Apple's 14-inch MacBook Pro with the M5 chip is currently discounted by $200 at Amazon and Walmart compared with the newer M6 version, even though the two laptops share identical specifications apart from the processor. The discount puts the older model in an unusual position: it is the same machine Apple refreshed last month with the M6 chip, but at a lower price.
The M6 update arrived last month, and the laptop is capable, with strong battery life and a bright mini-LED screen. Still, it fits awkwardly into the current MacBook lineup because it is otherwise identical to the M5 model that came out in late 2025. The $200 gap between the two is the main difference for buyers weighing the pair.
The M6's gains come largely from two additional CPU and GPU cores, which the source describes as one of the smaller generation-over-generation performance bumps in Apple Silicon's past six years. The more notable change is in AI performance, driven by a second 16-core Neural Engine and faster memory bandwidth on the M6. The source's assessment is that the difference is unlikely to be very noticeable in day-to-day work or even in content creation workflows.
That assessment is reinforced by the base 14-inch MacBook Pro's position in the lineup. It is not a true pro laptop in terms of performance, using the same M5 chip found in the MacBook Air and iPad Pro. The only other real difference between the two models is wireless connectivity, where the M6 adds Wi-Fi 7.
Buyers considering the 14-inch MacBook Pro M5 also have the 15-inch MacBook Air to weigh. The main difference between the two is display quality: the mini-LED panel on the MacBook Pro is much brighter and more colorful, with impressive HDR performance. The MacBook Pro also offers more ports, including HDMI and an SD card slot, and USB-C ports on both sides for charging from either direction.
The 15-inch MacBook Air is on sale as well. The configuration with 16 GB of memory and a terabyte of storage is at its lowest price since June at $1,549, which is $150 off Apple's retail price. Both the thinner 15-inch MacBook Air M5 and the 14-inch MacBook Pro M5 with its better screen carry deals for US shoppers, while the M6 MacBook Pro does not.
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