- We tested Apple’s latest M5 Pro and M5 Max MacBook Pro for battery life
- While one unit scored extremely well, the other fell a little behind
- We have compared the results from our previous reviews with interesting results
Apple prides itself on the extensive battery life of its top MacBooks, and they’ve gone from strength to strength ever since the company switched to its own Apple silicon chips. With the recent release of new MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, we thought we’d put the devices through their paces to see how well their batteries held up – and the results contain a few interesting surprises.
According to benchmark data collected by our own labs (below), all of which are focused on web browsing longevity, the 16-inch MacBook Pro with the M5 Pro chip is the best-performing Apple laptop for battery life that we’ve reviewed across the M3, M4 and M5 generations. That includes any size and any chip tier (such as M3 Pro or M5 Max).
Its average battery life of 21 hours, 10 minutes and 16 seconds easily exceeds Apple’s estimate of 14 hours of Internet browsing and is ahead of last year’s 16-inch MacBook Pro with the M4 Pro chip, which clocked in at 20 hours, 46 minutes and 29 seconds. That’s good news for anyone looking at the new MacBook Pro laptops and considering battery life to be a key feature in their purchasing decision.
The article continues below
The size of the laptop tested will no doubt have had an effect – simply put, a 16-inch MacBook Pro has more internal space for larger batteries compared to an equivalent 14-inch. If battery life is a priority, a larger laptop will generally be a better option for you.
|
Model |
Battery test (web surfing in hours/min., Future Labs) |
Official battery life (web surfing in hours/min, Apple) |
|
Apple MacBook Pro 14″ (M5 Max) |
17:58 |
13:00 |
|
Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch (M5 Pro) |
21:10 |
14:00 |
|
Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch (M5) |
18:00 |
16:00 |
The latest is not always the best
The improvements seen in the M5 Pro suggest that Apple is making efficiency improvements to its latest chips, as both the M5 Pro and M4 Pro results were recorded in a 16-inch MacBook Pro. This similarity ensures that most of the focus can be placed on the chip rather than the space available for battery cells.
But there were some interesting discrepancies, and the newest chips aren’t always the most efficient according to our test results. For example, we also benchmarked the M5 Max chip, this time inside a 14-inch MacBook Pro, and its performance was somewhat disappointing.
It achieved an average battery life of 17 hours, 58 minutes and 18 seconds. That’s still ahead of Apple’s web-browsing figure of 13 hours, but compared to other 14-inch MacBook Pros with similar battery capacities, the M5 Max fell behind both the M4 and M5 chips. However, it beat the M3 Pro, which scored 17 hours, 23 minutes and nine seconds.
If you’re considering buying a new MacBook Pro, it’s worth checking the battery capacity of the model you’re looking at. You can read our full thoughts on the new MacBooks in our updated MacBook Pro 14-inch review.
In general, a bigger laptop will give you more juice, and Apple has made strides in the efficiency of its chips. But as the M5 Max in the 14-inch MacBook Pro suggests, the latest doesn’t always mean the best.
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