14 & 16" MacBook Pro: Time To Buy? Reviews, Features And More

Contents

1. Should You Buy the MacBook Pro?
2. MacBook Pro Details
3. How to Buy
4. Reviews
5. Design
6. Display
7. Keyboard and Trackpad
8. Ports
9. M5, M4 Pro, and M4 Max Chips
• M5 Chip
• M4 Pro and M4 Max Chips
• Media Engine
• Memory
• Neural Engine
• Display Support
• High Power Mode
10. Other Features
• Speakers
• SSDs
• Camera
• Wireless Connectivity
11. Battery Life
12. Available Models
• 14-inch MacBook Pro Models
• 16-inch MacBook Pro Models
• Build to Order Options
13. What's Next for the MacBook Pro
14. MacBook Pro Timeline

Apple updated the base 14-inch MacBook Pro with an M5 chip in October 2025, but the higher-end 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models from 2024 continue to use M4 Pro and M4 Max chips. M5 Pro and M5 Max chip updates will come in early 2026.

Apple did not refresh the design of the MacBook Pro models with the M4 or M5 chip updates. They are available in 14.2-inch and 16.2-inch size options with mini-LED displays. The MacBook Pro models come in space black or silver aluminum and feature large trackpads and full-sized keyboards. 2024 and 2025 changes are internal, largely focused on the updated M-series chips.

The M5 chip has a 10-core CPU and 10-core GPU, and it is exclusive to the base 14-inch MacBook Pro. The M4 Pro chip has a 14-core CPU and up to a 20-core GPU. The high-end M4 Max has up to a 16-core CPU and up to a 40-core GPU. All of the chips support hardware-based ray tracing and mesh shading for better gaming performance, along with an increase in memory bandwidth.

Apple's M5, M4 Pro, and M4 Max chips all include a 16-core Neural Engine for powering on-device Apple Intelligence features and machine learning tasks.

The M5 chip supports up to 32GB Unified Memory, while the M4 Pro supports up to 64GB. The M4 Max supports up to 128GB Unified Memory. The M5 features 153GB/s memory bandwidth, the M4 Pro offers 273GB/s memory bandwidth, and the M4 Max features up to 546GB/s memory bandwidth.

The 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models feature a Liquid Retina XDR display, which is a mini-LED display with an improved 1,000 nits SDR brightness outdoors, up to 1,000 nits sustained XDR brightness, 1,600 nits peak brightness, and a 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio. The 14-inch MacBook Pro has a resolution of 3,024-by-1,964 at 254 pixels per inch, and the 16-inch model has a resolution of 3,456-by-2,234 at 254 pixels per inch.

Display sizes have not changed in 2024 and 2025, but Apple added an option to upgrade the MacBook Pro with a nano-texture display that reduces glare, and there is also support for 1-nit minimum brightness for the first time.

There are slim 3.5mm bezels at the sides and the top, and the top of the display also features a notch design that houses a 12-megapixel webcam that supports Center Stage and Desk View. Both displays come equipped with ProMotion technology, which supports adaptive refresh rates up to 120Hz. Other display technologies include P3 Wide color for true-to-life colors and True Tone, which shifts the white balance of the display to match the lighting in the room.

Design wise, the current MacBook Pro models are identical to the prior-generation MacBook Pro models. There's an all-black keyboard with a full-sized row of function keys, along with a Touch ID button with a circular fingerprint sensor. Touch ID is used unlock the Mac, authenticate purchases, and replace passwords. Below the keyboard, there's a large Force Touch trackpad.

Apple is using the same rearchitected thermal design that provides sustained performance while keeping the machine cool and quiet even with the more powerful M4 Pro and M4 Max chips.

There are multiple ports included with both MacBook Pro models, including an SDXC card slot, an HDMI 2.1 port, three USB-C Thunderbolt 4 ports for the M5 and three USB-C Thunderbolt 5 ports for the M4 Pro/Max models, a 3.5mm headphone jack with support for high-impedance headphones, and a MagSafe 3 port that enables a fast charging feature providing a 50 percent charge within 30 minutes.

The 16-inch MacBook Pro uses a 140W power adapter while the 14-inch models ship with either a 70W or 96W power adapter depending on chip configuration, and all of the MacBook Pro models can charge over either USB-C or MagSafe. A power adapter is no longer included with M5 MacBook Pro units sold in the United Kingdom and European Union.

There are fast SSDs inside the MacBook Pro models, which are configurable with up to 8TB storage space, though the MacBook Pro models with M5 or M4 Pro chip are limited to 4TB. The M5 MacBook Pro has a 2× faster SSD.

Thanks to the updated chips, the MacBook Pro models feature even longer battery life. The 14-inch MacBook Pro with M5 chip lasts for up to 24 hours when watching movies and 16 hours when browsing the web. The 14-inch MacBook Pro with M4 Pro lasts for up to 22 hours when watching movies and up to 14 hours when browsing the web, while the M4 Max lasts for up to 18 hours when streaming video and 13 hours when browsing the web.

On the 16-inch MacBook Pro, models with the M4 Pro chip last for up to 24 hours while streaming video and up to 17 hours while browsing the web. Models with the M4 Max chip get up to 21 hours while streaming video and up to 14 hours while browsing the web.

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Other features include Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3 for the all models. The MacBook Pro models also include a six-speaker sound system with two tweeters, four force-cancelling woofers, and wide stereo sound.

The 14-inch MacBook Pro is priced starting at $1,599, with M4 Pro models starting at $1,999. The 16-inch MacBook Pro with M4 Pro is priced starting at $2,499 with M4 Max models starting at $3,499.

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