The current 14-inch MacBook Pro design is nearing five years old. It’s also not at all a secret that Apple is working on a redesign for its MacBook Pro lineup.
Despite those facts though, there’s still one compelling argument to be made about buying one today – even with bigger changes right around the horizon.
First things first, when I say M5 MacBook Pro – I specifically mean the base model 14-inch MacBook Pro with M5. This isn’t to be confused with the upcoming M5 Pro and M5 Max MacBook Pro models that should be launching in early March. With those models, you should in all likelihood just wait for the redesigned models this fall.
However, there’s one good reason you should consider buying the base model M5 still, and it’s simple. If the base model MacBook Pro with M5 is what’s in your budget, then the redesign won’t be available for you quite yet – unless you’re willing to spend quite a bit more.
Redesign only coming to M6 Pro and M6 Max
At least as things stand today, Apple will be launching 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 things.
The redesign being exclusive to M6 Pro and M6 Max isn’t really unprecedented. When the current design debuted in 2021, it was only available with M1 Pro and M1 Max chips, starting at $1999. The cheaper model starting at $1599 with base M3 didn’t debut until 2023.
Unless your budget exceeds $2000 (potentially even 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?
Well, if history is to be followed – you might see a base model MacBook Pro with the new redesign sometime in 2028. That isn’t the most exciting thing to hear, but that’s how Apple tends to do things. Of course, things can always change. Maybe it’ll happen sooner.
To recap, the redesigned MacBook Pro will include an OLED display, a thinner design, touchscreen capability, the potential for 5G cellular networking, and more. It’s not necessarily surprising that it’ll take time for these features to come down in price a little – especially in today’s world of supply constraints involving memory and chip production.
Wrap up
If you’re a potential MacBook Pro buyer, but you aren’t quite in the $2000+ price range, then the current M5 MacBook Pro will more than likely be your best bet for the next couple years. You can currently get them on sale on Amazon for $150-200 off:
It’s not exactly super exciting, but I do still believe that the base model MacBook Pro serves as an incredible value option if you need a better screen and better performance than the MacBook Air without splurging all the way for a MacBook Pro with a Pro chip.
Will you be splurging for the redesigned MacBook Pro later this fall, or will you be waiting until Apple releases a model with baseline Apple Silicon? Let us know in the comments.
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