MacBook Pro M6 pricing starts at $2,000 for a 14-inch model, while Apple’s M5 Pro and M5 Max options begin at $2,500 and $4,100, respectively. The catch is that Apple has split the range across different chips, displays, sizes and upgrade ceilings, so the badge on the lid does not tell the whole purchasing story.
Apple announced the 14-inch M6 MacBook Pro on October 27, with availability scheduled for November 6. A day later, it announced redesigned 14-inch and 16-inch M5 Pro and M5 Max models with its PROLED XDR display, which Apple says uses tandem OLED technology and adds touch input. Those models were also scheduled to arrive November 6.
What does each MacBook Pro configuration cost?
The detailed U.S. price ladder below comes from Daring Fireball’s compilation of Apple Store configurations, rather than a complete retail menu in Apple’s available technical-specification pages. Apple’s own specifications support the chip, memory, storage and port restrictions. Buyers should confirm the final price and availability at checkout.
- M6: The fixed 12-core CPU and 12-core GPU is available only in a 14-inch machine, starting at $2,000. It includes 16GB of unified memory; 24GB adds $200 and 32GB adds $400. Storage starts at 1TB, with 2TB at $500 more and 4TB at $1,500 more.
- M5 Pro, 15-core CPU and 16-core GPU: This 14-inch-only configuration starts at $2,500. It has 24GB memory as standard or 48GB for an additional $600. Storage follows the 1TB, 2TB and 4TB options, with the latter two adding $500 and $1,500.
- M5 Pro, 18-core CPU and 20-core GPU: The 14-inch price is $2,700; the 16-inch version is $3,000. It starts with 24GB memory, with 48GB costing $600 more and 64GB costing $1,000 more. That full M5 Pro chip is the entry point for the 16-inch model.
- M5 Max, 18-core CPU and 32-core GPU: Prices start at $4,100 for 14 inches and $4,400 for 16 inches. It is paired only with 36GB of memory. Storage starts at 2TB, rising by $1,000 for 4TB or $3,000 for 8TB.
- M5 Max, 18-core CPU and 40-core GPU: This version starts at $4,700 in 14 inches and $5,000 in 16 inches. It begins with 48GB memory; 64GB costs $400 more and 128GB costs $2,000 more. The same 2TB, 4TB and 8TB storage ladder applies.
Daring Fireball’s compilation puts the PROLED XDR version at $400 above an otherwise comparable M5 Pro or M5 Max configuration. It is not offered on the M6. Nano-texture is a separate $150 option across all MacBook Pro models, including the M6. The $300 16-inch premium applies where a matching 16-inch model exists.
What are the limits on MacBook Pro memory and storage?
The compatibility rules are doing more work here than Apple’s configuration interface makes obvious. The 32-core M5 Max is locked to 36GB memory. Buyers seeking 128GB must choose the 40-core M5 Max. Apple lists 4TB as the storage ceiling for M6 and M5 Pro, while standard-display M5 Max machines top out at 8TB.
The 16TB SSD is reserved for M5 Max machines with PROLED XDR, and costs $7,000 above the 2TB base storage in the third-party price compilation. A maximum 16-inch configuration works out to $14,550: $5,000 for the 40-core M5 Max, plus $400 for PROLED XDR, $2,000 for 128GB memory, $7,000 for 16TB storage and $150 for nano-texture. That is derived arithmetic, not a separately published Apple price.
There is also a practical I/O divide. Apple lists three Thunderbolt 4 ports and support for up to two external displays on M6. M5 Pro and M5 Max have three Thunderbolt 5 ports; Apple lists support for up to three displays on M5 Pro and four on M5 Max. Those limits can matter more than a modest CPU-bin change for a desk setup built around external storage and monitors.
This story draws on original reporting from Daring Fireball.
