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.
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