Storm Score 86 out of 100
Reviews 7 published
Outlets 7 publications
Top Outlet Engadget highest score
% Positive 100% acclaim+

Critics' Consensus

“Critics praise the M5‑powered 14‑inch MacBook Pro for its enhanced GPU and AI performance, noting it remains a solid choice for professionals. Some reviewers feel the design changes are minimal and the overall experience feels largely unchanged from its predecessor.”

Certified
Critically
Acclaimed
86 / 100
Tier Distribution 7 reviews total
43%
57%
0%
Universal Acclaim (90–100): 3 reviews
Critically Acclaimed (70–89): 4 reviews
Mixed Reception (<70): 0 reviews

Critical Assessment

What Critics Praise

  • Sturdy design
  • Solid performance for price
  • Enhanced GPU capabilities
  • Optional nano‑texture reduces glare
  • Faster GPU than M4
  • Wonderful keyboard and trackpad

Points of Contention

  • No Thunderbolt 5
  • Thermal throttling at peak
  • Fan can get loud
  • That damn notch
  • No OLED screen option
  • Upgrades can get pricey

Professional Reviews

7 reviews from 7 critics
92
Devindra Hardawar
Engadget

The M5 14-inch MacBook Pro delivers a significant graphics upgrade while maintaining Apple's renowned design, keyboard, trackpad, and battery life. Its main drawbacks are the absence of an OLED screen option and the high cost of higher-spec configurations.

Perfect 92/100
90
Brian Westover
PCMag

“The 2025 MacBook Pro 14‑Inch looks identical to its predecessor, but the M5 chip delivers vastly amped‑up AI and graphics muscle, vaulting Apple’s "basic" power MacBook into a new class of mighty machine.”

Perfect 4.5/5
90
Timothy Beck Werth
Mashable

“The new M5 silicon doesn't just surpass the competition; it actually laps the competition.”

Perfect 4.5/5
89
RTINGS.com
RTINGS

“The Apple MacBook Pro 14 M5 is excellent for general productivity.”

Acclaimed 89/100
80
Kyle Barr
Gizmodo

“The 14‑inch MacBook Pro with M5’s best, new qualities are subtle, almost to the point they disappear into the background.”

Acclaimed 4/5
80
Luke Larsen
Wired

The Apple MacBook Pro (14‑inch, M5) is a largely unchanged laptop that gains modest performance boosts from the new M5 chip, making it a solid prosumer machine for media and light creative work. Its main strength is the improved GPU, AI performance, and excellent display and speaker setup, while its weakness lies in the minimal overall upgrade—most features remain the same as previous generations.

Acclaimed 80/100
80
Brandon Hill
Tom's Hardware

“Apple’s performance improvements with the M5 in the MacBook Pro make it a strong option for people in need of an upgrade, and we appreciate the faster storage.”

Acclaimed 4/5

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