Apple raises MacBook prices across the board

Apple On Tuesday, it launched new MacBook Pro and MacBook Air models with the latest M5 chips, as well as an updated Studio Display lineup, in the biggest Mac refresh in more than a year.

The move gives Apple a new chance to revive Mac demand, while also revealing a broader view that more AI work will be pushed not just to the cloud but to the device itself.

The announcements come at a critical time for Apple’s Mac business, with sales falling nearly 7% to $8.39 billion in the holiday quarter, well short of analysts’ expectations of about $9 billion. The goal of these new machines is to get people to upgrade, especially users who are still stuck with older Intel-era systems or early M-series devices.

But they also command higher prices as tighter memory supplies drive up costs as suppliers opt for the more lucrative AI data center market over consumer hardware.

MacBook Air now starts at $1,099 for the 13-inch model (starting at $999) and $1,299 for the 15-inch model (starting at $1,199); Apple is doubling the base storage to 512GB.

The MacBook Pro is also getting more expensive; The 14-inch M5 Pro starts at $2,199, and the 16-inch M5 Max starts at $3,899, up $400 over the previous model.

To help justify the higher prices, Apple has increased the starting storage base of the Pro series; M5 Pro models now start at 1 TB, and M5 Max models start at 2 TB.

But the bigger step is performance. Apple is positioning the M5 Pro and M5 Max as a real step forward for heavier workloads, especially artificial intelligence.

The company says the new MacBook Pro can process large language requests nearly four times faster than comparable M4-based machines and up to eight times faster than M1 models, all without sacrificing battery life.

This is at the heart of Apple’s push to make the Mac a more reliable platform for running advanced AI tools natively; This is an increasingly important capability for businesses that want to keep sensitive data off cloud servers.

Apple has also updated its display lineup, replacing the aging Pro Display XDR with the new, two-layer Studio Display family.

The base model starts at $1,599, while the top-end Studio Display XDR starts at $3,299 and adds features aimed at more demanding professional use cases, like higher brightness, mini LED backlighting, and a faster refresh rate.

That makes Tuesday’s launch a clear turning point among the more value-oriented products Apple introduced on Monday, including a refreshed version of its low-cost iPhone.

But the broader strategy appears unchanged: Give customers a stronger reason to upgrade at multiple price points without weakening the premium tier.

It also highlights what could happen on Wednesday.

Apple’s unveiling of a rumored lower-cost MacBook this week would be the clearest sign that it’s about expanding its lineup in both directions, trying to retain high-end buyers while reaching first-time Mac customers, Windows and Chromebook switchers, and iPhone users who’ve never owned a Mac.