Apple unveiled new MacBook Pro and MacBook Air models with its M5 chip, as well as a Studio Display lineup, CNBC reported on March 3 local time.

The MacBook Air is priced at $1,099 for the 13-inch model and $1,299 for the 15-inch model, up from the previous versions. Base storage doubles to 512GB. The MacBook Pro is priced at $2,199 for the 14-inch M5 Pro model and $3,899 for the 16-inch M5 Max model, a $400 increase from the previous versions.

TechCrunch said the main driver of the price increases is a RAM shortage. As demand surges for computers and data centres for AI, memory prices have jumped, leading to broader increases in hardware costs. Not only Apple but other manufacturers are facing the same problem, and it is expected to affect the smartphone and laptop markets going forward.

Apple highlighted that the MacBook Pro using the M5 Pro and M5 Max can process large language model tasks 4 times faster than the M4 and 8 times faster than the M1. It is also emphasising performance optimised for local AI tasks.

Apple also unveiled a new Studio Display. The base model costs $1,599, while the higher-end Studio Display XDR is priced at $3,299 and supports higher brightness, a mini LED backlight and a faster refresh rate.