All hail the M5

Apple’s behind in AI, my ass!

Apple silicon has always punched above its weight, thanks to its integrated design.

But the new M5 chip — announced Wednesday with the debut of a scorching new MacBook Pro, a crazy-fast iPad Pro and a beefed-up Vision Pro headset — takes things to the next level.

Apple silicon’s high-bandwidth unified memory architecture allows for super-fast and efficient data sharing between the processors’ integrated CPU, GPU and Neural Engine cores.

This makes Apple’s chips far more powerful than competing designs from Intel, AMD and Qualcomm, which tend to use seperate memory pools.

Apple silicon is even comparable to Nvidia’s massively powerful data-center chips when energy consumption is a consideration (which it absolutely should be, given the insane power requirements of the rapidly growing AI industry).

Now Apple has redesigned the M5’s GPU architecture to make it even faster for AI.

Each GPU core comes with embedded Neural Accelerators, which deliver 4x peak GPU performance for AI tasks compared to the M4, and more than 6x the performance of the M1 chip.

For users, this means dramatically faster processing when running AI-driven applications, like local large language models and diffusion models to generate images.

So meet the new MacBook Pro, iPad Pro and Vision Pro — all built for super-fast AI performance, and super-fast performance, period.

Also in today’s newsletter:

The entry-level price for the new 14-inch MacBook Pro makes it a genuine steal.
For an iPad user like me — who uses the tablet mostly for reading — the new M5-powered iPad Pro is ridiculously overpowered. Especially the higher-end models, which get faster chips and more RAM to go along with their increased storage capacity.
Not to sniff at the new Vision Pro headset, which also gets the M5, but its biggest upgrade can be bought separately for $99.
This daily tips and tricks newsletter from iPhone Life will help you learn all about your Apple devices — for free.
These inexpensive new NAS devices from UGreen look very interesting, especially because UGreen seems to be learning ease-of-use tricks from Apple.
I’m ridiculously excited for Apple’s home hub, which is coming sooner than you think, and for what appears to be a relatively low price.
Does the innovation ever end? The iPhone 17 Pro cameras are already insanely good, but the upcoming iPhone 18’s will be even better.
I kinda like former Apple CEO John Sculley, whose reputation running Apple for a decade is unfairly maligned. He did get rid of Steve Jobs, though!

— Leander Kahney, EIC.

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Apple's new M5 chip pumps up AI and graphics processing power

Tucked inside the new MacBook Pro, iPad Pro and Vision Pro, Apple's M5 chip boosts AI and graphics processing power amid other gains.

14-inch MacBook Pro gets M5 power boost

Apple's refreshed entry-level MacBook Pro delivers a massive leap in CPU, GPU and AI performance, thanks to the next-gen M5 processor.

Apple supercharges iPad Pro with next-gen M5 processor

The M5 iPad Pro gets a speed boost from new Apple silicon. Plus, some variants get 50% more RAM.

^{A message from the Cult of Mac Deals team}

Save on Microsoft Office 2024 for Mac or PC

This discounted Microsoft Office for Mac lifetime license is a great alternative to pricey monthly fees and subscriptions.

Spatial computing gets more powerful (and comfortable) with M5 Vision Pro

Apple bumps the Vision Pro from an M2 to the latest M5 chip. The new headset also features a more comfortable strap and better battery life.

Going large on M5 iPad Pro storage also scores premium performance

Those who want the best performance from their new M5 iPad Pro need to opt for at least a terabyte of storage.

Vision Pro owners can get its biggest upgrade for just $99

The Dual Knit Band introduced with the new M5-powered Vision Pro is compatible with the old model, too. You don’t need to pay $3,499.

^{A message from}^{the Cult of Mac Deals team}

Automate your Google Docs, Sheets and Slides (no formulas needed) for just $40

AiAssistWorks is the ultimate productivity sidekick that plugs right into Google Workspace, with no fiddling with scripts or formulas.

Apple's smart home hub will cost $350

Apple factories in Vietnam will make its upcoming smart home devices, including a $350 smart display and a tabletop robot.

Ugreen brings massive local storage to home users on the cheap

The new Ugreen NASync DH2300 storage device lets home users store massive amounts of data locally as an alternative to iCloud.

Phone 18 Pro's variable-aperture camera will auto-adjust in dim lighting

A new supply chain report confirms a DSLR-like variable-aperture camera will come to iPhone 18 Pro models in 2026.

Today in Apple history: Former CEO John Sculley bids Apple a $10 million farewell

On October 15, 1993, John Sculley stepped down as Apple chairman. He ran Apple well for 10 years, but he also forced out Steve Jobs.

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Tweets of the day

First time I recall seeing these key specs so overtly on the purchase flow for iPad Pro (a good thing)!
— #M.G. Siegler (#@mgsiegler)
1:16 PM • Oct 15, 2025

I got a dummy display model phone for art/design reference purposes and it's shocking just how closely it resembles the real thing. The screen is made from actual glass and its weight is only 5 grams off. The buttons click too.
— #Michi (#@NekoMichiUBC)
8:37 PM • Oct 14, 2025

Dual-Knit Band should be free for OG Vision Pro buyers!
— #Mark Gurman (#@markgurman)
3:44 PM • Oct 15, 2025

Wallpaper of the day

"The Looming Horizon"
— #jFL (#@wallsbyjfl)
1:59 AM • Oct 13, 2025

One more thing ...

❝

The great people are self-managing. They don't need to be managed. Once they know what to do, they'll go figure out how to do it. They don't need to be managed at all. What they need is a common vision.

— Steve Jobs, 1984.

Today’s poll

What's the most exciting new M5 machine?

Results from yesterday’s poll: What's your favorite Apple TV?

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