The latest MacBook Pro notebooks from Apple have officially arrived. As expected, there’s a new 14-inch MacBook Pro and a larger 16-inch model that replaces the ageing Intel-powered 16-inch model.
The new MacBook Pros can use either the M1 Pro or M1 Max chip, both new additions to the M1 family. While the two models have specific differences, they both appear to be worthy of a place in our list of the best Macs right now. We wanted to point out some significant distinctions between the two MacBook Pros that you might have missed during the keynote in our guide. We feel this will assist you in determining which model is best for you before pre-ordering the new MacBook Pro.
Design and ports: A new look with more ports!
The squared-off form of Apple’s new MacBook Pro notebooks has flat sides. It’s almost as if Apple wants to go back to the old product designs for all of its products. On the surface, the differences are minor, but you’ll be able to identify the difference between the new and older versions. The new MacBook Pro’s port choices is a dead giveaway in this regard.
Apart from the physical footprint, there aren’t many design distinctions between the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro versions. They now both have the same flat-edged style and are available in Silver and Space Grey. As you can see in the specs table above, the 16-inch MacBook Pro weighs 1.3 pounds more than the 14-inch model.
Many folks are pleased that both models have dropped the Touch Bar in favour of conventional function keys. Both variants come with the same Backlit Magic keyboard, TouchID, and Ambient light sensor. Because of the enormous keyboard deck, the Force Touch trackpad on the 16-inch model is slightly larger. A high-fidelity six-speaker sound system with force-cancelling woofers is included in both laptops. These top-firing speakers support spatial audio on both sides of the keyboard while playing music or movies with Dolby Atmos.
The return of ports, particularly MagSafe, is what we’re most pleased to discuss. MagSafe, which magnetically attaches the charging cord to your MacBook Pro, is back. If you unintentionally pull the cord, it will remove itself from the device rather than pulling the entire laptop. Regardless, you may want to look into the most delicate MacBook Pro cases to secure your computer. Apple has given MagSafe a makeover and boosted charging speeds over previous Mac generations.
The latest MacBook Pro models include an HDMI port, an SD card reader, three Thunderbolt connections, and a 3.5mm headphone connector in addition to MagSafe. Many MacBook Pro owners have expressed a desire for additional ports, and we believe Apple did the right thing by restoring them.
A notch has been added to the display.
The reports that Apple might use mini-LED technology for these notebooks were confirmed. Instead of LED backlighting, both versions now employ min-LED. However, Apple refers to it as a “Liquid Retina XDR display.” The result is a larger colour gamut, a higher contrast ratio (1,000,000:1), and, of course, darker blacks. Using a notch at the top of both models to house the webcam is an interesting design decision to emphasize here. It at least replaces the 720p camera with a 1080p one, which is greatly needed.
The display technology is the same in both the 14-inch and 16-inch variants. However, the sizes change. The 14-inch MacBook Pro has a 14.2-inch panel with a resolution of 3024 x 1964, while the 16-inch model has a 16.2-inch panel with 3456 x 2234. When it comes to refreshing rates, though, there are no variations. Apple’s ProMotion technology allows for up to 120Hz adjustable refresh rates. You can also disable ProMotion technology and instead use fixed refresh rates as a user.
Performance: M1 Pro and M1 Max processors boost performance.
As previously stated, Apple’s new M1 Pro and M1 Max CPUs are used in the new MacBook Pro computers. For a better overall computing experience, the new CPUs offer more cores and higher speeds. These new processors outperform the original M1 chip, notably in terms of GPU performance. As a result, you’ll be able to select both the 14-inch and 16-inch models with the exact specifications, including RAM and storage.
Both notebooks can be configured with up to 64GB of unified memory and 8TB of storage. In base configurations, you’ll receive 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage as standard. Storage rates of up to 7.4GB/s are available on the new MacBook Pros, twice as fast as the previous version. They’re comparable to what you’d receive from today’s PCIe 4.0 storage. Apple claims that the new MacBook Pro models have an upgraded thermal system for cooling. Even at lesser fan speeds, it’s reported to move up to 50% more air. We believe both versions use the exact cooling mechanism. Thus there is no weight or form-factor variation as a result.
MacBook Pro 14-inch vs MacBook Pro 16-inch: Portability
The smaller 14-inch MacBook Pro is unquestionably more portable than the larger model. The new 14-inch MacBook Pro is almost identical to the 13-inch MacBook Pro in terms of dimensions. It’s 15.5mm thick and 3.5 pounds in weight. On the other hand, the 16-inch MacBook Pro is 16.8mm thick and weighs 4.7 pounds. Not to mention that, because of the larger display and battery, it has a larger footprint. The 14-inch MacBook Pro has a 69.6-watt-hour battery, whereas the 16-inch model has a 99.6-watt-hour battery.
So the choice is between a larger display and a larger battery, or a smaller display and a smaller battery for portability. Although the 14-inch MacBook Pro is definitely the more portable of the two, they are both relatively easy to transport. On the market, we’ve seen larger Windows machines. This is also an excellent opportunity to remind you that the MacBook Air is still one of Apple’s most portable notebooks.
The new MacBook Pro notebooks are unquestionably powerful computers, but they come at a hefty price. The MacBook Pro 14-inch starts at $1,999 for the base model, and the MacBook Pro 16-inch starts at $2,499 for the base model. The most costly MacBook Pro costs nearly $6,000! We believe Apple’s MacBook series currently provides a good selection of devices for various use cases. It’s reasonable to argue that the lineup is looking better than ever, from the $999 MacBook Air M1 to the new supercharged MacBook Pros.
