Apple Thinks You Don’t Need A Charger

Apple’s latest 14-inch MacBook Pro with the new M5 chip has landed. On the outside, nothing’s changed. On the inside, it’s a different story. Apple’s fifth-generation silicon is faster, more efficient, and leans heavily into AI acceleration. But is it a must-have upgrade or one to skip for now?

Performance Boost

The M5 chip is a clear step up from the M4, but the real jump shows when you compare it to earlier models. CPU performance is around 15–20% faster than M4, with noticeable speed gains in everyday tasks such as rendering, compiling, exporting, and handling large creative projects.

The GPU is where it gets interesting. Apple has added new neural accelerators to each core, resulting in up to 60% better graphics and up to 3.5× faster AI processing. That’s a serious uplift for anyone working with machine learning, image generation, or advanced video tools.

For M1 and M2 users, this upgrade is night and day; you’re getting several generations’ worth of improvements at once. M3 owners will still see an improvement, but it’s more of a solid bump than a significant leap.

If Apple keeps up this pace, they’ll be rivalling Nvidia for graphics performance but in laptops in 2-3 years!

Charger Sold Separately

Here’s the bit everyone’s talking about: in the UK and EU, the base M5 MacBook Pro ships without a charger. All you get in the box is a USB-C cable. Apple says this is to comply with upcoming EU e-waste regulations, which push manufacturers to offer devices without chargers to reduce unnecessary electronic waste.

In practice, it means UK customers need to spend an extra £59 for the 70W USB-C charger (or £79 if you want the faster 96W brick). If you already own a compatible USB-C charger, you’re fine, right? Wrong, because when you sell your old Mac, they’ll want that charger!

What Else to Know

Battery life now stretches up to 24 hours, which is genuinely impressive for a pro-grade laptop. The design, ports, and Liquid Retina XDR display are unchanged.

What is new is how heavily Apple is leaning on AI acceleration this year. The M5 is built to handle local AI tools far more efficiently, which could make a noticeable difference in the kinds of apps and workflows that are just starting to emerge. Think faster on-device transcription, image generation, video effects, and code completion.

Looking Ahead

If you’re waiting for the heavy hitters, Apple is expected to launch M5 Pro and M5 Max chips in early 2026. These will power the higher-spec 14- and 16-inch models, and if history repeats itself, we can expect another jump in multi-core and GPU performance.

So if you’re coming from M1 or M2, this base M5 is a fantastic performance boost today. But if you’re on a newer Mac, holding out for the next design refresh in late 2026 or early 2027 might make more sense.