Apple Announces New 14" and 16" MacBook Pros with Apple Silicon
Apple has just unveiled the highly anticipated 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with the brand new and powerful M1 Pro and M1 Max Apple chips. Apple has finally announced the next era of Apple Silicon and delivered some great performing chips and 2 new laptops which are primarily focusing on Pro users. The 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models gather almost everything that Pro users had been asking from Apple since the introduction of the 2016 MacBook Pro models.
Size and Display
The new MacBook Pro models are available in two sizes: 14” and 16”. The 14-inch MacBook Pro replaces the old 13-inch TouchBar version. The release of the 14” model has been rumoured since the launch of the 16” MacBook Pro two years ago..
The smaller model features a 14.2-inch display with mini-LED technology, similar to the one used in the 2021 iPad Pro. Brightness of the new display is excellent for outdoor usage with 1,000 nits of full-screen brightness, 1,600 nits of peak brightness, and a 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio. The display resolution of the base 14.2” model is 3024-by-1964 at 254 pixels per inch (PPI), while the larger 16.2-inch model’s display resolution is 3456-by-2234 at 254 PPI. The bezels of the new displays are 3.5mm thin which unfortunately cannot accommodate the brand new 1080p camera which is now placed in the notch of the new MacBook Pros. Considering that Apple has decided to use a notch, most would believe that Face ID would replace Touch ID. Unfortunately this wasn’t confirmed. Apple will still be using Touch ID in this generation of MacBook Pros.
The Liquid Retina XDR display is also using ProMotion technology for adaptive display refresh rates of up to 120Hz. ProMotion, not only also helps with delivering 120Hz refresh rate for smoother animations and gaming, but also assists in maximizing the battery life of these laptops.
Design & Colors
The design of the new MacBook Pro models has been revamped and reminisces the design of the older MacBooks that had been released in the first decade of our millennium (2000s). Flat lid, but more bulky chassis make it look considerably thicker than the models replaced. However the actual dimensions and size prove that the new generation of MacBooks is barely thicker than the previous one.
The new models are available in the two usual finishes, Space Grey and Silver. The 14-inch version is available with the M1 Pro chip only (2 configurations) while the 16-inch model is can be purchased with either the M1 Pro or the more powerful M1 Max chip.
The TouchBar finally belongs to the past. Apple decided to replace it with a new full row of physical functional keys and a wider escape key, following the continuous demand of professionals and developers. The Magic Keyboard which is set in a double-anodized black frame which give it a distinct look.
Connectivity & I/O
Apple had been massively critisized over the last five year for ditching all ports other than USB-C and the 3.5mm headphone jack from all MacBooks since 2016. Apple finally changed route and decided to bring back what took away 5 years ago. The HDMI and SDXC Card slot alongside MagSafe 3 have returned in the thicker and bulkier chassis. The new re-designed MagSafe 3 connector supports more power and enables fast charging (50% in 30minutes) for the first time ever in a MacBook. Three USB-C/ Thunderbolt 4 ports are also present.
“M1 Pro, users can now connect up to two Pro Display XDRs, and with M1 Max, users can connect up to three Pro Display XDRs and a 4K TV, all at the same time. For wireless connectivity, MacBook Pro also features Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.0.”
Camera with Center Stage & Battery Life
The camera of the new MacBooks is finally completely new on the MacBook Pro lineup and doubles the resolution of the previous gen FaceTime camera with improved low light performance with enhanced image quality in combination with the new iSP of the M1 Pro and M1 Max chips.
Center stage is present in the new MacBook Pros as well. This is one of the best camera features introduced by Apple in 2021. It enables the camera to automatically follow the user in case he/she is moving around during a video call and it is highly practical in this era of hybrid work and numerous video calls. Mics and speakers are also improved. The latter enable Spatial Audio for the first time ever on an Apple laptop.
Battery Life of the new MacBook Pro is also improved compared to the previous generation of MacBook Pros with TouchBar that they replace. Both the 16-inch and 14-inch models have better battery life compared to their Intel-equipped predecessors . The 13-inch M1 MacBook Pro is still the battery champion of the new Apple Silicon MacBooks on paper. We need to test this in actual real-life situations in order to validate Apple’s claims.
New Apple Silicon & Performance
M1 was the first ARM-based Apple designed chip that had a significant impact on the laptop and mobile chip industry. However, Apple kept no secret that the M1 chip was always designed to be the base chip for all of its entry level computers. The M1 Pro and M1 Max chips have been designed for more demanding, professional usage.
The M1 Pro features an up-to-10-core CPU with eight high-performance cores and two high-efficiency cores and and up-to-16-core GPU. The CPU and GPU performance is 70% and 200% faster than those of the M1. It also supports up to 32GB of unified memory. This is a great chip, suitable for users with highly demanding video editing workflows capable to edit easily ProRes videos.
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The M1 Max features a 10-core CPU with eight high-performance cores and two high-efficiency cores and and a 32-core GPU with up to 64GB of memory. The GPU performance is 400% faster than the M1 and the memory bandwidth is 2X faster than the M1 Pro and 6X faster than the M1. The M1 Max is an ideal chip for 3D artists and professional video editors which allows users to edit up to 30 streams of 4K ProRes video or seven streams of 8K ProRes video in Final Cut Pro. These are more streams than on a 28-core Mac Pro with Afterburner. The M1 Max will also enable users to color grade 8K ProRes 4444 video in HDR while it’s still operating on battery.
MacBook Pro 14” / 16” Pricing and Availability
The new MacBook Pro models are already available for pre-order and will arrive in stores next Tuesday, October 26, 2021.
The starting price of the 14-inch MacBook Pro is $1,999 for the base M1 Pro version with a 14-core GPU, 512GB storage and 16GB RAM. The 16-inch MacBook Pro starts at $2,499 for the M1 Pro version with a 16-core GPU, 512GB and 16GB RAM. The M1 Max version price starts at $3,499 and comes with a 1TB storage, a 32-core GPU and 32GB RAM.
Do you plan to purchase any of the new MacBook Pros?
