Apple M5 MacBook Pro lands in India: what’s new, why it matters
Apple has refreshed the 14-inch MacBook Pro with its new M5 chip—and India is getting it immediately with pre-orders starting October 22. Starting price: ₹1,69,900.
If you’re a creator, developer, or power user waiting on a meaningful leap for on-device AI, this is Apple’s clearest push yet. The headline claims: up to 3.5× more AI performance and up to 1.6× faster graphics versus the previous generation. Those are Apple’s numbers, but they’re backed by the company’s standard benchmark methodology footnotes.
What Apple actually announced
On October 15, 2025 (IST), Apple unveiled the 14-inch MacBook Pro powered by the M5. The design remains familiar, but the silicon and storage pipeline get the attention. Apple highlights a next-gen GPU architecture and “Neural Accelerators” in each core that together deliver the 3.5× AI uplift and 1.6× graphics bump over last gen. Availability in India begins Wednesday, October 22, with pre-orders opening now. Colours: space black and silver.
Third-party coverage corroborates the focus on AI throughput and storage speed tweaks, noting Apple’s positioning against rival “AI PC” plays. Media reports also point to doubled SSD speeds and an increase in memory bandwidth on M5, though Apple’s own press note keeps the spotlight on AI and graphics deltas.
Key specs & configurations (India)
· Chip: Apple M5 (10-core CPU, 10-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine as listed on India store pages).
· Base memory/storage: 16GB unified memory, 512GB SSD on the standard configuration shown.
· Display: 14.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR; same port layout as before (MagSafe 3, 3× Thunderbolt 4, HDMI, SDXC, headphone jack).
· Finish: Space black, silver.
· Price (India): Starts at ₹1,69,900; education store lists student pricing and EMI offers.
Note: Apple’s retail pages show multiple build-to-order options with higher prices depending on storage/memory. If you’re eyeing larger SSDs or memory bumps, expect the total to climb quickly.
Why this launch matters for India
Two threads converge here: Apple’s on-device AI strategy and India’s growing base of creative pros and developers. The M5 promises AI acceleration for local LLMs, image tools, and code workflows without always leaning on the cloud. That means faster, private, and potentially more battery-friendly AI tasks—useful when you’re tethered to flaky coffee-shop Wi-Fi or on the go between shoots. Apple is explicitly framing M5 as a leap in AI performance; the 3.5× claim is the banner line.
From a market lens, Apple is also keeping the India starting price steady versus the stated “same starting price” positioning—₹1,69,900—while bringing the AI-era uplift. That’s a signal: push adoption without sticker shock creep.
How it fits different users
· Video creators & photographers: Expect quicker exports and previews in apps optimized for Apple Silicon; the GPU and Neural components should help AI-assisted masking, denoising, and upscaling as software updates land. Apple’s AI uplift is the hook here.
· Developers: Local model inference (e.g., smaller coding assistants, embeddings) and accelerated build/test cycles benefit from the M-series efficiency and unified memory. Third-party coverage suggests storage and bandwidth improvements that aid large project work.
· General power users: Same premium display, ports, and battery claims as before; if you skipped the last gen, this is the “do it once, do it right” cycle—especially if AI tools are creeping into your daily stack.
India availability, pricing, and offers
· Pre-orders: Open now in India; availability from October 22, 2025 (Wednesday).
· Starting price: ₹1,69,900 for the 14-inch M5 model. Education pricing and No-Cost EMI options are listed on Apple’s India online store and education store.
· Build-to-order: Configs with more memory/storage cost more; check the Apple India store pages for exact totals at checkout.
Quick pros and cons
Pros
· Significant on-device AI uplift (Apple claims up to 3.5×).
· Faster graphics vs last gen (up to 1.6×).
· Familiar, proven chassis with robust port selection and XDR display.
· India pricing starts at ₹1,69,900 with education/EMI pathways.
Cons
· External design unchanged; no “new toy” thrill if you wanted a redesign.
· Higher-capacity SSD/RAM upgrades escalate costs fast.
· Real-world AI gains depend on app updates and your workflows. (General caveat; Apple’s figures are best-case.)
Risks & unknowns (as of IST)
· Independent, India-relevant benchmarks aren’t out yet; Apple’s figures are from internal tests on pre-production units. We’ll learn more once review units land.
· Availability could vary by configuration at launch week; check estimated delivery dates while ordering.
In short, if you’ve been waiting for a MacBook Pro refresh that leans hard into on-device AI without hiking the India entry price, this M5 update looks like the pragmatic upgrade cycle to catch—especially for pros who stayed on M1/M2.