Rumors of a touchscreen MacBook Pro have been circulating for over three years, and they’ve always left customers full of questions. First among them: “What in the world would that user experience be like?” The apparent answer, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, is that it will be…kinda muddled? But certainly full of new possibilities! And yes, it sounds like it will be like an iPhone with a keyboard—OLED screen, Dynamic Island, and all. But only if you want that.
At any rate, Gurman’s anonymous sources do indeed say a touchscreen MacBook Pro is coming later this year. Just don’t expect it to be announced at the next big Apple event. It’s still technically a secret—for now—that will be announced in time for a late 2026 release.
Apparently, the display on this laptop will change everything—or maybe nothing. Per Bloomberg:
“Even with the new display, Apple won’t position the MacBook Pro as an iPad replacement — or describe its interface as a touch-first experience. Instead, the idea is to let customers use the touch input as much or as little as they’d like, and blend it with the familiar point-and-click approach.”
If Apple is really going to be this wishy-washy, that’s understandable. If you’ve ever worked with a touchscreen PC, you might have experienced it mainly as feature bloat. Articles abound on how to disable the touchscreen option entirely on Windows machines. Then again, some people (myself included) absolutely love the new possibilities in Windows with a touch display, and never plan to look back.
On MacBook Pros, the new Dynamic Island—a version of those shapeshifting pill shapes over the floating camera hole on certain iPhone screens—will reportedly be at the center-top of the screen. On an iPhone, your Dynamic Island becomes your unlock “button,” as well as an instinctive first place to direct your attention when you take your phone out. It can display time remaining on a timer, sports scores, flight info, and more.
Per Bloomberg, the relevant version of macOS will allow for iPhone-style zooming and scrolling, and there will be a new kind of popup menu for when the user taps a button. However, the basic look won’t change drastically from current MacBooks.
Interestingly, this change may partly explain why Apple held on so stubbornly to the unpopular Liquid Glass aesthetic, including on MacBooks, even after users threw endless tantrums about it. Gurman writes that Liquid Glass seeded small changes that will smooth the transition to a touchscreen MacBook Pro, including control center sliders that have been made friendlier to touch input, and “more padding” around certain notifications.
Apple released its new 14-inch MacBook Pro M5 in October with little fanfare. But, despite the underselling, we found the device to be a great upgrade to its predecessor and the best MacBook for creatives. Now, you can find out for yourself with less of a strain on your wallet, thanks to a big sale.
Currently, B&H has discounts available for a variety of configurations. The cheapest option is the MacBook Pro M5 with 16GB of RAM and 512GB of SSD. It’s available in Space Black and Silver for $1,499, down from $1,599 — the lowest price we’ve seen for it. There’s also a deal on the 24GB of RAM option, but the best savings are $300 off the model with 32GB of RAM and either 512GB ($1,699) or 1TB ($1,899).
Devindra Hardawar for Engadget
Get the new MacBook for 9 percent off.
We gave the 14-inch Apple MacBook Pro M5 a 92 in our October review. We were impressed with how much faster — up to 60 percent — the GPU is than with the M4. It has a 10-core GPU, 10-core CPU and 16 Neural Engine cores. Beyond that, it has an extensive battery life, lasting 34 hours and 30 minutes while playing a looping HD video. It also has an excellent design, great keyboard and an extensive port selection.
Who needs a revamped Mac Pro when you can just turn several Mac Studios into a unified computing system? With the upcoming macOS Tahoe 26.2 release, Apple is introducing a new low-latency feature that lets you connect several Macs together using Thunderbolt 5. For developers and researchers, it’s a potentially useful way to create powerful AI supercomputers that can run massive local models. That allows four Mac Studios, which can each run up to 512GB of unified memory, to run the 1 trillion parameter Kimi-K2-Thinking model far more efficiently than PCs with power-hungry GPUs.
While we’ve seen Thunderbolt Mac clusters before, they were limited by slower Thunderbolt speeds, especially if they required a hub (which could reduce speeds to 10 Gb/s). Apple’s new feature allows for the full Thunderbolt 5 connectivity of up to 80Gb/s. The clustering capability also isn’t just limited to the pricey Mac Studio, it will also work with the M4 Pro Mac mini and M4 Pro/Max MacBook Pro. Developers won’t need any special hardware to build clusters, just standard Thunderbolt 5 cables and compatible Macs.
In a demo, I watched as a cluster of four Mac Studios loaded and ran that massive Kimi-K2-Thinking model in an early version of ExoLabs’s EXO 1.0. Notably, the cluster used less than 500 watts of power, which is around 10 times lower than a typical GPU cluster (NVIDIA’s RTX 5090 is rated for 575W, but its demands can also jump higher).
macOS Tahoe 26.2 will also give Apple’s open source MLX project full access to the neural accelerators on the M5 chip, which should dramatically speed up AI inferencing. Ironically, though, the only M5 Mac available today — the 14-inch MacBook Pro — only supports Thunderbolt 4. That means it won’t be able to take advantage of the new Mac clustering capability.
The unified memory and low power design of Apple Silicon already made Macs a useful choice for demanding AI work, but the ability to cluster multiple systems together over Thunderbolt 5 is potentially even more tempting to anyone working with large models. Of course, a Mac Studio with 512GB of RAM isn’t cheap — it starts at $9,499 with the M3 Ultra chip — but that’s only the highest-end option. Labs and companies that already have Mac Studios, Mac minis and MacBook Pros could potentially cluster systems they’ve already purchased.
Techtober may have come to an end, but our reviews team is still hard at work with this fall’s haul of new devices. Over the last two weeks, we’ve tested two new Apple products, a powerful gaming handheld, some seriously impressive headphones and Meta’s sporty smart glasses — and that’s just the start. Read on to catch up on all you might’ve missed, including our picks for the best of 2025.
Apple MacBook Pro M5 (14-inch)
Apple
The M5 14-inch MacBook Pro retains everything we love about Apple’s pro-grade laptops, while also adding in a much more powerful GPU.
When it comes to the new M5-powered MacBook Pro, the question isn’t whether it’s a capable machine or not. The real dilemma is whether to buy now or wait for even more muscle from the upcoming M5 Pro and M5 Max chips. “If you absolutely need a workhorse MacBook Pro today, you’ll have to settle for the M4 Pro and M4 Max (which are still far faster than the base M5 chip),” senior reviews reporter Devindra Hardawar explained. “But for most creatives, the M5 MacBook Pro offers an impressive balance of power and portability.”
Sennheiser HDB 630
Sennheiser/Engadget
Sennheiser moves closer to open-back performance in a set of closed wireless headphones with the HDB 630, but they look more midrange than high-end.
Sennheiser uses a USB-C dongle to bridge the gap between wireless convenience and audiophile-grade sound quality with the HDB 630. The problem is they don’t really look like a set of high-end headphones and the $500 asking price is steep. “As good as the HDB 630 is sound-wise, I can also appreciate that these aren’t the best headphones for everyone,” I wrote. “If you crave the best sound quality that still offers the convenience of wireless headphones — and you’re okay with a few extra steps — the HDB 630 is a worthy investment. Just don’t leave home without that dongle.”
Lenovo Legion Go 2
Lenovo / Engadget
While it isn’t super affordable starting at $1,100, the Lenovo Legion Go 2 is like the SUV of gaming handhelds thanks to its combination of strong performance and unmatched adaptability.
Sometimes it’s better to have a utility player instead of a specialist. According to senior reviews reporter Sam Rutherford, that’s exactly what you get with Lenovo’s Legion Go 2. You encounter great performance from a device with a huge 8.8-inch OLED display, but the handheld is expensive and bulky. “Just like an SUV that might go off-road once or twice a year, you might not use the Legion Go 2’s full capabilities all the time, but when you do and everything comes together, you realize all that utility isn’t just for show,” he said. “While the ROG Xbox Ally X is the better value, I appreciate how Lenovo’s handheld was made to handle a variety of battle conditions.”
Apple iPad Pro M5 (13-inch)
Apple / Engadget
The iPad Pro remains perhaps the most impressive piece of hardware Apple sells, and it’s more powerful and capable than ever. Too bad it’s so incredibly expensive.
Pros
M5 chip is a significant update for some GPU-powered tasks
Possibly the best screen I’ve ever seen
Extremely thin and light
First iPad with fast charging
iPadOS 26 is a major improvement
Cons
Prohibitively expensive
Accessories like the Magic Keyboard and Apple Pencil Pro make it cost even more
The M5 iPad Pro is impressive, but it’s also entirely too expensive. While the new chip offers a sizable upgrade, the screen is excellent and fast charging has finally hit the iPad, this model also requires you to spend more on accessories. “Unless you are going to use it as your main computer — all day, every day — and know exactly what benefits you’ll get from the iPad over a more traditional laptop, you’re probably better off buying an iPad Air and saving yourself a lot of money,” deputy news editor Nathan Ingraham wrote.
Oakley Meta Vanguard
Engadget
Wraparound frames aren’t for everyone, but the new look enables some unique capabilities that will appeal to even casual athletes.
Pros
Better battery life, speakers and durability than Meta’s other glasses
Redesigned camera makes photos and videos more usable
Action button means you can do more without saying “Hey Meta”
Meta’s sportier collab with Oakley has arrived, with a slew of features that might convince you to replace your action cam with a set of smart glasses. “If you’re a dedicated cyclist, runner, hiker or [insert outdoor activity of your choice], there’s a lot to like,” senior reporter Karissa Bell said. “The camera makes a lot more sense for action cam-like POV footage, and better video stabilization means you’re more likely to get shots you actually want to share.”
Other recent reviews
In other reviews, deputy buying advice editor Valentina Palladino put the slightly updated Powerbeats Fit through their paces and senior reporter Igor Bonifacic went on a gaming spree with the Fractal Design Scape. Igor also spent some time with the Galaxy S25 FE and I test drove Amazon’s completely rebuilt Echo Studio. Senior writer Sam Chapman compiled a list of the best free VPNs and published an in-depth review of Private Internet Access VPN.
Engadget’s best of 2025
In case you missed it, we announced our best of 2025 earlier this week. We made our picks based solely on the highest review scores in a variety of categories, so there’s a range of devices that made the cut. Our editors also explained why each one was the best in its category, so this is a good opportunity to get reacquainted with this year’s crop of gadgets and services.
On the other hand, the fact that the M5 is kind of boring doesn’t mean it’s bad. It just means that it might just be Apple’s most underrated product in years. Here’s what I mean:
Right now, the laptop I’d recommend most people buy is the M4 MacBook Air. It’s great. It’s lightweight, powerful, and meets most of the needs of most people.
This, of course, isn’t a review of the M4 MacBook Air. It’s a review of the M5 MacBook Pro. But, the more time I spent thinking about it, the more I thought about the idea that the base M5 MacBook Pro isn’t really meant to be compared to the higher-spec’d models that are certainly coming early next year. Instead, I think you should be thinking about it in comparison to the MacBook Air.
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For example, once you upgrade the storage on the MacBook Air (which you absolutely should do), the new M5 MacBook Pro is $400 more. I understand that $400 is many more than zero dollars, but the real question is, what do you get for $400?
The answer is, a lot more than you might think. First you get a much brighter, Mini-LED display. You also get about 33 percent better battery life, along with an extra USB-C port, an HDMI port, and an SD card reader. This year’s model also has a 2X faster SSD, 25 percent faster memory bandwidth, and what Apple calls “Neural Accelerators.”
Oh, and you get a fan—which isn’t normally something I’d say is a benefit, except I never once heard the fan on this model. The fact that it isn’t annoying, but can maximize the power of the M5 is nice bonus.
You’ll probably hear a lot of people tell you that you should wait for the M5 Pro or M5 Max version of the MacBook Pro, but keep in mind that most of those people make YouTube videos for a living. I’m not knocking them, I’m just pointing out that video is one of the things that benefits from the increased capabilities of the more powerful chips.
I spent the last week with a review unit from Apple, and put it through all the same tasks I regularly do on my M4 MacBook Air. I also compared it closely to an Mac mini with an M4 Pro. Those are the two computers I use every day, and I wanted to get a good feel for how the M5 stacks up.
I found that in tasks like Whisper Transcription and DiVinci Resolve, the M5 was notably faster than the M4, and on par, if not better than the M4 Pro. I also culled, edited, and exported 150 photos in Lightroom and found the M5 to not only handle it with ease, but the export time—which is the real test—was about five percent faster than the M4 Pro.
Yes, those tasks will be much faster on the forthcoming versions of Apple Silicon, so if those are things you do all the time, sure, your workflow will benefit from waiting. I just know that most people aren’t doing those things. Most people just want a great computer for sorting through their photos, browsing the internet, and maybe work or school.
Even Apple’s touting of the M5 as a great laptop for AI isn’t really that useful for most people who would consider buying this Mac. If all you’re doing is using ChatGPT, all of that compute is happening on Nvidia chips somewhere out there in the cloud. There’s very little happening on device.
But none of that means that the M5 isn’t an excellent computer. It is. In fact, it’s probably a lot better than you’ve ever given it credit for. The better display and battery life are things you’ll notice every day. Faster storage and memory bandwidth will make almost everything you do feel more responsive.
Maybe you don’t care about any of that. Maybe the extra battery life and killer display aren’t worth the extra weight that comes with the MacBook Pro. That’s a perfectly valid reason to go for the notably lighter MacBook Air, but to be honest, the display alone is probably worth the increased price.
The truth is, the M5 MacBook Pro isn’t flashy, but I think that’s the point. It’s not the computer Apple wants you to obsess over—it’s the one you’ll quietly depend on every day. It doesn’t need to reinvent anything to be great; it just needs to be better where it counts. For all the hype Apple pours into its biggest upgrades, sometimes the most meaningful performance comes from its most underrated Mac laptop.
The opinions expressed here by Inc.com columnists are their own, not those of Inc.com.
Apple is back with the latest version of the iPad Pro, and like the iPad Air earlier this year the surface-level changes are minimal. Like that iPad Air, there’s a new chip on board here. It’s the M5, which was also added to the 14-inch MacBook Pro and Vision Pro. There are new Apple-designed networking chips: the N1 handles Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6 and Thread, while the C1X handles 5G connectivity. Both of those chips debuted in the iPhone Air last month, so this is the first time they’re in an iPad. Finally, the iPad Pro supports fast charging for the first time; you can get to a 50 percent charge in about 30 minutes using a 60W power adaptor.
Compared to the redesign Apple introduced with the M4 iPad Pro in 2024, this is very much a minor spec bump. It makes sense for Apple to ensure the iPad Pro has its most performant chips as soon as they are released. If you’re charging customers upwards of $1,000 for an iPad Pro, it had better be on the bleeding edge. (The 13-inch iPad Pro I’m testing with 1TB of storage and 5G connectivity costs $2,099, plus the $349 Magic Keyboard.)
As such, the iPad Pro M5 is fairly easy to understand. Want a new iPad Pro? You’re now getting exactly what Apple offered a week ago, plus some impressive performance gains for specific tasks. Almost no one who bought an M4 iPad Pro should upgrade to this one, but anyone using an older model will find a ton to appreciate here.
And while the hardware hasn’t radically changed, iPadOS has. The recent iPadOS 26 release introduced an entirely new multitasking system, a significantly improved Files app and more support for background processes, to name just a few of the highlights. Those things are best appreciated on a powerful device with a large screen like the 13-inch iPad Pro M5 I’m reviewing here. For years, the question that has dogged the iPad Pro is when its software would match up to its undeniably impressive hardware. I think the combo of iPadOS 26 paired with this hardware is a winner, but as always the price is going to be a sticking point.
Apple / Engadget
The iPad Pro remains perhaps the most impressive piece of hardware Apple sells, and it’s more powerful and capable than ever. Too bad it’s so incredibly expensive.
Pros
M5 chip is a significant update for some GPU-powered tasks
Possibly the best screen I’ve ever seen
Extremely thin and light
First iPad with fast charging
iPadOS 26 is a major improvement
Cons
Prohibitively expensive
Accessories like the Magic Keyboard and Apple Pencil Pro make it cost even more
As mentioned, the M5 chip is the big change for the iPad Pro, and if you’re coming from a device older than last year’s M4 model you can expect a big performance increase when you start pushing the envelope of what you can do.
Before getting into the nitty gritty, here’s a rundown of what’s different from last year. Probably the most significant change is that the M5’s GPU now includes a “neural accelerator” on each of its 10 cores, an architectural tweak that’ll unsurprisingly give the chip more muscle when using the GPU for AI-related tasks. Beyond the neural accelerators, the GPU is also up to 30 percent faster in graphics performance, and the third-generation ray-tracing engine here is up to 45 percent faster in apps using ray tracing.
Nathan Ingraham for Engadget
The standard CPU cores (four performance, six efficiency) are also faster than last year’s model, though less dramatically so. That’s not a surprise, as each successive M-series chip has gotten similar modest performance gains over the years. (Note that the iPad Pros with 256GB or 512GB of storage only get three performance cores. They also come with 12GB of RAM compared to the 16GB in configurations with more storage, but that’s more than the 8GB of RAM in the last generation’s equivalent options.) The Neural Engine has been upgraded, as well. Apple is also promising big gains in memory bandwidth, which now hits 153GB/s (nearly 30 percent higher than on the M4). Finally, read/write speeds to storage are up to two times faster than in last year’s model.
Doing some benchmarking with the Geekbench 6 and Geekbench AI apps show the expected major gains for GPU and AI performance. Single-core and multi-core CPU tests with Geekbench 6 come in at about 15 percent and 10 percent better than the iPad Pro M4, but GPU performance has increased more than 32 percent.
Things are more dramatic when you look specifically at the Geekbench AI results. The app offers three scores (single precision, half precision and quantized) and can be run on three different chip backends (CPU, GPU and Neural Engine). When running the CPU- and Neural Engine-based benchmarks, the M5 only bested the M4 by single-digit percentages. But when using the GPU, the M5’s single-precision score was 22.4 percent better than the M4. Half precision and quantized performance was even more impressive — the M5 scored 85 percent and 101 percent better than the M4, respectively.
The story this tells is that unless you’re hitting your GPU hard with AI tasks, the M5 isn’t massively better than the M4. Not a huge surprise, and most people who shelled out for an iPad Pro in the last 18 months should still be plenty happy with their purchases. But those GPU scores show off exactly where the M5 can stretch its wings compared to its predecessor.
As I’ve only had the iPad Pro M5 for less than a week, I’m still comparing the M4 to M5 iPad Pro on specific AI-focused tasks and in certain apps and will update this review with more details later this week.
The caveat with all of this is that while the M5 is incredibly powerful, it’s also overkill for most things that people are going to use an iPad for. An iPad Pro with the M2 chip from 2022 still feels plenty responsive for most standard tasks that don’t require exceptional speed or power. Yes, there are definitely people buying an iPad Pro and maxing out its impressive capabilities, and those who do so will appreciate the performance here. But for everyone else, the M5 alone isn’t going to change how you use the iPad Pro on a day-to-day basis.
Apple’s 13-inch iPad Pro M5 is on the left; the 11-inch iPad Pro M4 is on the right.
(Nathan Ingraham for Engadget)
Hardware and display are still stunning
Anyone upgrading from an iPad Pro older than last year’s M4 model is in for a treat far beyond sheer performance. The iPad Pro M5 is physically identical to the prior one, but that doesn’t matter because I think this is still the single most impressive device Apple makes. I went deep into the many changes Apple made last year in my review of the iPad Pro M4, and everything I said there still applies.
But to recap, the iPad Pro is extremely portable despite its performance chops. Apple made it about 20 percent thinner and about a quarter-pound lighter than the iPad Pro models Apple sold from 2018 through 2023. This radically improves the experience of using it. If you’re holding it like a tablet, the 13-inch model is now light and thin enough to be comfortable for extended use without having to put it down. Doing anything with the on-screen keyboard while holding it is still pretty awkward and the 11-inch option still feels like the best size for hand-held tasks. But the 13-inch iPad Pro I’m reviewing is noticeably easier to hold than the iPad Air because of its reduced weight and slimmer profile.
The only complaint I might have about that thinness is it prevents Apple from shoving a bigger battery in here. The iPad Pro M5 gets the same 10-hour battery life rating (for surfing the web or watching videos) that every iPad has gotten since the tablet was released in 2010. But in recent years, Apple has, to some degree, stopped focusing on making every device as thin as possible at the potential expense of things like performance or battery life. Clearly, performance isn’t an issue here. But the same people who value extended battery life in a thicker device when using things like the MacBook Pro might feel the same here.
Nathan Ingraham for Engadget
That’s a valid opinion, but a tablet is meant to be held in your hands and carried around with you even more so than a laptop, so I understand why Apple values portability over extending the iPad Pro’s battery life. Plus, the iPad Pro M5’s fast-charging capabilities make it pretty easy to extend its life. Using Apple’s new 40W Dynamic Charger that can automatically step up to 60W, I got from 23 percent to 70 percent in 35 minutes. That’s a tad slower than the 50 percent charge in 30 minutes Apple claims, but we’re well within the “close enough” range.
One thing I didn’t get to test last year with the iPad Pro M4 was its durability. The tablet’s extremely thin design reminded people of past Apple devices that had had some issues with flexing. After over a year with the previous iPad Pro, I’m not at all worried about this one. I’ve taken an iPad Pro M4 all around the US and internationally with no issues. Granted, it’s usually in its keyboard case, but I’ve also traveled with it in the basic Smart Folio Apple sells and have seen no evidence of bending. I also don’t remember seeing any reports about durability issues from owners over the last 18 months, so I wouldn’t worry about its long-term durability.
I don’t have a great read on how long the iPad Pro M5 lasts away from its charger just yet — in the first few days with a new device it’s often downloading a lot of data from backups and doing some optimizing, thus not giving you a great feel for how long it’ll usually last. But so far, performance seems similar to the iPad Air M3 and iPad Pro M4 I’ve reviewed recently. I was getting between seven and eight hours while using the Magic Keyboard, and I’m guessing that I’ll blow past the 10-hour estimate when watching locally-stored video. More details on that to come.
Nathan Ingraham for Engadget
Performance, check. Design, check. The third thing that continues to impress me about the iPad Pro is its screen. It quite simply has the nicest display I have ever seen on a portable device, be it a laptop, phone or tablet. Apple’s tandem OLED display (two OLED panels layered on top of each other) is the same in all respects as it was last year. That means the 13-inch screen has a 2,752 x 2,064 resolution (264 ppi) and standard brightness that can hit 1,000 nits, or up to 1,600 nits peak for HDR content. Aside from the OLED display, the only display improvements the iPad Pro has that the iPad Air doesn’t is ProMotion support for 120Hz refresh rates as well as a nano-texture glass option for the 1TB and 2TB models.
To be clear, though, the iPad Pro’s screen is in a completely different ballpark than the one on the iPad Air. Between the much faster refresh rate, high brightness levels, completely dark blacks and wonderful contrast, there’s no question this screen far surpasses what you’ll find on any other iPad. Professionals who do detailed work in video, photography, drawing with the Apple Pencil Pro or graphic design will appreciate all of these features. But it also makes something like kicking back on a plane to watch a movie more enjoyable.
Nathan Ingraham for Engadget
iPadOS 26
In last year’s iPad Pro M4 review, I wrote: “Apple has shown no indication it’s going to make iPadOS more like a Mac.” As such, I recommended people not buy an iPad Pro unless they were happy with the limitations that have been inherent to iPadOS for a long time. It took Apple until this summer, but its latest updates rendered my earlier words invalid. With iPadOS 26, Apple pretty much said “screw it” and addressed nearly every big software complaint users have had.
As a quick refresher: apps still open in full screen by default, but you can now grab the corner and resize it to any shape you see fit; you can then stack up as many windows as you want in that view. Apps are also much better at remembering their size and position on your screen than ever before. If you swipe up and dismiss all the apps you’re working with and then re-open one, it’s right in the same place you left it. If you want to throw something back in full-screen, the familiar “stoplight” controls from the Mac are available for easy window management.
You can swipe up and hold for a second from the bottom of the screen to enter Expose, which shows every open window in your view. Swiping right shows all the full-screen apps you have open. If you have an app in full screen, you can switch back to a windowed app that’ll just float on top of what you’re working in. There’s also a menu bar at the top of the screen that makes it easy to access advanced controls for whatever you’re using.
As I said when I first started testing out iPadOS 26 in the summer, the end result of all these changes is that your iPad (no matter which kind) will feel significantly more capable with this software update. And there are other features that power users will appreciate, like a significantly improved Files app. Since it’s easier to have multiple windows, moving things around or dragging and dropping things into apps is a lot simpler. And there are improved sorting options as well, while PDFs finally open in the new Preview app rather than within Files .
Background task capabilities have also been significantly expanded. For example, Final Cut Pro can now render video in the background, whereas before, switching to a different app would put the lengthy and intensive process on pause. And developers can tap into this API to use it for their own apps, too.
I can’t say for sure that this will answer all the complaints of various iPad Pro owners out there, but I think Apple has gotten about as close as it can without just putting macOS on the device and calling it a day. Even with the big updates to iPadOS, an iPad Pro isn’t for everyone. Plenty of people will still choose a traditional laptop. But the iPad has always offered a pretty unique blend of power and portability, and with better software it’s a more viable option than ever.
Nathan Ingraham for Engadget
Wrap-up
My viewpoint on the iPad Pro hasn’t changed since last year. I still find it a wildly impressive device that is unlike much else you can buy. Just like the last model, it has Apple’s newest chip, the best display Apple has made (aside from its $5,000 Pro XDR monitor) and a physical design that feels almost impossible given how much technology is crammed inside. It’s truly delightful, and it’s even more capable than before thanks to the combination of iPadOS 26 and the M5 chip.
However, I still can’t stomach that price. $1,299 for a 13-inch iPad with 256GB of storage, no 5G connectivity and no Magic Keyboard is a lot of money, even if it is as capable as a similarly-priced laptop. Given the incredible technology inside of the iPad Pro, I can understand why it’s so expensive. And it’s powerful enough that some buyers will be able to use it for three, four, even five years before they feel the need to update, which makes the up-front investment a little less burdensome. It’s not the kind of device you need to replace annually, that’s for sure. But unless you are going to use it as your main computer — all day, every day — and know exactly what benefits you’ll get from the iPad over a more traditional laptop, you’re probably better off buying an iPad Air and saving yourself a lot of money.
Apple just announced its fall slate of devices powered by its new M5 chip: A 14-inch MacBook Pro, iPad Pro and revamped Vision Pro. In this episode, Devindra and Sam Rutherford dive into what’s actually new this time around. (Spoiler: It’s really all about the new GPU.) Also, Sam goes deep on his review of the ROG Xbox Ally X, Microsoft’s first stab at a portable “Xbox.”
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Topics
Apple refreshes of the Macbook Pro, Vision Pro and iPad Pro with M5 chips – 1:24
Sam Rutherford’s review of the ASUS ROG Xbox Ally X – 18:45
Microsoft makes big promises with Copilot Voice, can it follow through? – 39:00
OpenAI’s Sora app reaches 1M downloads in less than 5 days, faster than ChatGPT – 50:42
Sam Altman announces you’ll be able to sext with ChatGPT starting in December – 54:00
Pop culture picks – 1:09:41
Credits
Hosts: Devindra Hardawar and Sam Rutherford Producer: Ben Ellman Music: Dale North and Terrence O’Brien
This week, Apple announced fall hardware updates across multiple devices — pretty much every major category, besides iPhones and AirPods. Don’t get too excited: It’s not a redesign reveal, but we’re expecting a tangible performance jump for both the iPad Pro and MacBook Pro.
With the new M5 chip (no Pro or Max versions so far), Apple used the same 3-nanometer fabrication process for the M5 as it did for the M4. The new chip has 10 GPU cores and 10 CPU cores, along with a 16-core Neural Engine. Apple claims the M5 has the “world’s fastest CPU core” with up to 20 percent faster multithreaded performance compared to the M4 chip of the previous MacBook Pro. Graphics performance also gets a significant boost too. The M5 MacBook Pro ($1,599), otherwise, has identical specs to its M4 predecessor, right down to the same dimensions, weight and 70-watt power adapter.
Meanwhile, inside the iPad Pro, Apple claims it has more than four times the peak GPU compute performance of the M4. If you’re looking to use the new iPad Pro for video tasks, Apple says that video transcoding is six times faster than the old M1 iPad Pro from 2021. The 11-inch iPad Pro starts at $999 for the 11-inch model and $1,299 for the 13-inch model.
And it seems to have a lot of M5 chips to use: The Vision Pro gets one and a seemingly more comfortable Dual Knit Band. The M5 Vision Pro should last half an hour longer than the original model, as well, according to Apple.
Chinese phone maker Honor says its next phone will feature a camera on a pop-out mechanical arm. Talking to CNBC, Honor said it will be a robot phone, framing it around AI innovation — something the company is throwing millions of dollars at. I enjoy that its camera arm reminds me of the ubiquitous , beloved by bloggers, creators and tourists that get in my way. If its foldout camera can track, stabilize video footage and focus on its own, it could be a cool feature. The camera seems to fold away inside the back of the future device, but can it be used while tucked away there? We don’t know. What are these amazing future AI experiences? No idea. Questions, questions, questions. Honor said it plans to share more details at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona early next year.
The co-creation handheld from ASUS ROG and Xbox is here. The Ally X is arguably the best handheld console for Xbox games yet. It’s not just bigger grips and familiar button layouts, but they do help. No, the bigger evolution is how Microsoft has finessed the UI and software, making it more console-like and less like you need a mouse to navigate everything.
Perhaps most importantly, when the ROG Xbox Ally X costs $1,000, the AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme chip offers a lot of power, enough to handle rich flagship games, with some setting tinkering. If you want the best performance from the Ally X, you’ll need to plug it into the wall.
Apple insiders are pointing to a tactile new future for the company’s laptops. Last month, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo suggested that Apple would incorporate touchscreens into MacBooks some time in the next few years, “further blurring the line with the iPad.” Today, Mark Gurman at Bloomberg confirmed that prediction, sharing even more specifics about the touchscreen approach for a MacBook Pro that is currently projected for release in late 2026 or early 2027.
Gurman reports that the touchscreen laptops are internally known as K114 and K116, and will run on M6 chips; Apple just introduced the M5 generation of its silicon for this year’s iteration of the MacBook Pro and iPad Pro. His sources also say that the laptops will have OLED screens and will boast “a reinforced hinge and screen hardware” so that the display portion doesn’t move when being used. The laptops will still have a trackpad and keyboard for non-touchscreen control, and will be housed in “thinner and lighter frames.” Finally, this laptop will reportedly abandon the notch housing for the MacBook Pro’s camera in favor of a hole-punch design that leaves a display area around that sensor.
Longtime Apple leader Steve Jobs was adamantly opposed to touchscreen computers. But most other computer companies have had touchscreen models available for about a decade, so Apple did adhere to that philosophy for a really long time. Rather than bring touch to a laptop, for a while Apple was trying to position the iPad as being capable of doing all the tasks you’d use a laptop for, as epitomized in the notorious “what’s a computer?” ad. It should be interesting to see how touch MacBooks and iPads will coexist.
On Wednesday, Apple introduced a slate of new devices built around its latest processor, the M5. There’s a new 14-inch MacBook Pro, a refreshed iPad Pro, and even a new Vision Pro. None of them looks radically different from what came before. The story is mostly about what’s inside: The M5 is faster, more efficient, and built for Apple’s growing focus on on-device AI.
I’ll have more to say about the devices once I have a chance to spend some time with them, but there’s one change that isn’t about performance at all—and it’s making a bunch of people mad. In the European Union, the new MacBook Pro no longer comes with a charger in the box.
Laws have unintended consequences
Apple stopped including chargers with the iPhone years ago, arguing it cut down on electronic waste and packaging. This time, however, Apple didn’t remove the charger because it wanted to. It did it because the European Union basically told it to.
Under the EU’s Common Charger Directive (2022/2380), electronics like phones, tablets, and laptops must use USB-C for charging. That part of the law got most of the attention when it passed. What got less attention is the second piece: Companies must offer consumers the option to buy a device without a charger.
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The point is to reduce e-waste and prevent people from ending up with drawers full of duplicate chargers. The EU isn’t saying that Apple can’t sell you a charger in the box—it just says it must also offer a version without. Apple’s solution was the simplest possible: In the EU, the MacBook Pro comes without a charger in the box unless you opt to add one at purchase.
Technically, that meets the requirement. It also makes a lot of people angry.
The problem here is a perfect example of unintended consequences. The EU wanted companies to give consumers the freedom to choose. Apple is giving them exactly what they asked for, but it turns out that customers don’t love the idea that they now have to pay more for something that literally used to be in the box. Especially since, if you buy it in Chicago or Tokyo, it still comes in the box. In practice, European customers get less for the same price.
No one looks great here
The optics aren’t great. It looks like punishment for the EU’s interference, wrapped in sustainability language. But it actually raises an interesting question: Who should decide? By that I mean, who should make product decisions: companies or governments?
Sure, Apple probably would have switched to USB-C on the iPhone eventually. The standard is better, faster, and used by basically every other electronic device you can buy today. But the EU forced the timing, leaving Apple little choice. Now it’s deciding how Apple packages its products.
That’s the tension here. The EU’s goal of standardization and giving users a choice is fine. I don’t think anyone is arguing against that. The thing is, there are a lot of ways you can make that happen and generally it seems best to let customers make their preference known by their buying decisions. That’s not what’s happening here. Instead, the government is making choices, and we’re seeing exactly what happens when regulatory goals collide with big-tech priorities. You don’t get a better product; you get a box missing something you expected to be there.
This feels different
There’s also a psychological element. When Apple removed the iPhone charger, it softened the blow by introducing MagSafe and new accessories. It told a story about how the tradeoff made sense. With the MacBook Pro, there’s no new feature to distract from what’s gone.
Customers simply notice they’re paying the same price for less. That’s never a good story. Especially when they can look across the Atlantic and see buyers in the U.S. getting a charger for free.
From the EU’s perspective, this is exactly what it wanted—for customers to have control and choices. Except, the problem is that the optics cut both ways. When governments micromanage product details, they risk alienating the very people they’re trying to protect. The EU’s law was meant to empower consumers. In practice, it might just make them frustrated with both Apple and the regulators who forced its hand.
This charger issue might seem small, but it highlights the tension between two forces that both claim to act in the consumer’s best interest—Apple’s design philosophy and Europe’s regulatory bureaucracy.
When those collide, no one wins. You end up with what we saw today: a powerful new MacBook Pro, built with cutting-edge silicon, shipping in a box that feels a little emptier than it should. Maybe that’s progress. Or maybe it’s just politics disguised as sustainability. Either way, Apple is giving the European Union exactly what it wants, and no one is going to be happy.
The opinions expressed here by Inc.com columnists are their own, not those of Inc.com.
We may only be a few days away from the big reveal of Apple’s latest chips. According to Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman, Apple is getting ready to release its October lineup of new products powered by the M5 chip as soon as this week. In the latest Power On newsletter, Gurman expects announcements for an upgraded iPad Pro, a refreshed Vision Pro with a revamped strap, and the new base model MacBook Pro, all of which will come with the latest Apple silicon.
Previously, the expected launch for the M5 MacBook Pro flip-flopped between early next year and its typical fall release. Gurman previously reported that Apple was targeting an early 2026 release for the upgraded MacBook Pro, but more recently revealed that the company was “nearing mass production” for its laptops.
Gurman referenced another hint that the entry-level M5 MacBook Pro is on the way, since Apple stores are running low on their M4 MacBook Pro stock, but still have enough inventory with the M4 Pro or M4 Max options. Gurman also noted in a previous edition of his newsletter that the M5 Pro and M5 Max chips wouldn’t be “ready in volume” until early next year. As for the October releases, we’re not expecting another event like Apple did with its iPhone 17 reveal. Instead, Apple will likely reveal its remaining fall lineup with online announcements, like it did with the current MacBook Pro in October of last year.
Apple may be releasing a new iPad Pro with an M5 chip in the very near future, according to an unboxing video made by a Russian YouTuber. This is the same creator that leaked the 14-inch MacBook Pro with the M4 chip last year, so the information in the video is likely credible.
To that end, the creator unboxes what appears to be a new 13-inch iPad Pro with an M5 chip and 256GB of storage in a Space Black finish. The exterior design doesn’t look noticeably different from current models, as the tablet still has a single rear camera, four speakers and a Smart Connector.
Previous leaks had indicated that the next iPad Pro would feature a second front camera, but this video doesn’t confirm that. It also looks like this new model is still plenty thin.
The video even puts the tablet through some testing. A Geekbench 6 benchmark shows a 12 percent increase in multi-core CPU performance when compared to the previous generation. This benchmark result suggests a 36 percent faster GPU. It also indicated that the 256GB model of this tablet will include 12GB of RAM. Current models with 256GB of storage ship with just 8GB of RAM.
The footage shows that this tablet is running iPadOS 26, which makes sense, and that the battery was manufactured in August of this year. This could all be a ruse but, again, the leaker has been proven correct in the past. It’s likely that Apple will announce the refreshed iPad Pro with the M5 chip sometime in October, which tracks with previous reporting.
It was also recently reported that the company is working on a refresh of the MacBook Pro laptop with the M5 chip. These computers could be available later this year.
The latest Apple silicon is about to hit the assembly lines, according to Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman. In the latest Power On newsletter, Gurman said that Apple “is nearing mass production of its next MacBook Pros, MacBook Airs and two new Mac monitors.” Gurman added that these upgraded products are scheduled for release sometime between the end of this year and the first quarter of next year.
Earlier this year, Gurman noted that Apple was expected to start production on the M5 MacBook Pro during the second half of 2025. All signs seem to point toward Apple following its typical release schedule, where the latest MacBook Pro makes its fall debut, followed by the reveal of the upgraded MacBook Air in the spring. However, Gurman previously mentioned in a July edition of his newsletter that “Apple is now internally targeting a launch early next year” for the MacBook Pro instead.
Beyond the upcoming MacBooks, we’re expecting one of the two Mac monitors to be the upgraded Studio Display. First released in March 2022, Apple’s Studio Display could use a refresh, which some rumors say will include a mini-LED display, along with overall improvements to brightness and color quality.
There is a mouse graveyard in my office cabinet — devices I’ve tried and discarded because they didn’t help with my shoulder aches. The solution was a roller ball mouse and Logitech’s MX Ergo is the best I’ve found. It tilts for a more natural “handshake” grip and has a slow-mo option for more precise movements in Photoshop and other apps. The scroll wheel is speedy but precise, as is the trackball and you can switch between two devices with the pairing button. You can even program the various buttons to do app-specific things using Logitech’s software. It’s also a handy companion for an iPad and makes a good Mac accessory as well.
My only gripe is the antiquated micro-USB charging port, but the battery lasts long enough that I only have to use it once every few months. It’s pricey at $100, so you may prefer the $70 Ergo Lift. It also offers a handshake grip, but without the roller ball, and has Bluetooth or USB dongle connectivity options.
Of course, there’s also Apple’s own Magic Trackpad, which basically replicates the MacBook’s touch surface so you can place it anywhere. If you’re a fan of the multi-touch gestures on your MacBook, this could be a more comfortable way to use them. — A.S.
Apple’s next big to-do for 2025 will be the upcoming iPhone 17 event, which will likely happen some time in September. Historically, the company uses those events to announce new iPhones, AirPods and Apple Watches — MacBooks tend to get their own, separate shindig (though we do expect the new macOS 26 software to come out around that time). For now, the most recent MacBooks are the M4 MacBook Air and the M4 MacBook Pro. Deciding between just two models may seem easy, but there are still plenty of variables to consider before you add one to your cart — screen size, chip capabilities, price and memory configurations will all come into play. We’ve reviewed every MacBook model to come out in the last 17 years or so, so we compiled this guide to help you pick the best MacBook for you.
Table of contents
Best MacBooks for 2025
Devindra Hardawar for Engadget
Screen size: 13” | Processor: M4 chip, 10-core CPU, 10-core or 8-coreGPU, 16-core Neural Engine | Storagecapacity (SSD): 256GB | Memory: 16GB | Batterylife: Up to 18 hours | Ports: MagSafe 3 charging, 3.5mm jack, 2 x Thunderbolt 4/USB4 | Connectivity: Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3 | Apple MacBook product line: Air
Since we first put this guide together, a MacBook Air has consistently held the top spot as our recommendation for most people. The most recent model, the 2025 MacBook Air with the M4 chip, was in no way a surprising upgrade — but it did arrive with a welcome $100 price cut from the prior model. There hasn’t been a major design shakeup since the M2 version, but Engadget’s Devindra Hardawar still called the latest MacBook Air “a nearly flawless ultraportable” in his review.
It’s not only our favorite MacBook, this one currently holds the honor of our best laptop overall. It has everything most users could want: A bright screen, long battery life, one of the best trackpads around and a zippy processor that’s “eager to get to work.” All this is housed in a remarkably thin and lightweight unibody aluminum case that’s a joy to hold. While Devindra didn’t notice a huge difference in performance from the upgraded chip, the M4 chip did perform around 20 percent faster than the M3 in CPU benchmark tests, while the GPU gained a more modest increase in performance.
The screen is roomy, even on the 13-inch model, and supports the P3 wide color gamut (an upgraded organizational system for displaying color that produces more accurate and vibrant tones). It can reach up to 500 nits of brightness so you should be able to clearly see your screen even while outside on a sunny day. If you’re planning on using the laptop with additional displays at your desk, you now have more screen space. The M4 MacBook Air supports two external displays with the computer’s lid open, whereas the M3 MacBook Air only supported two displays with the lid closed. There’s also an upgraded 12MP camera as well, so your video calls should look better. We tested over 18 hours of battery life on both the MacBook Air 13- and 15- inch models. That should get you through a full day of work and then some.
One of our few complaints about the MacBook Air is the lower, 60Hz refresh rate. To get up to 120Hz refresh rate (like many ultraportable PCs ship with) you’ll need to upgrade to a Pro model. We’d also like to see an additional port on the right side. Instead, you get two Thunderbolt 4 USB-C ports and a MagSafe power connection on the left. There’s a lone 3.5mm jack on the right. An additional USB-C port on the starboard side would give you more options for charging and using accessories.
As for which configuration to get, we think most people would be happy with the base model 13-inch MacBook Air with 256GB of storage and 8-core GPU. But if you want to play more games or do media work, you may want to opt for the 15-inch model with 512GB of storage and a 10-core GPU. That configuration starts at $1,399. One thing we don’t recommend is going too big on the RAM. If you think you’ll need 32GB of memory, you should probably go for a MacBook Pro.
Apple’s latest 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros may not look any different, but under the hood they’re entirely new beasts thanks to Apple’s M4 chips. The $1,599 14-inch model is a far better deal than before too, since it now includes 16GB of RAM standard and it has three USB-C connections instead of just two. While the M4 chip is a decent step up from the M3, the M4 Pro wowed us with Geekbench and Cinebench scores that we’ve never seen before. The Pro model’s multithreaded performance is practically the same as two competing Windows laptops put together! (We didn’t test the M4 Max, but it’s most likely another stunner.)
Beyond the new chips, the M4 MacBook Pros sport slightly brighter screens for SDR content (helpful for working in sunlight), as well as a big webcam upgrade to 12MP, instead of just 1080p. So, for the first time, the MacBook Pros can use Apple’s Center Stage to keep you in frame during video chats, as well as Desk View.
These MacBook Pros also deliver the same excellent keyboard and super smooth trackpad that we’ve loved over the last few years. They also have all the ports you need, including three USB-C, HDMI, 3.5mm jack and an SD card reader. The M4 Pro and M4 Max chips also bring along Thunderbolt 5 for faster connections to external accessories. As for battery life, both systems lasted over 30 hours in our video rundown test, and they could easily run for multiple workdays without a recharge. — Devindra Hardawar, Senior Reporter
Historically, Apple kept the previous year’s MacBook Air in its lineup as a sort of budget option. But the company took a different approach with the release of the M4 MacBook Air. Instead of continuing to sell the older model, Apple discontinued the M3 Air and gave its newest computer a $100 price cut.
Now, if you can even find a brand new M3 MacBook Air (typically from retailers like Amazon or B&H), it’s often more expensive than the M4 version. During sales like Amazon Prime Day, we’ve seen the newest M4 Air go for as little as $799. That effectively makes our overall pick a budget pick as well.
Of course, $800 isn’t exactly a small investment either for college students or others on a budget. Especially when you can find some decent PCs for under $500. If you’re looking to save even more on a MacBook, we recommend checking out refurbished options directly from Apple, or even third party sellers like BackMarket. There are a few guidelines to keep in mind, which we go over in our refurbished guide, but mainly, you’ll want to shop from a reputable source that has a stated process and offers at least a year-long warranty. Using your old gear as a trade-in will bring down your final cost as well.
Factors to consider when buying a MacBook
Compared to PCs, Apple computers tend to have more streamlined specifications. The company has long been known for this simplicity, and the M-series “system-on-a-chip” condenses things even further. Prior to the M1 chip, Apple used Intel chips in its laptop and desktop computers. The M2 and M3 generations followed that first chip and currently sells MacBooks equipped with M4-series chips. You’ll find the standard M4 processor in the Air and the base-model Pro and the upgraded M4 Max and M4 Pro chips as options for the MacBook Pro (currently there is no M4 Ultra chip, as there was with the M3 series in the Mac Studio). All M-series chips combine, among other technologies, the CPU, graphics card and unified memory (RAM). Apple’s Neural Engine is included too, which is a specialized group of processor cores that handles machine learning tasks such as image analysis and voice recognition.
While a unified chip means you have fewer decisions to make when picking a MacBook, there are still a few factors to consider, including specs like the number of CPU cores, amount of RAM, storage capacity, screen size, and, obviously, price. The finish color may be a minor consideration, but it’s worth pointing out that the Pro comes in just two colors (Silver or Space Black) but the Air comes in four hues (Midnight, Starlight, Sky Blue and Silver).
CPU cores
The lowest-specced chip in a current-lineup MacBook is the standard M4 chip, which is found in all models of the MacBook Air and the base model MacBook Pro 14-inch. That chip houses a 10-core CPU and either an 8- or 10-core GPU. In total, there are three versions of the M4 chip: standard M4, M4 Pro and M4 Max (which are each a step up from their predecessors, the M3, M3 Pro and M3 Max chips). The burliest chip, the M4 Max is built with either a 14- or 16-core CPU and a 32- or 40-core GPU.
Cores are, in essence, smaller processing units that can handle different tasks simultaneously. Having more of them translates to the computer being able to run multiple programs and applications at once, while also smoothly processing demanding tasks like video and photo editing and high-level gaming. In short, more cores allow for more advanced computing and better performance. But if your processing power needs fall below professional-level gaming and cinematic video and audio editing, getting the highest number of cores is likely overkill — and after all, more cores equals higher cost and more power usage.
Photo by Devindra Hardawar/Engadget
RAM
Your options for RAM, or in Apple’s terminology, unified memory, varies, but with the switch to the M4 chip in all laptops, the lowest amount of RAM you can get is now 16GB. That’s a necessary spec-bump to accommodate the tech world’s favorite feature of the moment: AI or, in this case, Apple Intelligence (still AI, but Cupertino’s version). The M4 Pro chip has 24 or 48GB memory options, while the M4 Max chip supports 48, 64 or a whopping 128GB of RAM.
You’ve likely heard the analogy comparing memory to the amount of workspace available on a literal desktop surface, whereas storage is the amount of drawers you have to store projects to work on later. The larger the worktop surface, the more projects you can work on at once. The bigger the drawers, the more you can save for later.
In addition to supporting Apple Intelligence, more RAM is ideal for people who plan to work in multiple apps at once. And the more demanding each program is, the more RAM will be required. Extra memory can also come in handy if you’re the type who likes to have infinite numbers of tabs open on your browser. If your daily workflow doesn’t involve simultaneously using a vast number of memory-intensive programs, you can save yourself money and buy the RAM configuration that you’re most likely to actually use.
For a long time, Apple continued to offer MacBooks with just 8GB of RAM, and we recommended upgrading to at least 16GB of RAM. With this being the standard today, grabbing a base model should be fine for most non-pro-level users. One thing to note is that, unlike most PCs, the RAM in a MacBook is not user-upgradable since it’s tied into the system-on-a-chip. If you think you might end up needing more memory, you should go for the spec upgrade up front.
Storage capacity (SSD)
Storage options range from 256GB of SSD for the base-model MacBook Air and 8TB of storage for the MacBook Pros with the M4 Max chip. If you want to rotate between a long roster of game titles or keep lots of high-res videos on hand, you’ll want more storage. If you’re mostly working with browser- and cloud-based applications, you can get away with a smaller-capacity configuration. That said, we recommend springing for 512GB of storage or more, if it’s within your budget. You’ll quickly feel the limits of a 256GB machine as it ages since the operating system alone takes up a good portion of that space. Having 1TB will feel even roomier and allow for more data storage over the life of your laptop.
When Apple announced the iPhone 15, the company also announced new iCloud+ storage storage plans, with subscriptions that allow up to 12TB of storage shared among your iOS and MacOS devices. You could also transfer files to an external storage device. But if you don’t want to pay for a monthly subscription and prefer the convenience of having immediate access to your files, it’s best to get the highest amount of storage space your budget allows for at the outset.
Screen size
The MacBook Air comes in 13- or 15-inch sizes. Pro models have either 14- or 16-inch screens. A two-inch delta may not seem like much but, as Engadget’s Nathan Ingraham noted when he reviewed the then-new 15-inch M2-powered MacBook Air, a larger screen “makes a surprising difference.” That’s especially true if you plan to use your laptop as an all-day productivity machine and won’t be using an external monitor. More space means you can more clearly view side-by-side windows and have a more immersive experience when watching shows or gaming.
But screen size is one of the main factors influencing weight. The 13-inch MacBook Air M4 weighs 2.7 pounds, whereas the top-end 16-inch MacBook Pro with the Max chip weighs 4.7 pounds. If you plan to travel a lot or swap your work locations regularly, a smaller screen will make life easier in the long run.
All MacBooks feature IPS LCD panels (in-plane switching, liquid crystal display), which Apple markets as Retina displays. The MacBook Air M4 has a Liquid Retina display and the Pro models have Liquid Retina XDR displays. “Liquid” refers to the way the lighted portion of the display “flows” within the contours of the screen, filling the rounded corners and curving around the camera notch. “XDR” is what Apple calls HDR (high dynamic range).
You also get the option of a standard or nano-texture display on the MacBook Pro. The glass, which reduces glare and is also available on the Studio Display, iMac and iPad Pro, comes with a $150 price increase, but if you really don’t like reflections on your screen, it could be worth it.
Compared to most other laptops, MacBook displays are notably bright, sharp and lush. But one feature worth pointing out is another Apple marketing term: ProMotion. It’s the company’s term to describe a screen with a higher, 120Hz refresh rate, which results in smoother scrolling and more fluid-looking graphics. Only MacBook Pros offer ProMotion; the Air maxes out at 60Hz, which is perfectly fine for everyday browsing and typical workdays. But if you want buttery-smooth motion from your display, you’ll have to shell out more money for an upgrade.
Operating systems
Software considerations won’t make much of a difference when deciding between MacBook models — all come with macOS installed. But if you’re switching from, say, a Windows PC, the operating system may be something to factor into your decision — though it’s probably less of an issue than it once was. Now that so much of the work we do on our computers is browser- and cloud-based, the learning curve between the two platforms isn’t as steep. Apps and programs like Gmail perform similarly regardless of what computer you’re using. Apple machines have historically had more limited support of AAA gaming titles, but even that is changing with more AAA games and better graphics coming to Macs.
As for macOS, it’s getting better too. With macOS Tahoe 26, the Spotlight function is more advanced, making it easier to find apps and perform tasks straight from your keyboard. The software also implements Apple’s unifying Liquid Glass design for a modern look that looks consistent across iOS and iPad devices. New enhanced iPhone continuity features also make MacBooks and the handset work better together. A revamped Shortcuts app is more powerful as well, giving users custom automations that leverage Apple Intelligence (the company’s own AI).
Price
When Apple announced the MacBook Air M4, it also delivered a bit of refreshing news: The latest model now starts $100 cheaper than the previous generation. So now, the least expensive MacBook is the 13-inch, M4-powered Air with 16GB of RAM and 256GB of storage for $999. Alternatively, you can spend up to $7,349 for the 16-inch MacBook Pro M4 Max with the nano-texture glass, 128GB of RAM and 8TB of storage.
Chip type, screen size, memory and storage capacity all influence the final price, which is why guides like this can help you determine just what you need (and what you don’t) so you can get the most cost-effective machine for you. AppleCare is another cost to consider. The extended warranty plan from Apple covers repairs from accidents and offers free battery replacement and starts at $3.50 per month or $35 per year for MacBooks.
We recommend the MacBook Air M4 for most people, and thanks to that $100 price cut, it’s also a good budget option. If you want something even cheaper, we recommend looking at refurbished M-series models from Apple. We think the 14- or 16-inch MacBook Pros are best for professionals. If you have extra money to spare once you’ve picked your machine, we recommend upgrading to at least 512GB of storage to make your machine as future-proof as possible. Of course, if you’re just after the M4 chip and want the cheapest route to get it, you might consider the M4 Mac mini, which starts at $599 (though you’ll have to supply the screen, mouse and keyboard).
Best MacBooks spec comparison chart
Product
Superlative
Tested configuration
Tested battery life
Rated battery life
Apple MacBook Air M4 (13-inch)
Best MacBook overall
Apple M4, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD
18.25 hours
Up to 18 hours
Apple MacBook Pro M4 (14-inch)
Best MacBook for creatives
Apple M4, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD
34.25 hours
Up to 22 hours
Best MacBook FAQs
What’s the difference between MacBook Air and Pro?
Both the MacBook Air and Pro models come with the M4 chip. MBP models have the option of more powerful M4 Pro or M4 Max chips. The Pro has a higher resolution screen with a higher peak brightness that supports up to 120Hz adaptive refresh rates and XDR (extreme dynamic range). The battery life on most Pro models is longer than on the Air models as well. Pro models also have more ports and more speakers. In short, the MacBook Air is aimed at everyday users looking for good productivity and entertainment capabilities, while Pro models are aimed at professionals who need a high-performance computer.
What’s the difference between macOS and Windows?
MacOS is the operating system developed by Apple and used in all of its desktop and laptop computers. It can only be found in hardware made by Apple including MacBooks and iMacs. Microsoft’s Windows operating system can be found in the company’s own Surface laptops as well as computers made by a wide array of manufacturers, like Acer, Asus, Dell and Razer.
It seems Apple has a slew of hardware announcements in store for us this fall. In the Power On newsletter this week, ’s Mark Gurman reports that Apple is gearing up to announce new MacBook Pro models, the , the M4 iMac and a new iPad mini before the end of the month, and is targeting a release date of November 1 for “at least some” of these products.
According to Gurman, we’re likely to see a low- and high-end 14-inch MacBook Pro, both packing the M4 chips. There will also be a 16-inch high-end MacBook Pro. As for the Mac mini, reported that the upcoming compared to its predecessors, with a build roughly the size of an Apple TV box. The size reduction may also mean it . Following the fall releases, Gurman predicts Apple will have a bunch of other products ready for early 2025, including a 13-inch and 15-inch M4 MacBook Air, along with a refreshed iPhone SE and iPad Air in both sizes.
This guide was updated on March 28, 2024, at 2:40 p.m. ET to reflect the latest information from Bloomberg and other sources.
Can This iPad Replace Your Laptop?
The rumor tornado that has circled the upcoming OLED iPad Pro has finally started to wane, leaving us with a whole field scattered with little nuggets of information relating to its size, color options, and a few juicy details surrounding the new look on its OLED screen. The new school iPad Pro and iPad Air are supposed to drop sometime this Spring, though we may need to wait until May for the full reveal. We still have a few months to get excited about Apple’s first real push into OLED outside its phones.
Apple didn’t release any 11th-gen iPads last year, which is noteworthy considering the Cupertino, California company has released one yearly for over a decade. The rumors make it clear that Apple thinks this latest refresh is a big one, and it could possibly reinvent the somewhat confusing SKU bloat that’s hindered the tech giant’s tablet line for years.
When Could Apple Release the OLED iPad Pro?
Most initial rumors suggested that Apple would showcase its new iPads in March. However, new details are coming out of Apple’s production line, and a report from Bloomberg says we’ll have to wait until sometime in May. Based on several anonymous sources, the report notes that the May release will be a big one centered around the new iPads. The Pro models will receive a brand new screen, while fans of the iPad Airs will have a new size category to play with at 12.9 inches.
The Cupertino company just released its new M3 MacBook Airs with a 13- or 15-inch screen in March, so this push to May isn’t so surprising as the company wants to spread out its releases and stay in the media spotlight for longer. The report notes that Apple needed to finish up the software for its upcoming tablets, hence the delay. In January, Bloomberg’s Apple guru Mark Gurman reported that Apple has wide-ranging designs. Nothing’s changed as far as what’s coming down the pike. According to Bloomberg, this first iPad refresh in 18 months will include four models: the J717, J718, J720, and J721.
As first reported by Apple Insider, quoting from market researchers at Display Supply Chain Consultants, there have been a few snags with manufacturing the latest tablets. Still, now that Apple has a little more breathing room, there hopefully won’t be any more delays.
May would also be a month before its biggest event of the year, WWDC 2024. That’s where most rumors suggest Apple will introduce far more AI enhancements to iOS 18. Much hasn’t been said about AI on iPadOS, but if it’s not there to start, it will only be a matter of time before Apple slaps some version of AI features on its tablets.
Moreover, there’ve been hints at additional iPad accessories that could also find their way onto the scene, along with the new Airs and Pros. People digging into the code for iOS 17.4 found mentions of an Apple Pencil 3 that connects with Apple’s Find My app. With a surprise release last year, the previous Apple Pencil featured a slide-out USB-C slot. That pencil version also lacked pressure sensitivity, so a new version with more sensitivity options could fit well with the new “Pro” lineup.
But wait, there’s more. MacRumors claimed, based on a source who works with Apple parts, that the next iPad could support MagSafe wireless charging. There hasn’t been word that the Cupertino company would make an all-new MagSafe peripheral for iPads, but we can’t help but imagine a charging unit that could double as a hands-free stand. Bloomberg had previously hinted at Apple trying to create a glass-backed iPad that would work with MagSafe.
The new iPad could also introduce an all-new keyboard. Gurman previously mentioned that Apple is trying to redesign the Magic Keyboard to work with the iPad. Rumors suggest the new keyboard will have a larger trackpad. Most importantly, Apple could switch to aluminum for the top portion of its keyboard, which would give it much more of a MacBook feel than ever before. The cover material would remain the same, but it would make the whole keyboard a lot sturdier for those who want to use their iPad as their main daily driver.
What Do We Know About the iPad Pro’s OLED?
Photo: Caitlin McGarry / Gizmodo
Based on routine hints by industry analysts, it’s become well-known that Apple wants to make an 11.1-inch and a 13-inch iPad Pro with OLED. That’s compared to the most recent 12.9-inch mini-LED version (called Liquid Retina XDR) and 11-inch IPS LCD version that currently occupy the top end of Apple’s tablet line. Those rumors have been reconfirmed by the most recent word from
The new generation of iPads will be sized slightly differently from previous models. 9to5Mac reported, based on anonymous sources, that the new iPad Pros will be close to 1 mm less thick than the current 10th-gen. The existing 11-inch iPad Pro is 5.9 mm thick, but the new one could be 5.1 mm. The 12.9-inch version currency sits at 6.4 mm, but the new one could be a bare 5.0 mm.
To complement the new sizes, rumors also suggest we’ll see an updated MacBook Air that stretches the screen to 12.9 inches.
What’s Happening with iPadOS 18?
There could be some interesting changes in store for the next OS update to come along with the iPad refresh. For one, the next tablet operating system could drop support for several older-gen iPads. According to a rumor first reported by 9to5Mac, this includes the 2nd-gen 12.9-inch iPad Pro, the 10.5-inch iPad Pro, and the 6th-gen iPad. The rest of the tablets from 2019 and later should still have access to the new OS build.
If iOS 18‘s rumored AI enhancements prove true, it would only make sense to bring them to the iPad as well. This could potentially reinvent Siri and perhaps add several new AI-enhanced functions to Apple’s portable platforms.
At the tail end of last month, Apple released the new iPadOS update 17.4.1, which MacRumors confirmed didn’t offer any hints about iPadOS 18. At the very least, we can speculate that iPadOS 18 will come out at the same time as iOS 18, which will likely debut at WWDC 2024.
How Powerful Will the OLED iPad Pro Be?
We’ve known for a long while now that Apple wants to use its new M3 chip inside the iPad Pro. This was before we even had a chance to look at and analyze the power and capabilities of Apple’s latest M-series silicon, but since then, we’ve had the full chance to test out the capabilities of the 3nm M3 and its more powerful brethren, the M3 Pro and M3 Max.
Most configurations of the M3 for both the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro come with 8 CPU cores and either 8 or 10 GPU cores. These configurations either come with 8, 16, or 32 GB of RAM, though considering the iPad Pro goes to a maximum of 16 GB of integrated memory, you can expect the OLED version to be the same.
We’ve found the M3 chip to be pretty versatile at both productivity and graphical tasks. It’s marginally better than the M2 chip in all benchmarks, so it will certainly be an upgrade for those used to the M1 or M2 versions, even ignoring the new eye-catching display.
How Much Will the OLED iPad Pro Cost?
Photo: Caitlin McGarry / Gizmodo
OLED normally costs more than LCD, partly because of materials and partly because fewer factories and makers are available to manufacture the individual components. Based on industry sources, Korean tech rumor site The Elec (via MacRumors) claimed that Samsung is producing the first batch of the 11-inch OLED iPads but that LG is also working on the 13-inch versions.
The Elec also noted that industry analysts expect Apple to ship 8 million units this year. That’s less than what the industry thought the company would ship last year, though it may be based on expected demand more than anything. Apple did have a few issues last year with MacBook sales being down, leading the company to release the M3 MacBook Pros, not even a year after it finally started shipping the M2 version. This did help build hype around the M3 chip, the company’s most powerful APU released.
That said, the iPad Pro would only make sense to see a price increase. Trying to guess an exact price would be like tossing darts blindfolded, but the 13-inch iPad Pro currently starts at $1,099 but can go upwards of $2,000 if you want to opt for more storage options and cellular connectivity. We could guess that a new iPad Pro would cost at least $100 more than the current generation. The Elec has previously reported the next iPad could cost several hundred dollars more, even putting the price at $1,500 for the 11-inch and $1,800 for the 18-inch model, which seems to be a higher jump than seems practical.
Also, considering the Magic Keyboard’s current starting price of $300, a new aluminum material will likely increase the overall cost. The future iPad Pro will be a much more luxury product, which will also recast the Air as a more consumer-grade product overall.
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As an entrepreneur, you’re in a constant battle to do the best possible work at the lowest possible budget. That conflict likely extends to your technology, as well. How do you get the best tools at the lowest price? One great way to do it is by buying refurbished.
Refurbished tech has been previously owned, returned to the factory, and fixed up to work like new. It may have some cosmetic blemishes like dents or scratches, but it will still work just fine. So, if you’re in the market for a new laptop, consider this deal on a 2017 Apple MacBook Pro 13.3″. Typically $649, it’s just $449.99 when you buy refurbished.
This thin, lightweight MacBook Pro has a 13.3″ IPS Retina display with LED backlighting and an Intel Iris Graphics 640 chip that supports smooth image and video processing. It runs on a 7th Gen Kaby Lake 2.3 GHz Intel Core i5 dual-core processor with 8GB of RAM, giving you plenty of power for your business and multitasking needs.
If you’re creating a lot of files, the 256GB SSD storage and dual Thunderbolt 3 ports support onboard storage and high-speed transfer to external devices. (You can also connect to Mac’s discontinued but highly popular Thunderbolt displays.)
The MacBook Pro has a 54.5Wh lithium-ion polymer battery that lasts for up to ten hours on a charge. It offers 802.11ac dual-band Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.2 to get online and connect to peripherals, while the integrated microphones, stereo speakers, and 720p webcam support your hybrid working needs.
Gear up for a nice discount just in time for the holidays.
Disclosure: Our goal is to feature products and services that we think you’ll find interesting and useful. If you purchase them, Entrepreneur may get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our commerce partners.
Nerd Wallet reports that 52% of Americans ended up with credit card debt while holiday shopping in 2022. If you’re an entrepreneur on a mission to ensure you’re not among the majority this year, it’s wise to take advantage of all the sales leading up to the holidays. And if someone you love (even yourself!) is in the market for a new laptop, you can score additional savings with a refurbished model.
For Cyber Monday, you can get major savings on a refurbished 13.3″ Apple MacBook Pro. Though a new model would retail well over $1,000, this particular refurbished device will only set you back $235.97 this holiday season. There’s no coupon code needed, but you’ll need to act fast since this price only lasts through December 3.
If you really want to wow this holiday season, this refurbished Apple MacBook Pro is sure to delight anyone on your gifting list. It’s equipped with an Intel Core i5 processor, which means it’s ready to help anyone — from a student to a busy entrepreneur — multitask away thanks to its impressive four-way processing performance. And the 1366 x 768 Retina display is also ideal for taking a break, so you can stream your favorite content comfortably.
The 500GB of storage means your giftee can use the device to house important files directly, so no annoying external hard drives or expensive cloud storage is necessary. And with a seven-hour battery life, you can nearly finish a full workday without ever having to plug in. This model hails from 2012 and has a grade B refurbished rating, so you may see light scuffing on the bevel or case, or light scratches or dents on the body.
Take advantage of serious Cyber Monday savings and get this refurbished 13.3″ Apple MacBook Pro for $235.97 (reg. $349), with no coupon code needed, through December 3 at 11:59 p.m. PT.
Disclosure: Our goal is to feature products and services that we think you’ll find interesting and useful. If you purchase them, Entrepreneur may get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our commerce partners.
Black Friday is finally here, and if you have any Apple products on your gifting list this season, it’s time to listen up. Some of the best deals on Apple devices can be found right here, and like any savvy entrepreneur, you can check off a lot of individuals on your list while saving big if you act fast. These prices are only available through November 27 at 11:59 p.m. PT.
Refurbished Apple iPad 4, 16GB
Know anyone with an iPad on their wish list? This refurbished iPad 4 makes an excellent gift, with an ample 9.7″ Retina display and 16GB of storage. It hails from 2012 and comes with a grade “B” refurbished rating, so there may be light scuffing on the bevel or case, or some light scratches or dents on the body, but it will otherwise work like new.
It may sound like a lavish holiday gift, but you can make someone’s dream come true with an Apple MacBook Pro, thanks to this refurbished model. Its 13.3″ LED-backlit display allows them to surf, stream, and more, and an Intel Core i5 processor offers extra power. From 2015, this 128GB device comes with a grade “B” rating, so there may be light scuffing on the bevel or case, or light dents or scratches on the body.
On the hunt for an Apple iPad mini? A mini 4 is here on sale in refurbished form, offering its super thin design. But don’t be deceived by the tiny frame — it still has an Apple A8 chip that lets them efficiently multitask. This model also includes an ample 64GB of storage, an impressive 10-hour battery life, and a tempered glass protector and snap-on case. The grade “B” refurbished rating means they may see minimal scuffing, light scratches, or dents, but it still works great.
If you or any of your loved ones are in the market for a highly portable laptop, this refurbished 13″ Apple MacBook Air offers a sleek size paired with a powerful 1.6GHz Intel Core i5. Intel HD Graphics 6000 offers smooth and stunning streaming with ample 128GB of storage. It comes with a grade “B” refurbished rating, so some light scuffing, scratches, or dents may be visible.
Equipped with an Intel Core i5 2.7GHz processor, this refurbished Apple MacBook Pro offers plenty of power and Intel Iris Graphics 6100, which is ideal for streaming and gaming. Ample 256GB of storage lets you save files right to the device, and this 2015 model comes with a grade “B” refurbished rating, so it will work great but may have some light scuffs, scratches, and dents on the case or body.
Refurbished Apple iPad and Beats Flex Headphones Bundle
Give the whole entertainment package with a refurbished Apple iPad and renewed Beats Flex Headphones bundle. The grade “A” iPad arrives in near-mint condition, equipped with an A9 chip and eight hours of battery life. And you can tune in to all your content with these renewed Beats Flex Headphones that offer premium sound, four ear tip options for a totally customizable fit, and an Apple W1 chip for easy integration with all of your other Apple devices.
Any iPhone 13 – 15 series owners on your list? They’d love this accessory bundle for their smartphone, equipped with everything they’ll need to keep their device powered up from home to work and everywhere in between. They’ll receive a 20W PD charging head, a MagSafe-compatible magnetic case for convenient, safer, and faster charging, and a MagSafe-compatible magnetic card holder that holds up to three cards. There’s also a wireless charger that charges up to 15W quickly and a super durable charging cable that can support as much as 2.4 amps charging current.
