M1 MacBook Pro 2021: Which laptop model is right for you?

M1 MacBook Pro 2021

Image: Apple

The much-anticipated MacBook Pro models with M1 chips are here, released astatine the Oct. 18, 2021 Apple Unleashed event with a batch of fanfare. These caller MacBook Pros are immoderate of the fastest computers that Apple has ever shipped and see a implicit redesign, camera system, keyboard, and who tin hide the top-notch (literally) mini LED screen? In this article, we'll dive into the caller features of the MacBook Pro models released successful October 2021, unpack what the specs mean, and reply the important questions similar if you should upgrade your existing M1 MacBook Pro to a caller model. 

SEE: How to migrate to a caller iPad, iPhone, oregon Mac (TechRepublic Premium)

What's the large woody astir the 2021 MacBook Pros? 

When Apple announced it would beryllium producing its ain processors for Macs successful 2020, notably missing from the announcement was immoderate professional-grade systems. The nonrecreational high-end MacBook Pro, iMac and Mac Pro products were each inactive moving Intel processors until this October 2021 lawsuit erstwhile Apple upgraded the MacBook Pro lineup to beryllium wholly Apple Silicon based.

The MacBook Pro 14-inch and 16-inch models present diagnostic a configurable M1 Pro oregon M1 Max spot that ekes retired adjacent much velocity and are present comparable to oregon out-perform the erstwhile high-end Intel exemplary Macs successful show and artillery life. We're yet seeing the show gains and artillery beingness gains that Apple promised we'd spot with its power to the Apple Silicon processors, and it's showing the company's processor roadmap volition wage disconnected immense for consumers and nonrecreational users alike.

Overview

The caller MacBook Pro comes successful 2 flavors: The 14-inch and 16-inch version, some of which commencement with a basal M1 Pro spot (configurable), an XDR (mini LED) surface similar we've seen connected the M1 iPad Pro, and a slew of ports, including bringing backmost the much-desired SDXC paper slot and MagSafe.

Design

The caller MacBook Pro features a redesigned chassis that is simply a acquainted design, but is highly evolved from what we've seen connected the MacBook Pro, which has remained comparatively the aforesaid since 2016. The caller plan remains aluminum with a prime of Space Gray oregon Silver, but the signifier origin has a thinner surface design, and a surface that goes astir borderline to borderline and features a notch astatine the apical of the surface to location the camera components and different sensors. 

The MacBook Pro is disposable successful some 14-inch and 16-inch surface sizes, each with varying interior features, but the aforesaid stark ocular design.

Image: Apple

Since 2016, the MacBook Pro has besides featured a TouchBar connected galore models, taking up the rows traditionally utilized by the media keys. This year, Apple has decided to ditch the TouchBar and bring backmost the function/media keys rows alongside a redesigned keyboard. 

Ports

Apple has brought backmost the MagSafe charger for the 2021 MacBook Pro 14-inch and 16-inch models, a alteration that galore volition rejoice over. The caller MagSafe adapter is USB-C connected 1 end, and what Apple is dubbing "MagSafe 3 port" connected the different end. This allows for accelerated charging of the Mac. 

The MagSafe 3 larboard tin accelerated complaint the MacBook Pro. Also shown is the recently designed keyboard, a invited alteration for galore MacBook Pro users.

Image: Apple

In summation to MagSafe, the caller MacBook Pro lineup includes the pursuing ports: SDXC paper slot, HDMI port, 3.5mm headphone jack, 3 Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C) ports susceptible of charging, DisplayPort, Thunderbolt 4 (up to 40GB/s) and USB 4 (up to 40GB/s).

SEE: Why I americium buying Apple's caller MacBook Pro (TechRepublic) 

What astir the processors successful the 2021 M1 MacBook Pros? 

Apple has been innovating astatine an bonzer complaint erstwhile it comes to its spot plan and performance. The latest circular of M1 chips that are packed into these MacBook Pros are highly vigor businesslike and battalion a punch erstwhile it comes to show (something antecedently not seen successful the Apple lineup—you'd sacrifice show for artillery beingness oregon vice versa). 

Two caller chips were released arsenic a portion of the MacBook Pro: Both the 14-inch and 16-inch basal models travel with the M1 Pro chip, but tin beryllium upgraded to the M1 Max chip, depending connected your needs.

Performance

Apple has upgraded the full M1 strategy connected a spot with these caller models. The representation BUS (pathway to and from the onboard memory) has been upgraded to a wider 256-bit LPDDR5, allowing for speeds of up to 200GB/s (400GB/s connected M1 Max) erstwhile speechmaking and penning to memory.

Battery life 

On the 14-inch and 16-inch models of Late 2021 MacBook Pro, the artillery beingness has seen a melodramatic increase. On the 14-inch model, you tin expect determination successful the scope of 17 hours of movie playback and 11 hours of web browsing. The 16-inch exemplary tin execute astir 21 hours of movie playback and 14 hours of web browsing owed to the larger artillery successful the enclosure. The artillery beingness summation is owed to much power-efficient chips and ample batteries compared with the predecessor MacBook Pros. In general, you tin expect this year's MacBook Pro to eke retired connected mean 10 hours much artillery beingness than the Intel predecessor. 

M1 Pro spot

The M1 Pro spot is simply a redesigned powerhouse of a spot compared with the M1 chips from 2020. It features much cores for some CPU and GPU and accrued unified representation capacity. 

Image: Apple

The basal models of the MacBook Pro diagnostic the Apple M1 Pro chip. This is simply a caller mentation of the M1 spot that has accrued show and GPU capabilities implicit the archetypal procreation M1 Apple released connected Macs successful 2020 and the M1 iPad Pro successful Spring 2021. Apple has accrued the representation BUS connected these chips compared to the archetypal procreation M1 processors, and it's present susceptible of speechmaking and penning to representation astatine 200Gb/s throughput. This M1 Pro spot features up to 10-core CPU (eight high-performance cores and 2 energy-efficient cores) and up to a 16-core GPU. The Pro spot besides supports up to 32GB of unified representation architecture.

M1 Max spot

The M1 Max spot is 1 of the astir performant chips ever enactment into a MacBook Pro, featuring up to 64GB unified representation capacity, and up to 32 GPU cores. 

Image: Apple

An optional upgrade connected each models of MacBook Pro 14-inch and 16-inch is the M1 Max. This spot adds to the fig of cores, and to the fig of GPU cores arsenic well. The Max spot besides offers accrued representation BUS that's susceptible of moving astatine a whopping 400Gb/s. The M1 Max spot builds connected the instauration of the M1 Pro but goes galore steps guardant successful processing powerfulness and fig of cores. The M1 Max spot supports up to a 10-core CPU (eight high-performance cores and 2 energy-efficient cores), but tin besides enactment up to 32-core GPU for precise aggravated graphics applications. The M1 Max spot besides doubles the unified representation capableness to up to 64GB of configurable unified memory.

Display

The Pro Motion Liquid Retina XDR Display recovered connected the MacBook Pro is susceptible of up to 120hz show refreshes, and features mini LED backlighting to marque images connected the surface pop.

Image: Apple

The caller Late 2021 MacBook Pro 14-inch and 16-inch some diagnostic the aforesaid mini LED show (Apple is dubbing "Liquid Retina XDR") that has up to 120hz refresh rates for applications that request that performance. This show is precise akin to the exertion that Apple released earlier this twelvemonth successful the XDR show recovered connected the M1 iPad Pro 12.9."

Camera

The FaceTime camera successful the Late 2021 MacBook Pro has been importantly improved and present boasts 1080p solution and precocious representation awesome processor with computational video. This camera is housed successful a notch that appears astatine the apical of the surface and integrates done a macOS bundle redesign close into the paper barroom successful macOS and is astir hidden erstwhile utilizing Dark Mode connected macOS.

What are the specs for the 2021 MacBook Pros?

Should you upgrade if you conscionable bought a 13-inch M1 MacBook Pro past year?

In precocious 2020 and aboriginal 2021, the M1 Macs that Apple released were the user line-up of devices, composed of the iMac, MacBook Pro 13-inch and Mac mini. These devices are each perfectly susceptible for galore users, but the MacBook Pro 14-inch and 16-inch models released successful October 2021 are Apple's answers to the nonrecreational assemblage that trust connected Macs for graphics work, development, and movie and photography instauration and editing. If your workflow relies connected having the top-of-the-line GPU and CPU, past the MacBook Pro 14-inch and 16-inch are the mobile solution for you (we person inactive yet to spot the desktop solution for professionals and presume that a forthcoming merchandise of a M1 Mac Pro oregon iMac Pro volition reply that). 

If you bought an M1 iMac, MacBook Pro 13-inch oregon Mac mini successful 2020 oregon 2021, we'd beryllium hard pressed to urge an upgrade to the caller MacBook Pro 14-inch oregon 16-inch unless your workflow demanded the processing powerfulness oregon 1 of the caller features answers a solution for which you're presently searching. 

SEE: Apple's Oct. 18 Unleashed lawsuit unveils almighty caller MacBook Pro systems (TechRepublic) 

If you are utilizing a erstwhile procreation Intel MacBook Pro 14-inch oregon 16-inch, oregon different Intel-based Mac, past these are the products designed conscionable for you, and you should see an upgrade if your workflow could payment from the other power, improved screen, amended artillery beingness oregon improved keyboard.

Apple is astir halfway done its modulation to the M1 processors from Intel, and we volition apt spot its reply to the nonrecreational desktop solutions adjacent twelvemonth successful the nonrecreational iMac and Mac Pro, however, with the powerfulness and functionality of the MacBook Pro 14-inch and 16-inch, these devices tin enactment treble work arsenic some a mobile machine and desktop machine erstwhile docked. If you're replacing an aging desktop Mac, past we'd besides urge going with 1 of these MacBook Pros alternatively of purchasing different Intel desktop Mac that volition apt beryllium phased retired implicit the adjacent year.

Which 2021 MacBook Pro should I get?

If you are successful the marketplace for 1 of the caller MacBook Pros, past let's cheque retired however to find which you mightiness request based connected what you program to bash with it. 

Basic needs

If you would usage a MacBook Pro to cheque email, work websites and bash basal connection processing and wide computing tasks, the basal exemplary of the MacBook Pro 14-inch oregon 16-inch would beryllium a cleanable acceptable depending connected surface size needs. This basal exemplary of either instrumentality volition perfectly acceptable the needs of wide computing tasks.

Advanced idiosyncratic oregon future-proofing

If you're an precocious idiosyncratic who dabbles with photograph editing, video instauration oregon conscionable wants to aboriginal impervious the MacBook Pro truthful that you tin get the astir usage retired of it for years to come, past you mightiness see upgrading M1 Pro spot to the 10-core model, and upgrading the unified representation to 32GB. This volition supply wiggle country arsenic macOS continues to person updates and arsenic the bundle ecosystem continues to grow, oregon arsenic the tasks you instrumentality connected mightiness grow successful the future. This instrumentality volition beryllium capable to grip astir immoderate task you tin propulsion astatine it. 

Professional graphics decorator oregon euphony shaper

If you're successful a nonrecreational tract similar graphic plan oregon euphony production, the M1 Pro spot upgraded to the 10-core enactment volition supply an highly susceptible and performant Mac to bash your enactment on; however, we would urge maxing retired the RAM to the 32GB enactment if you program to tally dense apps similar Final Cut Pro, Lightroom, Photoshop, Illustrator, Figma oregon different plan tools. Music accumulation apps similar Logic tin besides payment from the further representation storage. 

Advanced nonrecreational users and video instauration

If you volition chiefly beryllium moving plan tools, euphony accumulation tools and video creation, and moving much than 1 astatine a clip (like moving Illustrator, InDesign, Figma, Photoshop and much each astatine once), oregon are utilizing precocious video editor, oregon 3D modeling tools, past you volition payment from the M1 Max chip. Upgrading to this spot volition greatly amended show implicit the M1 Pro spot for these tasks, including the 32-core GPU enactment to thrust graphics-rich applications and apps that tin instrumentality vantage of GPU compute tasks. If you autumn into this camp, we besides highly urge upgrading to the 64GB unified representation enactment arsenic good arsenic video editing and 3D rendering applications, which thin to tally amended with much representation and request to swap to disk little regularly erstwhile exporting oregon rendering retired video. 

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