Get ready... New MacBook Pros coming next week
Apple is set to launch new M5 14” and 16” MacBook Pros with 5G connectivity and more RAM, alongside a budget MacBook model, between January 26 and 28, coinciding with the release of the Apple Creator Studio subscription service. Picture: Michael Sherman/IOL
Image: Michael Sherman/IOL
Apple is set to release its new M5 14” and 16” MacBook Pros between January 26 and 28.
Apple traditionally hosts an a major event in the last week of January, and this year the high-end laptops are slated to be the big announcements.
It coincides with Apple’s new Creator Studio subscription service which launches on January 28. The Apple Creator Studio will allow power users to pay for a subscription service to access all the top-tier creator apps like Final Cut Pro, Logic Pro, Pixelmator Pro, and Motion for one bundled fee.
Late last year, Apple announced the new M5 in its base model 14” MacBook Pro. Even though the laptop is called a Pro device, the CPU is technically not a Pro.
Pro Versions to Feature Chip Upgrade with More RAM, CPU Cores, and 5G Connectivity
Now the Pro versions are set to feature the chip upgrade too, starting with more RAM and CPU cores for better performance.
The new laptops won’t feature any design changes, using the current design which was first introduced in 2021.
There is also rumoured to be a significant hardware update, with the new devices featuring 5G connectivity for the first time. That essentially means the laptop can connect to the internet on its own, and won’t require a connection to a hotspot or Wi-Fi network.
Apple’s Budget MacBook: Expected Release in January 2025
The star of the show in Apple’s announcement though, is expected to be the low-end new budget MacBook.
The rumours about a new low-cost MacBook intensified in the latter part of 2025, but the latest news is now that this offering from Apple is expected to be released in January.
The current cheapest laptop in the Apple lineup is the M1 Air, which came out in 2020, and is currently being sold for R12,999. This laptop will likely be discontinued soon, making way for the new low-cost MacBook in its place.
The new MacBook is likely to feature a 13” screen, slightly smaller than the 13.6” ones used in the current M4 MacBook Air design.
The new MacBook would be a reintroduction of the model launched in 2015. Back then, the laptop featured a 12” screen, the awful butterfly keyboard, and a severely underpowered Intel processor.
The rumours are that the new MacBook could retail between 500 and 600 dollars in the US, which works out to R10,368. Adding in import costs to South Africa and the Maximus price should therefore not be between R13,000 and R15,000.