than the M4 model. This is thanks not only to the faster CPU and GPU but also the enhanced neural engine and increased memory bandwidth – now 153GB/s.

While the spec remains largely the same, there is now a higher-capacity 4TB SSD storage option. The higher-specced 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro machines remain with the M4 Pro and M4 Max chips for the time being. It's expected that these will see an upgrade next year when the M5 Pro and M5 Max chips are announced, in addition to an M4 Ultra.

The MacBook Pro M5 starts from £1599 / $1599 (€1799 / AU$2499). Preorders are now open with deliveries from 22 October.