MacBook Pro M5 review: Still a beauty and more of a beast, just beware of an extra cost

If you are due for a MacBook Pro upgrade, there's good news. A new Apple laptop - powered by a mighty M5 chip - is now available, and it's even more capable than before. Let's be honest, the MacBook Pro M3 and M4 weren't exactly sluggish (even the M1 model launched in 2020 is fast enough for most), but this upgraded portable PC takes things to another level. In fact, Apple has promised that some tasks will be performed over three times faster on the M5 than on its previous Pro laptops. That sounds pretty impressive. So, should you rush out and buy one or simply stick with what you've got? It's a big question given this MacBook Pro costs at least £1,599 and doesn't even come with a plug (more on that later).

Having had the MacBook Pro M5 perched on my lap, tucked in my rucksack and sat on my desk, I can confirm that this is a beast of a machine that will easily keep pace with whatever you need it to do.

The latest processor makes sure it breezes through even the most demanding of tasks, and it's unlikely that you'll ever get close to pushing it to its limits. The M5 also boasts a next-generation GPU with a Neural Accelerator in each core. That helps boost the performance of AI tasks, along with offering much faster graphics.

An improved and extra-efficient CPU is also included, which brings higher memory bandwidth that accelerates everything from launching apps to running large language models on the device. Helping to make things even faster is improved SSD performance than the previous generation. This boosts tasks like importing RAW image files or exporting large videos.

I have to confess that I'm not a Hollywood film maker editing high-end 8K videos or a 3D graphics expert, but I have run numerous image and video editing tasks on this new MacBook, and it's definitely no slouch. Everything you do on this machine feels fast, fluid and effortless.

The impressive M5 chip doesn't just make things quicker, as it's also more efficient. During my tests, it has easily lasted a full day without needing to go near a plug, and if you want to use the stunning Retina screen for a movie binge, it will easily power you through even the longest long-haul flight. Apple promises up to 24 hours on a full charge and I reckon that's possible if you treat it kindly.

As an example, I was able to stream content for two hours and battery life only dropped by six percent. Long battery is always a good thing, and now is the perfect time to talk about the elephant in the room.

The new MacBook Pro M5 doesn't ship with a charger in the UK. Yes, you did read that correctly. When you open the box, there's just the MacBook Pro, MagSafe cable and nothing else.

If you don't own a charger powerful enough to refill this big battery (Apple recommends 70W), you'll need to splash out around £59 extra to buy one.

Apple is blaming upcoming EU rules, which state that tech giants must offer the option to buy new tech with or without a charger. This would mean Apple producing different packaging for the same product, which is clearly not cost-effective or environmentally friendly.

That said, Apple is not offering a free charger for those who want one and has also not dropped the price of the new MacBook, so it does feel like a slight kick in the teeth for UK and EU consumers.

Other than that major moan about the plug, it's pretty hard to fault the new Pro.

It still looks great thanks to its premium aluminium design, features a market-leading Force Touch trackpad, fast Touch ID fingerprint scanner, great keyboard, plus plenty of ports for your accessories - there's even that SD card slot for easy file transfers.

A 12MP Centre Stage camera is great for the morning Zoom calls, plus there are studio-quality mics so you sound as good as you'll look.

The 14-inch Liquid Retina XDR display is bright, sharp and packed with pixels, and the model I tested has an optional nano-texture coating on it, which cuts down on annoying reflections thanks to its matte finish.

If you've not seen this neat technology, it's worth checking out as it works brilliantly and is probably worth paying the extra £150 if you want the very best experience.

One final thing to note is that this laptop ships with the latest version of macOS right out of the box, which offers new features such as a new Liquid Glass look, Live Translation, plus an update to Spotlight with new ways to browse, search, and take actions.

Perhaps the only thing that's missing is quicker and more reliable Wi-Fi 7 - which is something that now features on the latest iPad Pro M5 - and maybe some 5G connectivity would be nice to save the hassle of pairing to a phone when on the move.

It's also worth considering if you really need a Pro. This latest model will set you back at least £1,599 and can push to well over £3,000 if you start adding all the extra bells and whistles.

Don't forget that the latest MacBook Air now starts from just £999.

So yes, the new MacBook Pro really is a fabulous laptop, but don't panic if you own an M3 or M4 machine, as those are also stunning laptops that offer oodles of oomph.

There's no design change this year, and Apple hasn't added any cool new features such as touch screens, better Wi-Fi or 5G connectivity.

The M5 is purely about the extra grunt and faster storage.

If you really need an upgrade, then you can't go wrong with the MacBook Pro M5 - it's a brilliant laptop that's very tough to beat.