Laptops
Apple unveils MacBook Pro with M5 Pro and M5 Max
Up to 8x AI gains, faster SSD, Wi-Fi 7, and bigger starting storage
Apple has introduced the new 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro powered by the all-new M5 Pro and M5 Max chips — bringing what feels like a full Super Saiyan moment to its pro lineup.
If M5 Pro is Super Saiyan, then M5 Max is Super Saiyan 2.
Both chips are built using Apple’s new Fusion Architecture, combining two dies into a single system on a chip. The result: massive gains in CPU, GPU, memory bandwidth, and on-device AI performance.
Apple says the new CPU includes the world’s fastest CPU core, with up to 18 cores total — 6 “super cores” and 12 performance cores — delivering up to 30% faster performance. The next-generation GPU now includes a Neural Accelerator in every core, pushing AI workloads significantly further.
Compared to M1 models, the new MacBook Pro delivers:
- Up to 8x faster AI image generation
- Up to 6.9x faster LLM prompt processing
- Up to 5.4x faster video effects rendering
Compared to the previous M4 Pro and M4 Max generation, AI workloads see up to 4x gains, while graphics performance improves by as much as 50%.
This isn’t just about benchmarks. Apple is positioning this as a serious local AI machine. Developers can run advanced LLMs directly on device. Creators can train models, render 3D scenes, process massive photo libraries, and edit complex 8K timelines without leaning on the cloud.
And unlike many performance laptops, it does this with up to 24 hours of battery life.
Storage, bandwidth, and wireless get upgrades too
The performance bump isn’t limited to silicon.
The new MacBook Pro delivers up to 2x faster SSD speeds, reaching up to 14.5GB/s read and write performance. Starting storage also gets a major upgrade:
- M5 Pro models now start at 1TB
- M5 Max models now start at 2TB
- The base 14-inch M5 model also now starts at 1TB
Memory bandwidth scales aggressively depending on configuration:
- M5 Pro supports up to 64GB unified memory and 307GB/s bandwidth
- M5 Max supports up to 128GB unified memory and 614GB/s bandwidth
Connectivity gets a boost as well. Apple introduces its new N1 wireless chip with support for Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6. Thunderbolt 5 ports come standard, alongside HDMI with up to 8K support, SDXC, and MagSafe 3 with fast charging.
The laptop retains its Liquid Retina XDR display with up to 1600 nits peak HDR brightness, now with a nano-texture option. It also features a 12MP Center Stage camera, studio-quality microphones, and a six-speaker system with Spatial Audio support.
All models run on macOS Tahoe, which deepens integration with Apple Intelligence and introduces updated Spotlight, Live Translation, and more customizable UI elements.
Pricing and availability
In the U.S., pre-orders begin March 4, with availability starting March 11.
U.S. pricing starts at:
- 14-inch MacBook Pro with M5 Pro: US$2,199 (US$2,049 education)
- 16-inch MacBook Pro with M5 Pro: US$2,699 (US$2,499 education)
- 14-inch MacBook Pro with M5 Max: US$3,599 (US$3,299 education)
- 16-inch MacBook Pro with M5 Max: US$3,899 (US$3,599 education)
The 14-inch MacBook Pro with base M5 starts at US$1,699 (US$1,599 education), now with 1TB standard storage.
In Singapore, pre-orders also begin March 4 via apple.com/sg/store, with availability starting March 11.
Singapore pricing starts at:
- 14-inch MacBook Pro with M5 Pro: S$2,999 (S$2,789 education)
- 16-inch MacBook Pro with M5 Pro: S$3,649 (S$3,379 education)
- 14-inch MacBook Pro with M5 Max: S$5,099 (S$4,669 education)
- 16-inch MacBook Pro with M5 Max: S$5,449 (S$5,029 education)
The 14-inch MacBook Pro with base M5 starts at S$2,299 (S$2,159 education).
In the Philippines, customers can order the new 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max soon on apple.com/ph/store and Apple Authorized Resellers.
Philippine pricing starts at:
- 14-inch MacBook Pro with M5 Pro starts at ₱149,990 (₱139,990 for education)
- 16-inch MacBook Pro with M5 Pro starts at ₱179,990 (₱166,990 for education)
- 14-inch MacBook Pro with M5 Max starts at ₱239,990 (₱219,990 for education)
- 16-inch MacBook Pro with M5 Max starts at ₱259,990 (₱239,990 for education)
All models are available in space black and silver.
Laptops
MacBook Neo pre-orders now open through Beyond the Box
Exclusive freebies, more perks available
Customers in the Philippines can now pre-order the MacBook Neo through Beyond the Box.
Those who avail of the device during the pre-order period can get up to PhP 10,000 worth in freebies. This is a curated bundle of essential accessories.
The MacBook Neo will also appear at these two cafes, inviting those who plan on upgrading to experience Apple’s new offering first-hand:
- April 16: Scout’s Honor, Uptown Mall
- April 17: The Matcha Tokyo, Opus Mall
Attendees who pre-order on the spot will also enjoy complimentary beverage, live DJ performances, and the opportunity to engage with social media personalities.
And to ensure the MacBook Neo is more accessible, Beyond the Box is offering 0% interest installment plans. This is both through major credit cards, Home Credit, and GCash’s GGives.
Reservations can be made through all Beyond the Box, Digital Walker, and open_sources branches nationwide.
Alternatively, the MacBook Neo is available through beyondthebox.ph, Lazada, and Shopee. It is priced at PhP 33,990 (education) and PhP 39,990 (retail).
Apple MacBook Neo
The Apple MacBook Neo is the company’s latest laptop, which is also its most affordable. It retails at just about US$ 499 to US$ 599 in the United States and SG$ 729 to SG$ 849 in Singapore.
It runs on an A18 Pro chip for 50% faster everyday performance compared to Intel Core Ultra 5-level PCs. This chip also has a 16-core Neural Engine for Apple Intelligence and 5-core GPU for graphics workloads.
The portable and lightweight laptop has a 13-inch 2408 x 1506 display, two USB-C ports, a headphone jack, and Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 6 connectivity.
The MacBook Neo ships with MacOS Tahoe, complete with apps like Safari, Photos, Messages, and FaceTime. Users are promised up to 16 hours of usage on a single charge.
Razer has officially unveiled the 2026 version of its Blade 16, doubling down on what it does best: squeezing high-end performance into an ultra-slim chassis.
This year’s refresh focuses on meaningful internal upgrades. That includes a new Intel Core Ultra 9 processor, faster LPDDR5X memory, and NVIDIA’s latest RTX 50 Series laptop GPUs — all while keeping the Blade 16 as the thinnest gaming laptop in Razer’s lineup.
Performance gets a serious bump
At the core of the new Blade 16 is the Intel Core Ultra 9 386H, featuring 16 cores and up to 4.9GHz boost clock. Razer claims a 33% increase in core count versus the previous generation, translating to stronger performance across gaming, content creation, and AI workloads.
There’s also an integrated NPU capable of up to 50 TOPS, enabling faster on-device AI tasks like image generation and live translation.
Memory gets a notable upgrade too. The Blade 16 now supports up to 64GB of LPDDR5X-9600MHz RAM, which Razer positions as the fastest available in a laptop today. The result: quicker responsiveness for heavy multitasking, creative apps, and AI-assisted workflows.
On the graphics side, NVIDIA’s GeForce RTX 50 Series (Blackwell architecture) brings DLSS 4 and enhanced AI capabilities for both gaming and creator use cases.
Display and design stay premium
Razer isn’t fixing what isn’t broken. The Blade 16 retains its signature CNC-milled aluminum chassis, measuring just 14.9mm thick and weighing around 2.14kg.
The display remains a highlight. You get a 16-inch QHD+ OLED panel with a 240Hz refresh rate, now brighter and certified for VESA DisplayHDR TrueBlack 1000. It supports full DCI-P3 coverage, Calman calibration, and NVIDIA G-SYNC, making it just as suited for creators as it is for competitive gaming.
Battery life and efficiency improve
Despite the performance gains, Razer is also pushing efficiency. Thanks to Intel’s newer architecture and system-level optimizations, the Blade 16 can hit up to 13 hours of productivity use and up to 15 hours of video playback under ideal conditions.
That’s a notable improvement for a machine in this class, especially given its slim form factor.
Connectivity and audio step up
The 2026 Blade 16 gets a future-ready connectivity suite, including Thunderbolt 5, Wi-Fi 7, and Bluetooth 6.0. There’s also a full set of ports, from USB-A to HDMI 2.1 and an SD card reader.
Audio gets an upgrade too. The six-speaker system now supports THX Spatial Audio+ with virtual 7.1.4 surround, aiming to deliver more immersive sound both on speakers and headphones.
Price and availability
The Razer Blade 16 configured with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 (16GB VRAM) and 32GB LPDDR5X-9600MHz RAM is priced at US$3,499.99 / €3,599.99 MSRP.
It is available now, exclusively via Razer.com and select RazerStores worldwide.
Still the Blade, just sharper
At a glance, the 2026 Blade 16 doesn’t reinvent the formula. But under the hood, it pushes performance, memory speed, and efficiency forward in ways that matter.
It’s still the same idea: a no-compromise gaming laptop that looks like it belongs in a minimalist workspace — just faster, smarter, and a bit more future-proof this time around.
At CES 2026, ASUS unveiled an exciting lineup of notebooks headed for launch throughout the year. Earlier this month, the brand finally launched the latest Zenbooks built for maximum portability. Now, ASUS has released the new Zenbook S16 and S14, plus the new Zenbook DUO, in the Philippines.
Zenbook S16, S14
Much like its predecessor, the latest Zenbook S16 is designed for ultra portability. In terms of thinness, the notebook measures only 1.1 centimeters. Plus, it weighs only 1.5 kilograms, making it a perfect addition to your daily kit. The Zenbook S14, on the other hand, weighs only 1.1 kilograms.
As is always expected from the Zenbook S lineup, both laptops will have a tactile Ceraluminum lid, bolstered by an EasyLift hinge for ease of use. It will also have an ErgoSense keyboard with dished keycaps.
The 16- and 14-inch 3K ASUS Lumina OLED screen has touchscreen capabilities and a refresh rate of 120Hz. For audio, the S16 has a six-speaker Dolby Atmos system, including four front-firing tweeters and dual woofers. The S14 has four speakers.
Under the hood, the Zenbook S16 will sport an AMD Ryzen AI 9 465 chipset, while the Zenbook S14 has an Intel Core Ultra 9 Series 3 processor.
For battery, the S16 will have an 83 Wh battery, which can reportedly last over 21 hours, and the S14 has a 77 Wh battery.
Zenbook DUO
If portability isn’t your main focus, the new Zenbook DUO packs in two screens in one device. Though it packs a bit more punch the Zenbook S series, the dual-screen notebook still weighs only 1.65 kilograms.
The Zenbook DUO features the newest Intel Core Ultra 9 Series 3 processor, up to 32GB of memory, and up to 1TB of internal storage. This time, both screens have anti-reflective coating for a better viewing experience.
As with the previous generations of the DUO, this iteration comes with a detachable keyboard and a four different use cases including dual screen, laptop, desktop, and sharing modes.
Powering the beast is a huge 99Wh battery. ASUS says that this is the most they can pack inside without getting users in trouble at the airport.
Zenbook 14
To be clear, this is different from the Zenbook S14, but it bears a striking resemblance to that previous notebook, both in terms of design and hardware. For one, the new Zenbook 14 is 14.9mm thin and only 1.2kg light.
The 14-inch screen carries a WUXGA ASUS Lumina OLED display, putting out images in a 16:10 aspect ratio. The notebook also has an Ergosense keyboard and touchpad for more comfortable typing and more precise controls.
Under the hood, the Zenbook 14 trades the S14’s Intel chip for an AMD Ryzen AI 7 445 processor, capable of up to 50 TOPS. It will also have 16GB of RAM and 1TB of storage.
For battery, the notebook will have a 75 Wh battery, reportedly capable of lasting over 15 hours of unplugged use.
Zenbook A16
Embodying the spirit of “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” the brand is also introducing a modest upgrade to the Zenbook A series.
The new Zenbook A16 is only 1.2 kilograms in weight. Plus, with a 70Wh battery, the notebook can remain unplugged and outside for an entire day. The A16 comes with a 16-inch 3K 120Hz OLED screen and the Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme.
Price, availability in the Philippines
The Zenbook S16 comes in Scandinavian White and starts at PhP 134,995. Meanwhile, the Zenbook S14 comes in Antrim Gray and sells for PhP 129,995.
The Zenbook DUO comes in Moher Gray and starts at PhP 179,995.
Meanwhile, the Zenbook 14 comes in Jade Black and sells for PhP 79,995.
Finally, the Zenbook A16 is coming soon.
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