Best MacBooks (2026): Neo, Air, or Pro? | WIRED
CommentLoader-
Save StorySave this story
CommentLoader-
Save StorySave this story
Apple has completely reset the MacBook lineup. There's the introduction of the budget-friendly MacBook Neo, which is the biggest change. But Apple has also quietly adjusted pricing and configurations across the M5 MacBook Air and MacBook Pro too, creating a $500 gap between the three models in the lineup. More options means you should be able find a MacBook that matches your needs and budget. It also means more confusion, potentially.
But I've tested MacBooks for over a decade, including all the latest models. Here's how to easily figure out which is best for you. Don't see anything you like? Be sure to check out the rest of our computer buying guides, like the Best Laptops, the Best Cheap Laptops, and the Best Windows Laptops for more.
Table of Contents
AccordionItemContainerButtonLargeChevron
- Is Now a Good Time to Buy?
- A Breakdown of Each M-Series Chip
- Which MacBooks Are Compatible With MacOS Tahoe?
- Which Macs Support Apple Intelligence?
- Get AppleCare+ to Protect Your Devices
- Take Advantage of Apple’s Education Discounts
- Refurbished MacBooks to Consider or Avoid
- Great MacBook Accessories
Is Now a Good Time to Buy?
AccordionItemContainerButtonLargeChevron
Yes. Every MacBook has been refreshed as of March 2026, including the MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, and the new MacBook Neo. You're getting the latest and greatest from Apple right now, meaning you'll be getting the maximum amount of years out of it, including ongoing software support from Apple.
However, because they're brand new, pricing on these models are high as they'll ever be. We're seeing small discounts, such as the $50 sale on the M5 MacBook Air right now. You might be considering waiting until the next big sale, but we may not see prices drop that much this year. Due to the tremendous increase in demand for memory in AI data centers, a serious memory shortage is building and will affect laptop prices starting in 2026 and beyond. Companies like HP and Lenovo have already made official statements about how this will be addressed in 2026. Apple responded by resetting its lineup, but we'll have to wait and see if the discounts this year dip as low as they did in 2025.
There's one major MacBook rumored to launch later this year that will be a major moment. There have been reports about it for years, sporting an OLED display, a touchscreen-optimized interface, M6 chip, and a thinner chassis. While this was once seen as a new MacBook Pro, the latest report from Bloomberg talks about an alternative high-end machine, possibly known as a MacBook Ultra. It sounds like this would be a way for Apple to offer a more expensive MacBook that isn't purely performance-driven.
A Breakdown of Each M-Series Chip
AccordionItemContainerButtonLargeChevron
All of Apple’s processors are scattered throughout different MacBook models, and you can find older models at specific third-party retailers online, either completely new or refurbished. If you do stumble upon its older chips (which came out four years ago), you might be wondering how they compare to other options. We break down the differences between each one.
M5 Series
M5: The M5 chips are the latest options from Intel, having started in late 2025 on the launch of the 14-inch MacBook Pro, iPad Pro, and Vision Pro. The base M5 still has up to a 10-core CPU and 10-core GPU, although there's also a lower-tier 9-core CPU that's available in the iPad Pro. The M5 is around 10 to 15 percent faster in CPU performance, but also takes a significant step up in GPU, AI workloads, and even storage speed. Like Apple's mobile chips, the M5 is now available on the MacBook Air as well.
M5 Pro: Available exclusively on the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros right now, the M5 Pro comes with up to an 18-core CPU and a 20-core GPU. The base configuration starts with only a 15-core CPU and 16-core GPU, though. Like in previous generations, the “Pro” chip gets all the same benefits in the M5 architecture, but adds more cores and improved memory bandwidth. The biggest advantage is in GPU and on-device AI performance. This time around, however, both the M5 Pro and M5 Max also debuted something called “Fusion Architecture,” a new version of UltraFusion (which previously only used on the Ultra chips) that combines two dies together across a super-fast interconnect.
M5 Max: The M5 Max is the M5 Pro—only more GPU power. You get the option for up to 40 GPU cores, which turns puts the MacBook Pro on the level of high-end gaming laptops in terms of graphics performance. Add in the neural accelerators that are now built into each GPU core, and you've got one of the most powerful AI laptops on the market. In terms of Apple rankings, it's only bested in GPU performance by the M3 Ultra, which is currently only available in the Mac Studio.
M4 Series