Apple MacBook Pro 2021 Review: Everything a Fan Needs

Apple’s 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro laptops will launch in stores this week. I’ve been testing the 14-inch model for days.

The new MacBook Pro has a clear focus on design and function. It’s a change from 2016, when in the name of a cleaner design, Apple upset some customers by removing many still useful ports. And the customer had to purchase an adapter to plug the camera and card reader into the port. worse The keyboard was bad and broke for many people until last year’s update. Now, Apple customers have MacBook Pros without any design compromises. Plenty of ports and a great keyboard.

It shows Apple listening to its most loyal fans.

The new MacBook Pro is Apple’s most high-end laptop, and it hit stores on Tuesday. They are loved by people who do heavy photo and video editing. and by developers who want Macs to build apps for Apple products, such as the 14-inch iPhone starting at $2,000, while the 16-inch model starts at $2,500.

MacBook sales are in short supply, Apple CEO Tim Cook said in June that the first M1 chip in computers like the MacBook Air “powered” the growth of the Mac, likely driven by increased demand for the new computers. from Corona virus epidemic. Mac sales increased 16% year-over-year in the June quarter.

The new MacBook Pro can help Apple maintain that momentum. especially among app developers. and video and audio professionals who want more power than the MacBook Air has to offer, and may appeal to those who haven’t upgraded from a 2015 or earlier MacBook Pro. Because there is no port option in the previous version.

I tested the 14-inch model. It’s the nicest Apple laptop I’ve ever used, and it’s even more powerful than I know how to do. Here’s what you need to know about it.

The new MacBooks Pro have been completely redesigned, from a somewhat boxy look to a newer, more rounded design that I like. The 14-inch models I think of are 15-inch PowerBooks or Apple’s slim, plastic MacBooks. Much lighter and lighter It was discontinued in 2011 and I love that it’s not too big.

Both have a better screen, an HDMI port, an SD card slot, and a faster Apple M1 Pro or M1 Max processor. They also have three Thunderbolt 4 ports for adding things like an external monitor and other accessories.

Apple brings MagSafe back this year. The popular magnetic charger that dropped after the 2017 MacBook Air, I love it because it charges my MacBook Pro up to 50% in just 30 minutes. You can use the Thunderbolt port to charge with a USB-C power adapter if needed.

The new 14.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR display is probably my favorite feature. Experts may be impressed with the main reason it exists: so you can accurately grade sharp HDR videos and photos. But I like it because it’s incredibly bright.

I don’t usually leave numbers in reviews as they don’t mean much to most people. The 2020 13-inch MacBook Pro has 500 nits of brightness, while the MacBook Air has 400 nits. The new 14-inch MacBook Pro has 1,000 nits, but can be as bright as 1,600 nits thanks to the backlight. New mini LED flashlight This allows parts of the display to be very bright for movies or photos. The screen also has a one million to one contrast ratio. This means deep black and bright white. A blend of sharp resolutions variety of colors High brightness and a large contrast ratio give you better picture quality than some high-end HDTVs.

for ordinary people like me That means vibrant colors in movies and TV shows. And even my photos taken with HDR on my iPhone 13 look exactly the same as those shown on my iPhone screen, which also supports HDR. It’s just a huge difference from my M1 MacBook Air. I also appreciated the addition of ProMotion, which made smoother scrolling That’s a feature that’s in Apple’s new iPhone 13 Pro and iPad Pro too, and it makes a difference as you scroll through the news. And it’s instantly adjustable to save battery if you’re not scrolling or doing anything that requires high refresh rates. But you can turn it off or choose a specific rate. If you’re a video editor who needs a specific refresh rate

The speakers are better than any other laptop speakers I’ve tested. They have noticeably punchy bass and can fill a room with sound. Surround sound is supported as well. This is similar to surround sound if you’re playing a movie or music encoded with Dolby Atmos, making the movie or music sound like it’s coming from everything. instead of just the left or right side of the laptop.

The keyboard works just as well. with the final version Which received a major update after Apple’s Butterfly keyboard caused all sorts of problems. From sticky keys to repetitive keystrokes. It feels as easy to type as my M1 MacBook Air. I love that Apple got rid of the Touch Bar screen at the top, which I didn’t find useful on previous MacBook Pro models, but replaced it with full-sized function keys that were easier to use. Tap to adjust volume screen brightness and so on.

And then there’s the new M1 Pro chip. It’s more powerful than what I’d like in a laptop, which is why it’s actually marketed for professionals. I tested a few demos where I was able to test six iOS apps running side-by-side in Xcode, just like developers if they were trying to see how well their new apps work on different iPhone models. You can edit multiple 8K HDR video scenes (or Apple’s brighter XDR content) in real time within apps like Final Cut Pro, or render and customize the way the sun sets on a Model 3. Dimensions in Cinema 4D without waiting for the computer to render. Professionals often appreciate this functionality from laptops with screens and processors enabled. Finally, you can add up to two additional displays with the M1 Pro, or three. If you upgrade to the M1 Max chip, that’s up from the only external monitor that used the M1 chip last year. And it’s a big deal for people like me who like to open multiple screens at the same time.

Going back to what everyone can appreciate: having a 1080p webcam, Apple has finally moved away from the 720p camera on its predecessor. It was actually much better last year thanks to the M1 chip, which uses software to boost quality. But this year’s sharper resolution will be noticeable, and you’ll eventually see it clearly in video chats. I just hope Apple finds a way to add a Center Stage feature, which follows you as you move around on iPads to your laptop, and studio mics also help you get clear sound.

Ultimately, battery life is good considering all the power you get. Apple promises up to 17 hours of battery life for HD video playback with the screen at 8 brightness levels, and I got close to that. that in the video playback test This drains about 23% of the battery every four hours of video playback. Of course, your distance will vary. Video rendering will reduce that, for example. But anyone who needs this for browsing and editing documents should get through the workday well.

There is a notch for the webcam at the top of the display. People will have strong opinions about it. I don’t mind it in most situations.

You won’t notice that if you have your laptop in dark mode. which is what i do because everything around The notch is still dark. And I prefer the compromise: you get a thinner bezel at the top of the screen. instead of the large rims like in previous models You’ll see a notch if you have a bright but faded background and menus better on an iPhone cut to video content, for example, but I wish the notch had Face ID, a face recognition feature that’s unlocked. Lock some iPhones and iPads.

I’m fine with the Touch ID fingerprint reader because it’s something I’m used to on other Macs. Face ID allows the laptop to boot into your desktop in a split second while you sit down. And some Windows laptops, such as Microsoft’s Surface products, offer similar facial recognition options to Windows Hello.

Plus, all that power comes with a few compromises. It’s slightly heavier than I expected at 3.5 pounds.

It’s not too heavy, but it’s 2.8 pounds heavier than the MacBook Air and half a pound heavier than last year’s 13-inch MacBook Pro.

The 14-inch MacBook Pro is the perfect blend of power and portability. Although everyone was impressed with the amazing screen. great speakers fast charging and an improved webcam This laptop is best for professionals who need all the ports, power, and display technology not available in other Apple NS M1 laptops. The MacBook Air is still the laptop for most people. And it costs less than $1000, but I wouldn’t blame you if you bought this instead.