The MacBook Pro line has graduated to M6, with the 14-inch entry-level model getting a timely performance boost. Here's how the new model compares to the previous model.
The M5 14-inch MacBook Pro was introduced in October 2025 as a replacement for the M4 version. It's only been a year, but Apple's done the same thing again, this time to the M6.
The change takes the form of the typical spec-bump update, which is chiefly a performance improvement change rather than one introducing brand new features.
To be frank, with expectations of an OLED variant on the way, there's no real reason to make any changes to the non-OLED model. But, as ever, the chip upgrade warrants a wider look at the new current model and the previous one.
What follows is a comparison of the base M5 14-inch MacBook Pro against the new M5 14-inch MacBook Pro.
M6 MacBook Pro vs M5 MacBook Pro: Specifications
| Specifications | M6 MacBook Pro (14-inch, 2026) | M5 MacBook Pro (14-inch, 2025) |
|---|---|---|
| Launch Starting Price | $1,999 Best prices | $1,599 (Later $1,999) Best prices |
| Dimensions (inches) | 12.31 x 8.71 x 0.61 | 12.31 x 8.71 x 0.61 |
| Weight (pounds) | 3.4 | 3.4 |
| Display | 14.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR, Wide Color (P3) True Tone ProMotion, Nano-texture (optional) | 14.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR, Wide Color (P3) True Tone ProMotion, Nano-texture (optional) |
| Resolution | 3,024 x 1,964 | 3,024 x 1,964 |
| Brightness | 1,000 nits sustained fullscreen, 1,600 nits peak HDR, 1,000 nits SDR | 1,000 nits sustained fullscreen, 1,600 nits peak HDR, 1,000 nits SDR |
| Processor | Apple M6 12-Core | Apple M5 10-Core |
| Graphics | 12-core GPU | 10-core GPU |
| Memory | 16GB, 24GB, 32GB | 16GB, 24GB, 32GB |
| Storage | 512GB, 1TB, 2TB, 4TB | 512GB (Later removed) 1TB, 2TB, 4TB |
| Battery | 72.4Wh lithium-polymer | 72.4Wh lithium-polymer |
| Networking | Wi-Fi 7 Bluetooth 6 | Wi-Fi 6E Bluetooth 5.3 |
| Touch ID | Yes | Yes |
| Camera | 12MP Center Stage camera with Desk View | 12MP Center Stage camera with Desk View |
| Audio | Six-speaker sound system, Force-cancelling woofers, Three-mic array with directional beamforming and high signal-to-noise ratio, Headphone jack with high-impedance headphone support, Dolby Atmos support with Spatial Audio | Six-speaker sound system, Force-cancelling woofers, Three-mic array with directional beamforming and high signal-to-noise ratio, Headphone jack with high-impedance headphone support, Dolby Atmos support with Spatial Audio |
| Ports | Three Thunderbolt 4 ports, SDXC Card Slot HDMI 3.5mm headphone, MagSafe 3 | Three Thunderbolt 4 ports, SDXC Card Slot HDMI 3.5mm headphone, MagSafe 3 |
M6 MacBook Pro vs M5 MacBook Pro: Design, weight, size
The MacBook Pro has a very well-defined design, namely Apple's aluminum slab aesthetic. It's quite fond of its designs, and doesn't like to change them that much if it can help it.
The M5 MacBook Pro measures 12.31 inches long by 8.71 inches wide, just like the M4 version. Its thickness of 0.61 inches was also identical, and keeps the design fairly thin for a notebook.
M6 MacBook Pro vs M5 MacBook Pro: Closed, from the front, the M6 is just as thin as the M5 version. - Image Credit: Apple
The only change introduced during the M5 launch was a new Space Black colorway replacing Grey alongside Silver.
As usual for a spec-bump update, the footprint of the M6 version is exactly the same size, as well as thickness.
For weight, there's also no real difference here. The M5 MacBook Pro was 3.4 pounds, which the M6 also matches.
M6 MacBook Pro vs M5 MacBook Pro: Display
While there is the considerable prospect of an OLED display on the horizon, it is evident that Apple still wants to sell its current MacBook display tech to consumers.
The M5 reused the M4 model's display, meaning it has a 14.2-inch screen with a resolution of 3,024 by 1,964. The pixel density of 254 pixels per inch is typical of Apple's MacBook lineup.
The XDR screen benefited from mini LED backlighting, enabling a million-to-one contrast ratio. Brightness hit 1,000 nits for SDR content, 1,600 nits at a peak for HDR content.
The M5 model also supported a billion colors, Wide Color (P3) gamut, and True Tone. ProMotion enabled refresh rates to adapt, going as high as 120 Hz.
M6 MacBook Pro vs M5 MacBook Pro: Front view. - Image Credit: Apple
Unsurprisingly, all of this is mirrored in the M6 MacBook Pro, too.
That also includes the dreaded notch, located at the top of the screen and holding a camera. The M5 introduced an optional Nano-texture coating to minimize glare, which the M6 retains.
For external display support, the M5 was able to handle two 6K-resolution 60Hz displays using Thunderbolt. Using the HDMI, you could run an 8K 60Hz display, or a 4K one at 240Hz.
The M6 can do the same thing with external displays.
M6 MacBook Pro vs M5 MacBook Pro: Performance
The M5 in the previous 14-inch MacBook Pro had ten CPU cores, consisting of four super cores and six efficiency cores. It was joined by a 16-core Neural Engine, a 10-core GPU with Neural Accelerators, and a Media Engine.
The switch to the M6 brings many performance-related changes. Starting with the CPU, which is a 12-core version, with the usual claims of speed improvements over the previous generation.
The core mix this time is described as two super cores, four performance cores, and six efficiency cores.
M6 MacBook Pro vs M5 MacBook Pro: The M6 has a performance bump on the M5. - Image Credit: Apple
The Neural Engine is back again, but this time it's a "Dual 16-core" version, meaning it has 32 cores to play with. You can add on top of that the Neural Accelerators in the 12-core GPU, as well as the usual Media Engine for hardware-accelerated video encoding and decoding.
Then there's memory bandwidth. For the M5, there was 153GB/s available, but this has been increased to 170GB/s in the M6.
When it comes to performance, Apple claims the M6 model has 1.3 times the render performance in Blender than the M5, 1.2 times faster image processing in Affinity, and 1.3 times faster Xcode code compilation. For the growing AI processing needs of its audience, there's a 1.3 times improvement too.
We can't immediately benchmark the M6 MacBook Pro just yet. However, we can use the M6 Mac mini to give some idea of what to expect in terms of performance gains.
It's not going to be an exact match for the MacBook Pro due to various factors, such as thermal management differences. Even so, it will still provide a ballpark figure.
M6 MacBook Pro vs M5 MacBook Pro: Single-core benchmarks
For single-core performance in Geekbench 7's listings, the M5 MacBook Pro achieves a pretty good 3,647. The M6 Mac mini, however, does 9.7% better at 4,002.
M6 MacBook Pro vs M5 MacBook Pro: Multi-core benchmarks
The multi-core benchmark is less tight, with the 17,955 of the M5 beaten by the M6's 21,881. That's a 22% margin that can be partially explained by the extra two cores in the M6.
Lastly, graphics, with the M5 MacBook Pro's score of 72,726 still pretty respectable. However, the 89,375 of the M6 Mac mini is a 23% improvement again.
M6 MacBook Pro vs M5 MacBook Pro: Metal benchmarks
We know there will be a performance improvement going from the M5 to the M6, as is usual for a new generation. While there's a bit of a jump from each, it's not a bad performance for the M5 at all.
M6 MacBook Pro vs M5 MacBook Pro: Camera and Audio
The notch of the M5 14-inch MacBook Pro included an improved 12MP Center Stage camera. As the name implied, the camera would reframe the shot so the subject was in the middle, making it extremely handy for video calls.
That 1080p video feed, boosted by an advanced image signal processor, also had Desk View, which faked a top-down view of the desk.
Evidently, Apple decided this worked well enough not to change. It's the same camera in the M6 version.
M6 MacBook Pro vs M5 MacBook Pro: The ports, like the rest of the design, are unchanged. - Image Credit: Apple
For audio, the M5 and the M6 both use a high-fidelity six-speaker sound system with force-cancelling woofers. There was also Spatial Audio support for Dolby Atmos content, both through speakers and with AirPods using Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking.
The M5 had a headphone jack capable of working with high-impedance headphones, making it great for audiophiles. This too is maintained for the M6 model.
When it comes to audio recording, the M5 MacBook Pro used an array of three "studio-quality" microphones with a high signal-to-noise ratio and directional beamforming. These persist in the M6 with the same specifications.
M6 MacBook Pro vs M5 MacBook Pro: Storage, connectivity, power
The M5 MacBook Pro included 512GB of storage at its lowest, with upgrade options for 1TB, 2TB, and 4TB. In March 2026, it cut the 512GB option, leaving the 1TB to 4TB range intact.
For M6, Apple's maintaining this later range, with the lowest capacity at 1TB.
On the physical connectivity side, there are three Thunderbolt 4 ports on both models, along with HDMI and an SDXC memory card slot, as well as the headphone jack. MagSafe 3 is also present for charging duties on both models.
The wireless connectivity on the M5 14-inch MacBook Pro consisted of Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3 for accessories. Under the M6, these have been upgraded to Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6, though those will only really be beneficial if you have similarly-supportive accessories or wireless network infrastructure.
When it comes to power, the M5 model had a 72.4-watt-hour lithium-polymer battery. Apple claimed it could last for up to 24 hours of video streaming and up to 16 hours of wireless web access.
This hasn't changed at all with the M6.
M6 MacBook Pro vs M5 MacBook Pro: Pricing
The base 14-inch MacBook Pro with M5 launched at $1,599, but the global memory crisis had other ideas. The price for the base model rose to $1,999, with the Standard Display, M5 chip, 16GB of unified memory, and 1TB of storage.
Increasing the memory to 24GB cost $200, rising by another $200 for the 32GB maximum. If you wanted more storage, the upgrade to 2TB was $500, while 4TB was another $1,000 on top of that.
The included 70W USB-C adapter could also be upgraded to a 96W version for just $20, while Nano-texture was $150.
The new M6 14-inch MacBook Pro starts at $1,999 with the Standard Display, 16GB of memory, and 1TB of storage.
The memory upgrade jumps are again $200 to 24GB and $200 more to 32GB. Likewise, going to 2TB of storage is a $500 fee, and 4TB another $1,000 beyond that.
The charger upgrade is once more $20, with Nano-texture a $150 upgrade.
M6 MacBook Pro vs M5 MacBook Pro: Which to buy?
When it comes to buying a base MacBook Pro from Apple directly, you don't really have much choice in the matter. You're stuck with whatever the newest chip is, which in this case is the M6.
It's also a spec-bump update through and through, with very few internal changes instead of anything major and exterior. That puts the M6 model into the bracket of being aimed at consumers who absolutely need to upgrade, or are buying their first MacBook Pro.
M6 MacBook Pro vs M5 MacBook Pro: It's faster and better, but no OLED yet. - Image Credit: Apple
There is no realistic reason to upgrade from the M5 to the M6. Things like the Neural Accelerators helped justify people upgrading to the M5, but this time it's a more muted jump up.
It also doesn't help the M6 that it's in the shadow of a rumored launch of an OLED MacBook Pro. For people wanting a serious upgrade from the M5 MacBook Pro, that is what they will be watching out for, not a small upgrade.
That all said, the M6 has still earned its place as being a pretty good entry-level MacBook Pro, for those who want something a little meatier than a MacBook Air.
Where to buy Apple's M6 14-inch MacBook Pro and M5 14-inch MacBook Pro
Apple's new M6 14-inch MacBook Pro starts at $1,999 and will be available to preorder on October 28, 2026 at B&H Photo and Amazon.
The closeout M5 14-inch MacBook Pro, meanwhile, is currently on sale from $1,837 at Amazon. A full rundown of the deals and availability can be found in our M5 14-inch MacBook Pro Price Guide.
