Here’s why M5 MacBook Pro is still worth buying, even as redesign rumors loom

Source: 9to5Mac

Overview

The current 14‑inch MacBook Pro design is nearing five years old. It’s also not a secret that Apple is working on a redesign for its MacBook Pro lineup.

Despite those facts, there’s still one compelling argument for buying one today – even with bigger changes on the horizon.

First things first, when I say M5 MacBook Pro I specifically mean the base‑model 14‑inch MacBook Pro with the M5 chip. This isn’t to be confused with the upcoming M5 Pro and M5 Max models that should be launching in early March. With those models, you’ll likely want to wait for the redesigned models this fall.

However, there’s a good reason to consider buying the base‑model M5 now: if the base‑model MacBook Pro with M5 fits your budget, the redesign won’t be available for you yet – unless you’re willing to spend considerably more.

Redesign only coming to M6 Pro and M6 Max

As things stand today, Apple will launch its MacBook Pro redesign only on the high‑end models. There isn’t currently a plan to release a base‑model M6 with a redesign.

So, if you’ve been holding out on buying a new MacBook Pro because of the redesign, you might want to reconsider.

The redesign being exclusive to M6 Pro and M6 Max isn’t unprecedented. When the current design debuted in 2021, it was only available with M1 Pro and M1 Max chips, starting at $1,999. The cheaper model with a base M3 chip didn’t debut until 2023.

Unless your budget exceeds $2,000 (potentially higher with recent supply‑chain constraints for a base‑model configuration), you’ll likely be best off not waiting for the redesign.

What’s next?

If history holds, a base‑model MacBook Pro with the new redesign might appear sometime in 2028. That isn’t the most exciting timeline, but it’s how Apple tends to operate. Of course, things can always change—maybe it’ll happen sooner.

To recap, the redesigned MacBook Pro will include an OLED display, a thinner chassis, touchscreen capability, potential 5G cellular networking, and more. It’s not surprising that these features will take time to come down in price, especially given today’s supply constraints involving memory and chip production.

Wrap up

If you’re a potential MacBook Pro buyer but aren’t quite in the $2,000+ price range, the current M5 MacBook Pro will likely be your best bet for the next couple of years. You can currently get them on sale on Amazon for $150–$200 off:

• M5 MacBook Pro (512 GB SSD, 16 GB memory) – $1,449 on Amazon
• M5 MacBook Pro (1 TB SSD, 16 GB memory) – $1,599 on Amazon
• M5 MacBook Pro (1 TB SSD, 24 GB memory) – $1,849 on Amazon

It’s not exactly thrilling, but the base‑model MacBook Pro offers an incredible value if you need a better screen and performance than the MacBook Air without splurging on a Pro‑chip model.

Will you splurge on the redesigned MacBook Pro later this fall, or wait until Apple releases a model with baseline Apple Silicon? Let us know in the comments.