Apple's new MacBook Pro is expensive, but according to Ars Technica, its quality is hard to dispute. The laptop's display is described as the best the publication has used, and most of its other hardware components are similarly strong. The real question, the review suggests, is whether this is the right time to buy at all.
Buying a computer in 2026 is complicated. Prices are at levels not seen in recent history and may keep climbing. At the same time, users following early developments in local and agentic artificial intelligence are asking what computing will look like in a few years and how that should shape today's purchase. The new MacBook Pro sits at the center of that uncertainty, combining a conventional Apple design with a touchscreen, a feature that would not have appeared in a prior Apple era.
On specifications, Apple claims 24 hours of battery life, though that requires conservative use. The laptop keeps the same ports as its predecessor and adds the N1 chip for Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6. Synthetic benchmarks showed no meaningful difference from the previous model. The M5 Pro and M5 Max chips are fast enough for normal workflows, but AI inference is where they may fall behind.
Bloomberg reports that Apple is skipping Pro and Max versions of the M6 to focus on a major rework for the M7 due in 2027, with an emphasis on on-device AI processing and memory bandwidth. Because the A20 Pro in recent iPhones already showed a stronger Neural Engine and higher bandwidth, the reviewer suggests that waiting for future Macs could be worthwhile for some buyers.
Source: Ars Technica · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing