- We tested the battery life of Apple’s latest MacBook Pro M5 Pro and M5 Max
- While one device scored extremely well, the other fell a bit behind.
- We have compared the results of our previous reviews, with interesting results.
Apple prides itself on the long battery life of its best MacBooks, and they’ve gone from strength to strength since the company switched to its own Apple silicon chips. With the recent launch of new MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, we thought we’d put the devices to the test to see how well their batteries hold up, and the results contain some interesting surprises.
Based on benchmark data collected by our own labs (below), which focuses on web browsing longevity, the 16-inch MacBook Pro with M5 Pro chip is the best-performing Apple laptop for battery life we’ve reviewed across the M3, M4, and M5 generations. That includes any size and level of chip (like M3 Pro or M5 Max).
Its average battery life score of 21 hours, 10 minutes, and 16 seconds easily beats Apple’s estimate of 14 hours of web browsing and beats 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 great news for anyone looking at the new MacBook Pro laptops and considering battery life a key feature in their purchasing decision.
Article continues below.
The size of the laptop under test will no doubt have had an effect: simply put, a 16-inch MacBook Pro has more internal space for larger batteries compared to a 14-inch equivalent. If battery life is a priority, a larger laptop will generally be a better choice for you.
|
Model |
Battery test (web browsing in hours/minutes, Future Labs) |
Official battery life (web browsing in hours/minutes, Apple) |
|
Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch (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 the M5 Pro and M4 Pro scores were recorded on a 16-inch MacBook Pro. That similarity ensures that most of the attention can be focused on the chip rather than the space available for the battery cells.
But there were some interesting discrepancies and the latest chips are not always the highest performing, according to our test results. For example, we also compared 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 capacity, the M5 Max fell behind the M4 and M5 chips. However, it beat the M3 Pro, which scored 17 hours, 23 minutes and nine seconds.
If you are considering purchasing a new MacBook Pro, then it is worth investigating the battery capabilities of the model you are considering. You can read our full opinion on the new MacBooks in our updated review of the 14-inch MacBook Pro.
Generally speaking, a larger laptop will give you more power, and Apple has been making progress in terms of the efficiency of its chips. But as the M5 Max on the 14-inch MacBook Pro suggests, latest doesn’t always mean best.
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