Apple unveils M5 chip with new architecture – and there are also MacBooks

Apple continues its big announcements, with the revolution of the M5 chips at the center of day two. After focusing on the more accessible market with the iPhone 17e and the new iPad Air, today it is the turn of professional computers and displays to take the spotlight. Apple’s message is clear: Artificial intelligence is moving into the processor on your desk, with power that leaves previous generations far behind.

At the heart of the announcement are the M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, based on what Apple calls "Fusion Architecture." This is an advanced design method that combines two silicon dies into a single system-on-chip (SoC) with extreme performance. The new processor includes 18 cores, six of which are "Super Cores" – which Apple claims are the fastest processor cores in the world today. Alongside them operate 12 new performance cores designed for multi-tasking workloads, yielding a 30% improvement in professional performance.

The real breakthrough is in the GPU. Each graphics core now includes a built-in "neural accelerator," allowing the Pro and Max chips to offer AI performance four times higher than the previous generation and eight times higher than the M1 generation. With memory bandwidth reaching up to 614GB/s in the Max model, these computers are capable of running large language models (LLMs) locally at unprecedented speed.

Despite early expectations, Apple also refreshed the MacBook Air with the M5 chip. Here, the news is less favorable for bargain hunters: Apple canceled last year’s price drop and returned the entry price to NIS 1,099. However, the computer now comes with 16GB of memory as standard (instead of 8GB) and doubled storage of 512GB.

In AI performance, the new Air shows a fourfold jump compared to the M4 model and 9.5 times compared to the M1. Memory bandwidth improved by 28% to 153GB/s, making it an unusually thin and powerful workstation. It retains the familiar aluminum design, Liquid Retina display, and 18-hour battery life, now available in 13- and 15-inch versions in sky blue, midnight, starlight, and silver colors.

The MacBook Pro series in 14- and 16-inch sizes receives the most significant upgrade, but also the steepest price increase. The 14-inch Pro model now starts at NIS 2,199 (up NIS 200), while the 16-inch model rises to NIS 2,699. To sweeten the deal, Apple doubled the base storage to 1TB and improved SSD speeds by a factor of 2, with read/write rates of up to 14.5GB/s.

The computers include the N1 chip for Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6 connectivity and offer battery life of up to 24 hours. The Liquid Retina XDR display remains best-in-class, with a new nano-texture coating option to prevent reflections, and a 12-megapixel Center Stage camera for sharper video calls than ever.

The announcement did not stop at laptops. Apple unveiled the Studio Display XDR, a 27-inch 5K resolution screen aimed at professionals requiring perfect color accuracy. With Mini-LED lighting including over 2,000 local dimming zones, the screen reaches a peak brightness of 2,000 nits in HDR – double the previous generation.

The display supports a 120Hz refresh rate (ProMotion) and includes fast Thunderbolt 5 connections. It also offers new display modes for medical diagnostics (DICOM) and a 12MP camera with Desk View support. Pricing starts at NIS 3,299 for the XDR model, while the updated standard Studio model is priced at NIS 1,599.

Pre-orders for all products began on March 4, and they will arrive in stores on March 11.