With the debut of the M5 Pro and M5 Max MacBook Pro models, Apple tweaked the available configurations for the standard M5 MacBook Pro.
The 14-inch M5 MacBook Pro used to start with 512GB of storage, but Apple has removed that option. All MacBook Pro models, including the entry-level M5 version, start with a 1TB SSD that can be upgraded to 4TB.
The starting price of the M5 MacBook Pro was $1,599, but now it starts at $1,699 because of the updated storage. While the starting price has gone up, the price for SSD upgrades has technically shifted down.
Upgrading to 1TB previously would have resulted in a machine that costs $1,799, but that same base configuration is now $1,699 and $100 more affordable.
Upgrading to 2TB from the base starting storage used to be $600, but now the 2TB upgrade is $400. The 4TB upgrade is $1,000, $200 less than the $1,200 that it used to cost.
In short, Apple has removed the 512GB storage option and dropped the price of SSD storage at the same time. The base machine is more expensive, but you're getting a higher capacity SSD for less.
Apple has de-emphasized stock configurations and options are no longer listed on the purchase page for Macs. There are still stock models that will be sold in stores, however, and those pre-configured machines have been updated.
Apple has removed the base model that had 512GB of storage and 16GB RAM, replacing it with the version that has 16GB RAM and a 1TB SSD. There's also a $1,899 stock model with 1TB SSD and 24GB memory, and a new higher-end model with the 1TB SSD and 32GB RAM for $2,099.
Standard M5 MacBook Pro models with the new storage tiers are available for purchase as of today, and will deliver to customers as soon as tomorrow. The M5 Pro and M5 Max models can be pre-ordered starting at 6:15 a.m. Pacific Time on March 4, with a launch to follow on March 11.
