Apple’s higher (and lower) MacBook pricing explained
Macworld Apple on Tuesday introduced new laptops with new chips–and new prices, as well. Usually, it’s easy to say whether something has gone up or down, but this time it’s a little more complicated than that. Let’s take a look at how the prices have changed. M5 MacBook AIr The new 13-inch M5 MacBook Air now starts at $1,099, which is $100 more than the $999 M4 MacBook Air. However, Apple doubled the base 256GB SSD that was in the $999 M4 Air, and the M5 Air now has a 512GB SSD. To make matters more confusing, the M4 Air with a 512GB SSD used to cost $1,199. So it looks like the price of the entry-level MacBook Air went up–which it did–but with more context, it also went down. The same up-and-down effect happens with the 15-inch M5 MacBook Air. It starts at $1,299, which is $100 more than the M4 version. But the M4 Air had a 256GB SSD, which has been replaced by a 512GB SSD in the M5 Air. The 15-inch Air with a 512GB SSD was $1,399, $100 more. The same applies to higher storage tiers M5 MacBook Pro The entry-level MacBook Pro, which has been on sale since October for $1,599, now starts at $1,699. But instead of 512GB of storage, you now get 1TB of storage, which costs $1,799 before. All other storage options also effectively cost $100 less, so the 2TB model will cost $2,099 instead of $2,199. M5 Pro /Max MacBook Pro The M5 Pro/Max MacBook Pro is in a similar situation, though there isn’t the same up-and-down effect of the M5 MacBook Air. The base 14-inch M5 Pro MacBook is $2,199, a $200 increase from the base M4 Pro MacBook Pro. But with the M5 Pro/Max, Apple dropped the 512GB SSD and now offers a 1TB SSD as its entry point for storage. So the $2,199 M5 Pro MacBook Pro includes a 1TB SSD. Upgrading to a 1TB SSD in the $1,999 M4 Pro MacBook Pro added $200 to the price tag, bringing it to the same $2,199. So effectively, the pricing has not changed. The M5 Max MacBook Pro is no longer available with a 1TB SSD; it starts at $3,599 with a 2TB SSD. The laptop it replaces, the M4 Max MacBook Pro, started at $3,199, but it came with a 1TB SSD, and an upgrade to 2TB was $400, bringing its price to $3,599. So pricing is essentially the same, but the starting price is higher due to the extra storage. The same goes for the 16-inch MacBook Pro, which now starts at $2,699 with an M5 Pro processor and 1TB of storage, or $3,899 with an M5 Max chip and 2TB of storage. It’s more expensive to get in because you’re forced into higher storage tiers. In all, the prices haven’t changed if you compare the SSD specifications. But if you simply look at the prices in terms of their placement in the lineup, they went up. Something to keep in mind as you shop for the new laptops.

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Apple has announced 6 new products so far this week
Apple launch week is in full swing with six new products announced so far, and at least one major announcement still to come. more…

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Studio Display XDR arrives with mini-LED backlighting and 5K clarity
Introducing the Studio Display XDR: Apple's new premium monitor for professionals with mini-LED backlighting and Thunderbolt 5. (via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

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New MacBook Airs come with M5, double the storage, and higher starting prices
New Airs leave more room underneath for the rumored low-cost MacBook.

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The MacBook Air has a new chip and a lower price (sort of)
Macworld Apple today announced new MacBook Air laptops with the M5 processor and a range of other upgrades, as part of its ongoing “big week” of product reveals. Externally, there are very few differences from last year’s M4 Air, and aside from dropping in weight by a single gram has identical vital statistics. The M5 model comes in the same two screen sizes (13.6 inches and 15.3 inches) and the same four colors (Sky Blue, silver, Starlight, and Midnight). The Liquid Retina display has the same specs, from the 2560 x 1664 resolution to the 500 nits of brightness, and still has a notch. There’s the same four-speaker sound system, the same Center Stage webcam, and the same keyboard. We weren’t expecting a redesign, and haven’t got one. The differences are on the inside, starting with that M5 chip. Apple is selling this principally as an AI-focused upgrade, claiming the M5 Air delivers “up to 4x faster performance for AI tasks than MacBook Air with M4.” The new Air, of course, runs Apple Intelligence, but the same is true of every Air going back to the M1 model in 2020. It should just handle Apple Intelligence’s AI capabilities more efficiently. For those with minimal interest in AI, it will be some consolation to hear that the M5’s power should also deliver noticeably better performance in other areas. Unified memory bandwidth has gone up from 120GB/s to 153GB/s, and Apple says the M5 Air can achieve both 3D rendering (in Blender) and image processing (in Affinity) up to 1.5x faster than the M4 model. Needless to say, Macworld will put all of this to the test once we can get review samples into our labs. Upgraded storage for less Aside from the processor bump, this year’s Air also has an SSD with 2x faster read/write performance than the previous generation, and comes with twice the storage as standard and throughout the tiers. Compared with the M4’s 256GB/512GB/1TB/2TB options, the M5 offers 512GB/1TB/2TB/4TB. Good news! Sort of. The twist is the price tag. The M4 Air started at $999 for 256GB, or $1,199 for 512GB. The M5 Air now starts at $1,099 for 512GB. So technically this is a price cut—the 512GB model has dropped by $100—but many customers, particularly those who don’t require much storage or store most of their files in the cloud, will view this as an effective price hike of $100 for the baseline model. It’s complicated. The MacBook Air’s design remains sleek and slim.Apple There are still two small internal upgrades to mention. Wi-Fi 6E on the M4 Air has been bumped to Wi-Fi 7 here, and Bluetooth from version 5.3 to 6. Apple cites the inclusion of its in-house N1 wireless networking chip for these improvements. Battery capacities are the same as last year (53.8Wh and 66.5Wh for the 13- and 15-inch models, respectively), and Apple gives the same battery estimates for this year’s MacBook Airs: up to 15 hours of wireless web browsing, and up to 18 hours of video streaming. The only difference we can spot in the power department is the new inclusion of Apple’s 40W dynamic power adapter with a 60W max. Last year’s models came with 30W (single-port) or 35W (dual-port) power adapters, depending on the size and configuration you selected. The new M5 MacBook Air starts at $1,099 for the 13-inch model or $1,299 for the 15-inch model. Preorders begin March 4 at 6:15 a.m. PST, and the machines will go on sale on March 11.

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Farewell Pro Display XDR — we barely afforded you
The new Studio Display XDR has killed off the Pro Display XDR, and at $5000 was out of most Mac users' reach. Even after seven years without an update, it offered features its replacement does not.Apple's Pro Display XDR in 2019When the Pro Display XDR launched back in 2019, it was the first Apple-branded monitor in three years. Then for three more years, it was the only one until the Studio Display launched in 2022.There were strong rumors that Apple had at least been intending to release something three years later in 2025. But instead, it was four years, and the launch of two versions of the Apple Studio Display. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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Apple itself has leaked a 'MacBook Neo'
For one brief, fleeting moment, something called the "MacBook Neo" appeared on Apple's website, essentially confirming that Apple's new affordable MacBook release is imminent.Multicolored MacBooks are on the wayOn Tuesday, Apple's European EU / UK Declaration of Conformity site featured a yet-unreleased Mac under the 2026 section. The computer in question was listed as the MacBook Neo, model number A3404.It's not entirely clear what that item refers to. While Apple removed the listing quickly, it provided no further details or images anyway. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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Apple’s first mini-LED ProMotion monitor has a nice price
Macworld On Tuesday, Apple finally announced some major updates to its display lineup. In addition to a refreshed version of the Studio Display, the company also introduced a more premium Studio Display XDR, which features a mini-LED panel. As previously rumored, there are now two new versions of Studio Display. The first is a simple update to the original model introduced in 2022. It keeps the same overall design and 27-inch 5K LCD panel, but it gets some meaningful updates under the hood.  According to Apple’s press release, the new version of Studio Display features an improved 12MP webcam. The built-in webcam now supports Desk View to show what’s on the user’s desk and provides better image quality, despite having the same resolution as before. Sound quality is also better on the new Studio Display, thanks to a new speaker arrangement with four force-canceling woofers and two high-performance tweeters that deliver 30 percent more bass than the previous generation. Apple has also made some upgrades when it comes to port technology. While the original Studio Display was equipped with a single Thunderbolt 3 port and three additional USB-C ports, the new version has two Thunderbolt 5 ports and two extra USB-C ports. This means users will have more bandwidth to connect high-speed accessories, such as external SSDs or even another Studio Display. Apple says users can also daisy-chain up to four Studio Displays. The Studio Display comes with a tilt-adjustable stand, and users can upgrade to a more advanced stand with tilt and height adjustment or a VESA mount adapter. Studio Display XDR brings mini-LED and ProMotion However, what really stands out is the new Studio Display XDR, which is the version that brings all the technologies pro users have been dreaming of. Unlike the regular Studio Display, the XDR version comes with a much better mini-LED panel that supports HDR with a peak brightness of up to 2,000 nits. The Studio Display XDR also supports ProMotion with a refresh rate of up to 120Hz, making animations and games more fluid with lower latency.  The more expensive monitor adds support for the Adobe RGB color gamut, ideal for printing and design professionals. It even supports DICOM medical imaging presets that can be used to calibrate the Studio Display XDR to accurately display radiological diagnostics.  The Studio Display XDR comes with a stand!Apple Of course, Studio Display XDR has the same internal specs as the base Studio Display, which include an improved webcam and speakers, and two Thunderbolt 5 ports with two extra USB-C ports. While it’s smaller than the 32-inch Pro Display XDR, which has been discontiniued, the Studio Display XDR includes many of the same Reference Modes, including P3 and P3 + Adobe RGB. Interestingly, the Studio Display XDR comes with a stand with adjustable height and tilt as default, with an option for a VESA mount adapter. On the Pro Display XDR, that cost an additional $999 on top of its $4,999 pricetag. The new Studio Display has the same $1,599 starting price.Apple A much lower high-end price Apple has kept the same starting price of $1,599 for the base model Studio Display. However, the more advanced Studio Display XDR starts at $3,299. With the new lineup, Apple discontinued the old Studio Display and also the Pro Display XDR, which featured a 32-inch 6K panel. Pro Display XDR cost $4,999, with an additional $999 for the Pro Stand. Undeniably, the new Studio Display XDR sounds like a much better deal, despite having a slightly smaller panel. Apple positions the standard Studio Display as a compelling upgrade for users who want better connectivity and camera performance without departing from the established Retina experience. The Studio Display XDR, meanwhile, sits in the premium tier where extreme brightness, HDR capability, and high refresh rates are differentiators for creative pros. Pre-orders for the new monitors begin tomorrow at 6:15 am PT, with the official launch set for March 11.

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M5 MacBook Air vs M4 MacBook Air: What’s actually changed?
Today Apple launched a new MacBook Air powered by the M5 chip. Here’s everything new in the M5 MacBook Air vs last year’s M4 model. more…

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M5 Pro and M5 Max ‘super cores’ supercharge new Macs
New M5 Pro and M5 Max chips powering the latest MacBook Pro models bring Apple's new Fusion Architecture with super cores for more power. (via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

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MacBook Neo could be name for low-cost model powered by iPhone chip
Apple is expected to announce an all-new, low-cost MacBook as soon as tomorrow, and MacBook Neo may be the official product name. more…

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How M5 Pro and M5 Max push MacBook Pro into high-bandwidth AI era
On Tuesday, Apple introduced M5 Pro and M5 Max, debuting a dual-die Fusion Architecture that pushes Apple Silicon further into AI-heavy professional workflows on the latest MacBook Pro. Here's how.Apple's new M5-series chipsThe new chips combine two third-generation 3-nanometer dies into a single system on a chip, expanding CPU performance, GPU compute, and unified memory bandwidth. Preorders begin March 4, with availability starting March 11.Apple describes the shift as more than a routine core bump, framing it as a structural change in how MacBook Pro-class silicon scales. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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The M5 Pro/Max MacBook Pros are a bigger upgrade than we thought
Macworld Apple on Tuesday announced new MacBook Pro models that feature the M5 Pro and M5 Max, high-end chips that replace the M4 Pro and M4 Max. The M5 Pro and M5 Max offer significantly boosted performance over the base M5 chip in the 14-inch MacBook Pro that was released in October, along with a few surprises. The M5 Pro and M5 Max are a departure from the previous M-series Pro and Max chips in that they feature the new Fusion Architecture that “brings together two third-generation 3nm dies with high bandwidth and low latency using advanced packaging,” according to Apple’s announcement. These new chips have separate CPU and GPU dies, which allows for more flexibility in core configurations. The new chips feature a CPU with what Apple calls “super cores” and “performance cores,” replacing the previous M-series chips’ performance cores and efficiency cores. The super cores offer the “highest-performance core design with the world’s fastest single-threaded performance, driven in part by increased front-end bandwidth, a new cache hierarchy, and enhanced branch prediction.” The performance cores are “optimized to deliver greater power-efficient, multithreaded performance for pro workloads.” Apple has also applied the new naming scheme to the CPU cores in the base M5 chip, though it’s not clear if these new names reflect new chip technology going forward. The M5 Pro and Max offer 2.5 times the multi-threaded performance of the M1 Pro and Max, while the M5 Max’s multithreaded performance is 15 percent faster than the M4 Max. The GPUs feature an enhanced shader core with second-generation dynamic caching and hardware-accelerated mesh shading, which Apple states is 20 percent faster than the M4 Pro. It also features a third-generation ray-tracing engine that is up to 35 percent faster than M4 Pro. Apple also claims that the M5 Max GPU is 20 percent faster than the M4 Max. The M5 Pro starts with a 15-core CPU (5 super cores, 10 performance cores) paired with a 16-core GPU, and is also available with an 18-core CPU (6 super cores, 12 performance cores) and a 20-core GPU. The M5 Max starts with an 18-core CPU (6 super cores, 12 performance cores) and a 32-core GPU. It can be upgraded to a 40-core GPU. Apple states that the new chips offer Memory Integrity Enforcement, “an industry-first, always-on memory safety protection that does not compromise device performance.” The M5 Pro and M5 Max are available in both the 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro. Below are the key laptop specifications:  M5 ProM5 MaxCPU cores (base)15 (5 super cores, 10 performance cores)18 (6 super cores, 12 performance cores)GPU cores (base)1632Unified memory (base)24GB32GBMemory bandwidth307Gbps460GBpsNeural Engine16-core 16-coreStorage capacities (base) 1TB 2TB The design of the laptops remains unchanged and is still available in two colors, Space Black and Silver. The laptops have three Thunderbolt 5/USB-C ports, an HDMI port, an SDXC Card slot, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and a MagSafe 3 port for charging. Both models feature Liquid Retina XDR displays with an XDR brightness of 1000 nits sustained 1600 nits peak (HDR content only), and SDR brightness of 1000 nits. The displays support True Tone, ProMotion, and the P3 color gamut, and a Nano-texture glass option is available. For battery life, the specifications given are the same as with the M4 Pro and Max. Apple states the following: M5 Pro14-inch model: 14 hours wireless web 16-inch model: 17 hours wireless web M5 Max14-inch model: 13 hours wireless web 16-inch model: 14 hours wireless web Starting prices for the laptops are a little higher than before, though the starting storage is higher. The 14-inch models start at 1TB of storage, while the 16-inch models start at 2TB of storage: 14-inch M5 Pro MacBook Pro: $2,199 14-inch M5 Max MacBook Pro: $3,599 16-inch M5 Pro MacBook Pro: $2,699 16-inch M5 Max MacBook Pro: $3,899 The new laptops will be available for preorder on Wednesday, March 4, and go on sale on Wednesday, March 11.

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macOS and iPadOS 26.3.1 software releases coming before new iOS 26.4 iPhone update
Apple confirms on its website that both iPadOS 26.3.1 and macOS 26.3.1 software releases are coming before the new iOS 26.4 iPhone update is released. This likely means that iOS 26.3.1 for iPhone is also confirmed. more…

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Apple launches the insanely fast M5 MacBook Air
Apple today announced the new MacBook Air with M5, bringing exceptional performance and expanded AI capabilities to the world’s… The post appeared first on MacDailyNews.

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With the latest chips, the MacBook Pro now maxes out at $7,349
Head on over to the just updated Apple website and the company will tell you that the MacBook Pro starts at $1,699. That is indeed the case for the original M5 version with 16GB RAM and a 1TB SSD. However, pricing immediately jumps to well over $2,000 once you select one of the new chips, and the machine now maxes out at $7,349 … more…

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New M5 MacBook Air gets double the storage, Wi-Fi 7, and a higher price
For $100 more at the low-end, Apple's most popular laptop, the MacBook Air, just got a spec bump to M5, double the starting storage and upgraded wireless connectivity.M5 Macbook Air The New MacBook Air comes in two sizes, either 13.6 inches or 15.3 inches. It boasts a Liquid Retina display, 500 nits of brightness, and support for 1 billion colors.The biggest update, of course, is the M5 chip. The MacBook Air features a 10-core CPU and an up-to-10-core GPU, with a powerful Neural Accelerator in each core. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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New Studio Display XDR immediately outshines the updated Studio Display
Apple has launched two new monitors in its Studio Display range. One is a minor update, while the other is better than and replaces the Pro Display XDR.Apple's two new Studio Displays — image credit: AppleApple's week of launches continues with the long-awaited update to the Studio Display, its first since the original in 2022. Alongside a new Studio Display, though, Apple has launched a Studio Display XDR which is a more substantial improvement to the range."Apple has led the industry in delivering the world's most advanced displays for pros to do their life's best work," said John Ternus, Apple's senior vice president of Hardware Engineering, in a statement, "and today we do that once again with the introduction of the new Studio Display family." Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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The M5 MacBook Air comes with a more powerful charger than previous models
Apple just upgraded the M4 MacBook Air with the more powerful M5 version, and the new and improved MacBook Air now includes a more powerful charger in the box. more…

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Apple raises base price of MacBook Air and MacBook Pro, but RAM upgrade costs remain unchanged
Apple just launched the new generation MacBook Air and MacBook Pro, which was an opportunity for the company to give us some insight into how the recent surges in memory, storage and other PC components are impacting its pricing. The answer is somewhere in the middle. The entry price into the Air and Pro has been bumped up, but the much-feared jump in RAM upgrade pricing did not happen. RAM costs for consumers remain the same … more…

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