Apple’s new 14 and 16-inch MacBook Pro laptops are now available for purchase, and the news have been stirring up havoc on the internet since day one. But while Apple fans and tech enthusiasts keep ranting on about things like RAM, SoC architecture and next-gen CPU performance, these latest models and configurations have made it increasingly difficult for the weary masses to decide which laptop to buy.
For those struggling to keep up with this supposedly game-changing development, here’s a no-frills breakdown of the top 5 reasons why these new MacBooks are such a big deal.
1. First-gen M1 Chips
News flash, Apple is now making their own chips instead of purchasing them from Intel, and according to early adopters and review sites across the web, they’re even better than expected.
You can choose either the M1 Pro chip with or M1 Max, both of which offer more cores dedicated to graphics processing than the vanilla M1 (14, 16 or 32 GPU cores, versus seven or eight GPU cores)
According to Apple, the M1 Max is able to offer the same relative performance at close to or above Nvidia’s GeForce RTX 3080 mobile chip, and it can do so while consuming a lot less power.
For power users and creative professionals, better GPU performance means higher speed for visual-intensive tasks such as video editing, 3D rendering, and motion design. For casual users, it means improved gaming experience and the freedom to binge-watch high-resolution video (think Netflix in 4K).
The memory upgrade is also significant, so much that Anandtech called its performance figures “never before seen” in its review.
“The chips here aren’t only able to outclass any competitor laptop design, but also competes against the best desktop systems out there, you’d have to bring out server-class hardware to get ahead of the M1 Max – it’s just generally absurd.”
2. Stellar Battery Life
According to the battery test done by Tom’s Guide, the 14-inch MacBook Pro with an M1 Pro chip can last 14:08 hours (with ProMotion refresh rate), while M1 Max-powered 16-inch MacBook lasted 15:31, also with ProMotion. You’ll get all-day use out of both laptops, which is quite impressive considering the power under their respective hoods.
3. Touch Bar is gone. Missing ports are back
It looks like Apple decided to listen to its customers for once. It ditched the cumbersome Touch Bar and introduced a whole new series of ports for more connectivity than ever, all without an adapter.
With the triumphant return of MagSafe charging, HDMI, and an SD card slot, you’ll finally be able to connect stuff to your MacBook again. Say goodbye to dongles.
The most amazing development is that you can now plug up to four displays into the MacBook—and charge it at the same time. It has one HDMI port for displays and three Thunderbolt 4 ports in total. Adding a better headphone jack that works with high-impedance headphones means music producers can plug in more power-hungry models without adding a headphone amp.
4. Bigger, brighter screen
Apple’s redesigned 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro models are the first to boast Liquid Retina XDR displays, hardware that opens the door to capabilities previously reserved for the pricey Pro Display XDR. This allows for professional users options to create and use reference modes customized for specific color workflows.
“You can use the reference modes included with your display to match the production requirements of HDR, HD, SD video, and other media types. Each reference mode sets the color space, white point, gamma, and brightness on your display,” Apple says.
5. 1080p Webcam
The notch at the top of the screen, though much-maligned, allows for a bigger webcam, something Mac users have been craving for years. The old 720p-resolution cameras on previous MacBooks and many Windows laptops were fine when we were only using them occasionally, but ever since we turned into a nation of professional Zoomers, full HD cameras have become a necessary tool for survival.
Now do you feel excited?
But be warned. These are serious models that come with serious price tags.
Apple offers two standard configurations of the 14-inch MacBook Pro, and three standard configurations of the 16-inch MacBook Pro:
- M1 Pro 8-core CPU, 14-core GPU, 16GB of RAM, 512GB SSD: $1,999
- M1 Pro 10-core CPU, 16-core GPU, 16GB of RAM, 1TB SSD: $2,499
- M1 Pro 10-core CPU, 16-core GPU, 16GB of RAM, 512GB SSD: $2,499
- M1 Pro 10-core CPU, 16-core GPU, 16GB of RAM, 1TB SSD: $2,699
- M1 Max 10-core CPU, 32-core GPU, 32GB of RAM, 1TB SSD: $3,499