Verdict

lark about a stunning show , wildly powerful internals and the re - addition of important ports , the MacBook Pro 2021 rights the damage of the past few iterations of Apple ’s flagship laptop .

Pros

Cons

Key Features

Introduction

The MacBook Pro 16 - inch is , along with the 14 - inch manikin , the best Apple laptop computer I ’ve used in year .

A lot of what makes this machine so special is that it go back on on many of the controversial changes Apple made in 2015 with its now - infamous MacBook Pro redesign .

Since the release of the 2021 model reviewed here , Apple has relinquish 2023 variant of both sizes of theMacBook Prowhich are now power by either theM2 ProorM2 Maxchipsets .

Alongside improvements to performance , both in the processor and GPU , there ’s now support for Wi - Fi 6E , Bluetooth 5.3 and the hope of improved barrage fire spirit . For representative , Apple now claim 22 hours of succus per charge , if you ’re watching video , for the 16 - inch version .

Until we ’ve reviewed these new machines we ca n’t say for definite how much of an betterment they ’ll be – but consider how much we loved – and still love – the 2021 models we ’re sure enough excited . you’re able to read on for a full verdict on the 2021 versions of the MacBook Pro 14 and 16 - inch models .

Design and Keyboard

The MacBook Pro 2021 come in two sizes : 16 inch and 14 inches . I ’ve used both models over the past few calendar month and the principal difference between the two models occur down to the size of it of the video display . you may , if you want , spec up the 14 - inch example – so do n’t sense you have to go openhanded to get the best performance .

The talkative canvass on the 16 - column inch model is ideal for video editing and other originative tasks . I found myself rarely feeling the need to plug away into an outside monitor , the showing being just so upright . But , as a writer , I was carry more by the portable nature of the 14 - inch manikin .

Apple has done a great job of deliver a design refresh , without free the industrial charm of which I was a devotee with the former model . The two colors option , silver and grey , continue – and I ’d expect those look for a more colorful simple machine will be catered for with the coming rumoured redesign of theMacBook Air 2022 .

The MacBook Pro 2021 is boxier than before . It ’s also a little thicker and grave , although consider the additions both in terms of performance and port survival of the fittest , I ca n’t complain too much about the added heft .

For all the weights and measurements for the models see the chart below .

Full Specs

Around the side of the machine , there ’s a far sizable survival of the fittest of ports compared to the outgoing model . You do lose oneThunderbolt 4port , with three rather than four , but you no longer have to altogether rely on them .

On the veracious side , there ’s an HDMI 2.0 interface ( great for showing off presentations or just watching Netflix in a hotel ) and an SDXC calling card expansion slot . With the Old manakin I ’d become used to rely on a dongle to transfer snaps from my tv camera , but it was always an bothersome solution . Having an factual Coyote State carte reader here is very welcome . The other side has more bolt of lightning port wine , a MagSafe port and phone diddlyshit .

While the laptop does come with a MagSafe battery charger ( the speed of this depends on the model you prefer ) , you may still commit via any of the three Thunderbolt 4 ports . I wish the impart protection the magnetic MagSafe porthole offers – attempt to trip over it and it comes out – but , equally , I can see the benefits of using a single USB - degree centigrade courser for a laptop , Android telephone , iPad Pro and so on . It ’s nice to see Apple give the substance abuser the choice .

For some , the reintroduction of a wider array of ports will mean that the once - substantive dongle is no longer required . But , I do think that professionals will still need to keep one around . There are no received USB case - A port , and if specific oeuvre requires other card types then that still is n’t supported .

Apple rejigged the keyboard with the previous MacBook Pro and the one here is very similar . It ’s a joy to typecast on , with passel of traveling and well - sized backlit key . The Touch Bar has been dump in favor of full - sized function keys , which is a move I ’m very much in favour of . The melodic theme of the Touch Bar was great , but it was never utilised the right way by developers or Apple . At the end of the part row there ’s a profligate Touch ID sensor .

Below the keyboard there ’s a monumental tactual trackpad and speakers on either side . strait from both side of meat of the laptop computer is truly excellent .

Screen

The redesign of the MacBook Pro 2021 continues into its show . Not only has Apple greatly improved the calibre of the panel , but it has also tweaked the designing to render a much more modern laptop computer .

Before I get into the timbre of the literal panel , there ’s plenty to discuss in terms of how it fits into the car . I appreciate now that the bezels are much slim , with the 14 - column inch screen now fitting into a body not much larger than the old 13 - incher . Other brands , notably Dell with itsXPS 13line , have been doing this for a while and I already feel the older 13 - in MacBook Pro feel timeworn in comparison .

But the most controversial aspect of the MacBook Pro 2021 ’s conception is the nick . This juts out into the showing and house the improved webcam . If you ’ve used a recent iPhone – theiPhone 13 , for lesson – you ’ll be cognisant of the notch and will in all likelihood have an opinion on it .

Having used the MacBook Pro 2021 for a number of months now , I ca n’t say the notch has interfered with my work at all . It vanish into the status bar most of the sentence and is covered by the black bars when you ’re streaming TV .

The understanding the snick exists is simple – the webcam . Previous MacBooks , both Air and Pro , have tended to derive with awful cameras . Working from home base and virtual meetings have become more vulgar during the pandemic , so the need for safe - quality video has grown . It ’s a right job then that the 1080p webcam here offer a significant melioration on any other MacBook Pro I ’ve used .

It ’s a lot more elaborate , with in effect carrying out in abject - brightness post . It is n’t quite as good as the fantastic webcam on theiMac M1 , but it gets the business done .

I ’m more or less mystify that Apple has n’t included the same Face ID technical school here that works so well on the iPhone . This would make the mountain pass seem even more worthwhile , and add a handy biometric unlocking solution .

As I ’ve mention previously , the MacBook Pro 2021 issue forth in two sizing : a 14 - inch and a 16 - inch model . However , both unit carry the same sieve technical school , so you ’re not having to give any high - remainder feature film if you ’d favor a modest machine . This is different to how Apple does thing with the iPad Pro line , where the 12.9 - inch is the only version to mob the best projection screen .

Apple has shifted away from IPS LCDs , instead fitting both models with aMini LEDdisplay . This offers important betterment in a telephone number of ways . For one , this fresh Liquid Retina XDR display can fork out a constant 1000 nits of brightness and 1600 nits when you ’re observe HDR content . discharge up an HDR video – I used Blade Runner 2049 as a examination , bought and streamed in Dolby Vision from iTunes – and you’re able to see that excess brightness kick into paraphernalia in the brighter view . ingest this fantabulous HDR reenforcement will be welcome for those hoping to reach a complete HDR workflow .

These Mini LEDs panels can also give a like look toOLEDdisplays , with very inscrutable and inky blacks . papa this MacBook Pro next to the older model and the LCD panel of the former looks washed out in comparison .

Apple still is n’t offering a 4 K declaration , something you could get on multiple Windows choice . However , that ’s scarcely an return . The 3024 x 1964 resolution on the 14 - inch and the 3456 x 2234 resolving on the 16 - in model are both very sharp and detailed .

The concluding piece in the jigsaw is the 120HzProMotionrefresh pace . Like ProMotion on the iPad and iPhone , the tech here is adaptive – storm up the refresh rate when it ’s required , or down when it ’s not . I have to say that while everything feels very smooth , ProMotion and the 120Hz refresh rate are n’t as detectable here as they are on touchscreen twist where you ’re directly interact with the screen . Note , too , that certain apps do n’t seem to be able to take reward of the faster refresh pace , either .

Performance

While I ’ve been pretty glowing about the aim , keyboard and sieve of the MacBook Pro 2021 , it ’s really the public presentation that ’s the primal upgrade . This is the first clock time we ’ve seen Apple utilise a rightfully ‘ flagship’ARMchipset , and it represents a key step in the changeover from Intel toApple Silicon .

While it was just the M1 offered with the former MacBook Air and the MacBook Pro , there are two crisp pick this time : theM1 Proand theM1 Max . This followup will cover both , to volunteer a serious reading of the execution metric across both .

For the off - the - shelf models that Apple trade , there are a few options . For the 14 - inch , the cheapest model has the M1 Pro , with an eight - nucleus CPU , 14 - core GPU along with 16 GB unified memory and a 512 GB SSD . The next model also comes with an M1 Pro , but with a 10 - core CPU and 16 - core CPU .

If you want the M1 Max in the 14 - column inch example then you need to spec thing up yourself . The jump from the base M1 Pro to the M1 Max costs an extra £ 500 for a 10 - core CPU and 24 - core GPU , or £ 700 for a 10 - magnetic core CPU and 32 - nucleus GPU .

move over to the 16 - in rendering , the loud mannequin here includes an M1 Pro packing a 10 - core CPU and 16 - core GPU . Then there ’s the M1 Max model with a 10 - center central processor and GPU . Of course , you may customize these ( before you corrupt ) to your heart ’s substance , upping the retentivity , storage or choosing the correct CPU for you .

For the purposes of this reassessment , I ’ve been using the following two models . The 14 - inch MacBook Pro packs the Apple M1 Max microchip with 10 - core central processor and 32 - core GPU , 64 GB of RAM and a 2 TB SSD . This is , aside from the storage , the top - end model and represents the very best carrying out .

The 16 - in model comes with the M1 Pro and is a short more modest in terms of specs . It has a 10 - core CPU , 16 - essence GPU , 32 GB of RAM and a 1 TB SSD . This represents a downcast - last , yet it ’s still an passing capable machine .

One important affair of note when buying one of these example is that if you want 64 GB Unified Memory , then you need an M1 Max crisp . Upping the memory board is also expensive : £ 400 to jump from 16 GB to 32 GB , and then another £ 400 to go from 32 GB to 64 GB .

If you ’re in the grocery store for the M1 Max , then the likelihood is that you ’ll know you necessitate it for your work flow . We ’re peach professionals who render complex 3D scene or have very diagrammatically intensive workflows . The M1 Max could also be for those who want to attach more 8 one thousand and 4 K displays , since this supports up to four , rather than two , on the M1 Pro .

operation across both versions of the chip is absolutely fantastic and a huge leap over the already rather incredible M1 . Whether it ’s benchmarking or in real - reality use , the MacBook Pro 2021 stuns . What makes thing even better is that you ’ll get this excellent public presentation whether you ’re on battery power or plugged in . This will be a Brobdingnagian boon to anyone who has to get edits done on a sheet , where a power outlet is annoyingly lacking .

As with the first M1 Macs , you ’ll get the best performance from native apps built for Apple silicon . If an app is n’t properly support , it will run in a translation layer . Many of the apps I use every day now have Apple M1 versions – such as Adobe Creative Cloud apps , Chrome and the comparable . You might find some older Intel apps that do n’t work here , although I have n’t come across any that do n’t serve at all .

gambling has never been a strong point for MacOS computers and that stay the case here . The hardware on offer is more than capable , and game such as Shadow of the Tomb Raider ran like a appeal ; but this is n’t the typeface with New titles .

Test Data

Apple ’s media engine pump up performance when work with ProRes files , so for the very good in condition of efficiency , that ’s the data format to habituate .

There are rooter in both size of the MacBook Pro 2021 and it ’s possible to get them to fire up , although this seldom happened during my time with the machines . 4 super C render from Final Cut X took place silently across the board . I did a tryout on a 2019 Intel MacBook Pro as a comparing and the fan revved up almost immediately in the same labor . Even open up 60 tabs in Chrome could n’t stir the rooter into action . I did get the fans to kick into gear when play Football Manager 2022 for an extended stop .

Battery Life

Battery life has impress me throughout my clip with both the 14 - in and 16 - inch versions of the MacBook Pro . Endurance ca n’t quite match that of the M1 MacBook Air , but it is n’t too far off and there ’s more than enough juice here to keep you comfortable .

In curt , the 16 - inch model ( mine had the M1 Pro ) performed well than the 14 - inch M1 Max . Apple claims the 16 - column inch can last for around 21 hours of offline TV playback ; I was able-bodied to correspond this , if not beat it , on multiple social function . Of course , the times when you ’d need to stream this much offline video in one go are probable to be minimal , but it shows that with day - to - day chore , this laptop will keep go .

Again , sticking with the more basic undertaking such as vane browsing ( in both Chrome and Safari ) , Word of God processing and the alike , both models easily live on a distinctive working day ( 9 am to 6 pm ) with raft of battery life to part with . I rarely incommode have my charger into the office , and never worried about checking I had it with me in the morn . Coming from an intel Mac , this is very much a change .

The assault and battery depletes a lot quicker when you ’re doing more intensive tasks , but I was rarely disappoint . I killed the bombardment of the 16 - column inch MacBook Pro 2021 with around six hours of the processor - intensive Football Manager 2022 .

When it come to recharging , you have two choice . admit in the box is a MagSafe charger , which will be conversant to those who used MacBook Pros before the 2015 redesign . It ’s magnetic charging with a lace transmission line and slips gratifyingly into the consecrate port on the side . Accidentally trip over it and it comes free .

By default , the base 14 - inch come with a 67W charger , while the specced - up versions up that to a 96W battery charger . The 16 - inch models all fall with 140W hack . Using MagSafe , I typically got from 0 - 50 % in around 35 minutes , which is in line with Apple ’s title .

you may also charge the laptop with a dissolute USB - C plug , so for those who have an older MacBook Pro USB - C battery charger , it can be used here too on any of three port . Just do n’t bear the same speeds .

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Should you buy it?

Whether you go for the M1 Pro and M1 Max , you ’re getting a earnestly capable machine that feels very much in a league of its own for originative tasks .

For what you ’re get , I do n’t call up any versions of this laptop computer are overprice . However , if you ’re not go to make the most of the performance on whirl then you ’re likely good off with the MacBook Air M1 .

Final Thoughts

The MacBook Pro 2021 is a terrific , expensive and surd - to - ignore laptop . After a few old age of MacBook Pros with sinewy sacrifices , this feels like the most terminated Apple intersection I ’ve ever reviewed .

From the reintroduction of some lively port to the stunning Mini LED video display and the broad array of powerful internals on offer , this is a wondrous motorcar for all those who are willing to part with the hard currency .

It is n’t for everyone , though – and that ’s dead ok . For those who want a laptop for word processing , browsing , Netflix and emailing , this motorcar is overkill ; theMacBook Air M1is far better alternative . It also remains a poor choice for gamers , not because of what ’s on offering , but due to MacOS .

Simply put , this is thebest laptopI have ever used .

Trusted Score

How we test

Every laptop computer we review goes through a series of unvarying checks designed to guess key affair admit frame quality , performance , screen quality and battery living .

These include formal synthetic benchmarks and written tests , plus a serial of real - man check , such as how well it runs the most often used apps .

We also make certain to apply every laptop computer we review as our main machine to ensure our review is as accurate as potential .

FAQs

While it does n’t have an OLED display , both the 14 - in and 16 - inch good example of this laptop have Mini light-emitting diode panels . These are similar to OLED , allowing for gamy luminousness grade and telling HDR performance .

Honestly , no . The mountain pass hides a much - improve webcam and blends into the background in most instances . Even if the pass annoys you on the iPhone , I do n’t think it will annoy you here .

Apple still has n’t yet introduce Face ID to its laptops , with the only biometric physique of unlock available the very fast Touch ID detector .