In 2020 alone, Apple generated $274 billion in revenue. With Apple having the influence it does over the electronics market, all eyes are on them when new products are released each year — especially when new Apple MacBook Pro models get released.
This year, the 14- and 16-inch models with the M1 chip were released, along with a host of changes that either upgraded or downgraded from the previous version (depending on your opinion).
Luckily, we're here to tell you all about them. Read on to learn everything you need to know about the Apple MacBook Pro 2021 models.
What Are the Specifications?
Like we've already said, the new Apple MacBook Pro 2021 models come with a lot of notable changes. But what exactly are they?
Here are the specifics for the 14-inch with the M1 Pro chip:
- Comes in silver or space grey
- M1 Pro chip (configurable to M1 Max with 10-core GPU and up to 32-core GPU)
- H: 1.55 cm, W: 31.26 cm, D: 22.12 cm, W: 1.6 kg
- 8-core CPU with 6 performance cores and 2 efficiency cores
- 14-core GPU
- 16-core Neural Engine
- 200GB/s memory bandwidth
- 512GB SSD (Configurable to 1TB, 2Tb, 4TB, or 8TB)
- 14.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR display (3024-by-1964 native resolution at 254 pixels per inch)
- Up to 1000 nits sustained (full-screen) brightness, 1600 nits peak brightness
- ProMotion technology for adaptive refresh rates up to 120Hz
- High-fidelity six-speaker sound system with force-cancelling woofers
Battery, Power, Ports, Camera
- Up to 17 hours of Apple TV app movie playback; up to 11 hours wireless web
- 70-watt-hour lithium-polymer battery
- 67W USB-C Power Adapter; 96W USB-C Power Adapter (fast-charge cable; can purchase for extra)
- SDXC card slot
- HDMI port
- 3.5 mm headphone jack
- MagSafe 3 port
- 3 Thunderbolt 4 ports
- 1080p webcam
- Supports up to 4 external displays
Here are the specifications for the 16-inch with the M1 Pro and M1 Max chips:
M1 Pro:
- 10-core CPU with 8 performance cores and 2 efficiency cores
- 16-core GPU
- 16-core Neural Engine
- 200GB/s memory bandwidth
- 512GB SSD (Configurable to 1TB, 2TB, 4TB, or 8TB)
M1 Max:
- 10-core CPU with 8 performance cores and 2 efficiency cores
- 32-core GPU
- 16-core Neural Engine
- 400GB/s memory bandwidth
- 1TB SSD (Configurable to 2TB, 4TB, or 8TB)
Display, Battery, Power, Ports, Camera
- 16.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR display (3456-by-2234 native resolution at 254 pixels per inch)
- ProMotion technology for adaptive refresh rates up to 120Hz
- High-fidelity six-speaker sound system with force-cancelling woofers
- Up to 21 hours of Apple TV app movie playback; up to 14 hours wireless web
- 100-watt-hour lithium-polymer battery
- 140W USB-C Power Adapter (fast-charge capable at no extra cost)
- DXC card slot
- HDMI port
- 3.5 mm headphone jack
- MagSafe 3 port
- Three Thunderbolt 4 ports
- Supports up to 4 external displays
Now, let's dive into the details.
New Ports
The most notable change given to the new MacBooks was the readdition of several ports. Older models only came with two Thunderbolt 3 ports, and you had to buy an adapter (or several) if you wanted to be able to plug multiple things into your monitor at once.
Now, the new models come complete with three Thunderbolt 4 ports, an HDMI port, an SD card reader, and a MagSafe charging port.
That doesn't mean adapters won't come in handy, though. And our options allow you to always connect easily.
Display Quality
Rumours circled about Apple using mini-LED technology for these laptops, and it turns out the rumours were true.
Apple's name for it is, "Liquid Retina XDR Display," and it brings with it a better contrast ratio, deeper blacks, and a much wider colour gamut. Both the new models share this technology, but they do (obviously) differ in size.
The 14-inch model comes with a 14.2" panel and a resolution of 3,024 x 1,964, while the 16-inch model comes with a 16.2" display model and a resolution of 3,456 x 2,234.
The refresh rate is the same on both models at 120Hz, though. They do come with ProMotion tech for adaptive refresh rates, but you can opt to turn it off.
Speakers, Mics, Headphones
The new speakers in the 13-inch MacBook were impressive enough on their own, but the new ones are even better.
They come equipped with a six-speaker sound system that promises much better fidelity and even more support for Spatial Audio. All the MacBook Pro models come with a beamforming three-mic array, but the two new models come with improved sensitivity and a lower noise floor, meaning better sounding recordings.
The headphone jack on these models also supports high-impedance headphones, which is great for studio headphones.
Speed
The new models come with the new Apple M1 Pro and M1 Max chips, meaning more cores and higher speeds. They're more powerful than the original M1 chip, which only came equipped with an 8-core GPU. The new chips both have 32.
They also come with the capability of holding four times the storage and four times the unified memory. Both the 14-inch and 16-inch are capable of being fully specced out with these numbers — meaning 64GB of unified memory and up to 8TB of storage.
Standard base configurations are 16GB of ram and 513GB of storage. The 13-inch Macbook Pro starts at 256GB of storage.
As far as cooling goes, both are operating under an advanced thermal system, meaning they're capable of moving up to 50-percent more air, even at a lower fan speed, according to Apple.
Dual Monitors
With the new M1 models, you once again have access to dual monitors. The 13-inch model only supports output to one monitor at a time, but the M1 Pro chip now supports up to four external displays at varying qualities.
Battery Life
There is one thing the new models don't quite beat the 13-inch model out on, though, and that's battery life. While they come equipped with a host of new features (and a much faster processor), you're losing out on a few hours of wire-free time.
The 13-inch model comes with 20 hours of available watch time, while the 14-inch comes with 17 hours, and the 16-inch model comes with 21 (bigger battery means less portability, though, something the 13-inch model capitalizes on).
If you're concerned with charging times, you should know the 13-inch model doesn't support fast charging, but the 14-inch and 16-inch models do. For this, you need a 96-watt power adapter.
The 14-inch comes with a standard 67-watt adapter, but you can pay a little more to upgrade so you can access fast charging. The 16-inch model, however, comes with a 140-watt adapter, no matter what configuration you're looking to buy.
Let's Address the Notch
The one thing that a lot of people aren't too happy about is the notch at the top of the screen. The bezels on these new models are smaller, meaning there's more room for screen real estate, but there's a pretty large notch at the top of the screen where the webcam lives.
Other laptops have thin bezels, like the Dell XPS, but no notch is needed for the webcam. Others, like the Huawei MateBook X Pro, actually have the webcam in the keyboard, meaning no screen real estate is used at all.
Ultimately, the notch is similar to the one on iPhone screens, which could've been the look Apple was going for, but it's more than likely going to become something you barely even notice a few days or weeks into using the laptop.
Keyboard Changes
Now, let's move to the keyboard. There are two obvious changes you're going to notice:
- The metal around the keys is all black
- There isn't any Touch Bar
The lack of a Touch Bar is going to come as a relief to some, but others might find it to be a turn-off. It's been replaced with a full set of Function keys that did a lot of what the Touch Bar could.
Don't worry about the potential return of the butterfly keyboard, though, because both models still come equipped with the Magic keyboard.
Specs
Now, we move to the most important part of the tech. What are the specs on each of the new models? What are they each bringing to the table beside an upgraded exterior?
M1 Chip
Yes, the M1 chip was introduced in late 2020, but the new MacBook models have upgraded to the M1 Pro and M1 Max chips. Both versions are available for either size, and they both beat out what the latest PC laptops are capable of performing at.
The M1 Pro tops about 200 gigabytes of memory bandwidth with support for up to 32GB of unified memory, and the M1 Max offers up to 400 gigabytes of memory bandwidth and support for up 64GB of unified memory.
PC tops off at 16GB of graphics memory.
Media Engine
The new media engines in these models offer dedicated ProRes accelerators. They're made specifically for video editing, and they're great for creatives who need more power for their workflow.
How Do You Feel About the New Apple MacBook Pro Models?
Now that we've gone over the latest Apple MacBook Pro models, how do you feel about the changes being made? Do you like MagSafe chargers, or do you prefer a USB-C cable to simply plug into your charging port?
Ultimately, whether or not you decide to upgrade to the latest model or keep the one you have is up to you, but hopefully, this guide helps you get closer to making a decision.