Apple MacBook Pro (2021) Review

MacBook Pro (2021)

MSRP: $2,499.00

Rating

“It's the best MacBook Pro since 2015. And yes, it has a notch.“

  • Astonishing XDR display
  • Exceptional creative performance
  • Comprehensive array of ports
  • Perfect keyboard and trackpad
  • Outstanding speakers and webcam
  • Remarkable battery life
  • Notch creates some distraction
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“We were wrong.”

Apple doesn't often admit missteps, but it certainly makes up for them. The 2021 MacBook Pro is a testament to this philosophy. It reverses numerous major design choices from the previous generation, presenting a refreshing transformation in areas like chassis thickness, the Touch Bar, and ports.

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Yet, the 2021 MacBook Pro is more than just a reaction to the 2016 MacBook Pro. It's a blend of boldness and familiarity, culminating in what can be deemed as the best of both worlds—a true “pro” laptop.

Apologies won't be necessary this time. Thanks to the Cyber Monday MacBook Pro deal, you might even find last year's model at a discounted rate.

Macbook Pro Signature Design

Stepping back, the 2021 MacBook Pro retains its quintessential allure. An aluminum unibody chassis, now clad in commanding black, still dons the iconic Apple logo on its lid.

Change has arrived — conspicuous and deliberate. Black dominates, adorning the keyboard backdrop and Apple emblem. A defiant statement against an inundation of imitators.

This audacious palette differentiates the MacBook Pros, setting them apart from the MacBook Air and 13-inch MacBook Pro. The discerning shift in color conveys prestige, a signature mark akin to fashion's elegance.

Minor design tweaks transpire — the “MacBook Pro” insignia bids adieu, the base boasts fresh rubber feet, and wafer-thin bezels grace the zenith. The latter, though not without compromise, heralds an era of immaculate immersion.

The Apple Notch

A laptop's dalliance with a notch, evocative of iPhone's distinct silhouette, beckons curiosity. The 2021 MacBook Pro surprises, sporting a formidable notch, housing a camera array and pivotal sensors. Its bold shape departs from the iPhone's curve, a tradeoff granting room for critical components, an embodiment of form following function.

Yet, let's not laud it as sheer elegance; practicality supersedes aesthetics. For the first time, uniform bezels envelope the screen, offering symmetry. The notch extends itself as a branding insignia, akin to iPhone's legacy. While not an aesthetic masterstroke, it serves its purpose in the ensemble.

Size and Dimensions

Unlike its predecessor, the 2021 MacBook Pro prioritizes performance over ultrathin design. It embraces its thicker side profile, akin to the Titanium PowerBook G4 from two decades ago. This departure caters to creative professionals, providing the needed room for additional ports and improved thermal management. The 16-inch model gains size, thickness, and weight, while the 14-inch variant retains sleekness, yet packs enhanced performance.

Macbook Pro Ports

Apple heeds the call for improved port selection in the MacBook Pro. With the inclusion of MagSafe 3 for charging, HDMI port, and full-size SD card slot, it caters to convenience and versatility. MagSafe 3's return is a triumph, offering enhanced power delivery and magnetic grip. The HDMI port and SD card slot cater to the MacBook Pro's professional audience, streamlining file transfers and external device connections.

Display

The 2021 MacBook Pro showcases significant display advancements, heralding the most radical change since 2012. With its Liquid Retina XDR treatment powered by mini-LED, it outshines conventional LED and rivals OLED screens in contrast and depth. The XDR display delivers remarkable color accuracy, brightness, and contrast for both standard and HDR content. The introduction of a 120Hz ProMotion refresh rate further elevates the visual experience, providing smoother animations and interactions.

Pro M1 Webcam

Apple addresses the demand for better webcams by incorporating a 1080p FaceTime camera, a significant upgrade from the previous 720p version. The improvement ensures clear, high-quality video calls, placing the MacBook Pro ahead of the curve. Apple's image processing expertise further enhances the camera's performance, positioning the 2021 MacBook Pro as a leader in webcam technology among laptops.

Speakers

The MacBook Pro continues to lead the audio arena with a six-speaker sound system. This upgraded setup offers improved tweeters and woofers, resulting in richer bass and wider stereo separation. The laptop's audio quality surpasses competitors, making it suitable for immersive media consumption and even replacing standalone speakers for some users.

Keyboard and Touchpad

The Magic Keyboard retains its reputation for comfort and precision, marked by springy keys with a satisfying 1.1mm travel. The removal of the Touch Bar in favor of a redesigned function row receives a warm welcome. Full-sized keys enhance typing accuracy, with the Escape key widened and Touch ID integration enhancing user convenience. The keyboard's enhancements simplify common tasks and elevate the typing experience.

The Force Touch Trackpad remains expansive and responsive, offering a satisfying tactile experience. Its haptic feedback engine simulates clicks accurately, contributing to an exceptional user interface.

Price and Configurations

The 2021 MacBook Pro appeals to a specific audience, particularly creative professionals, with a starting price of $1,999 for the 14-inch model and $2,499 for the 16-inch variant. Despite the cost, it caters to content creators, offering configurations with improved performance, such as the M1 Pro and M1 Max chips. While pricing can escalate significantly with higher configurations, the MacBook Pro remains a valuable investment for professionals seeking unparalleled performance.

Macbook M1 Chip Performance

The 2021 MacBook Pro excels in performance, marked by the inclusion of M1 Pro and M1 Max chips. The 10-core CPU and 16-core GPU in the M1 Pro variant deliver exceptional multi-core processing power, evident in benchmark scores. The laptop's performance outshines its predecessors, providing content creators, designers, and programmers with a robust tool for their professional endeavors.

As more configurations become available, detailed performance comparisons will unveil the true capabilities of the M1 Pro and M1 Max chips. The MacBook Pro stands as a testament to Apple's commitment to catering to the demands of professionals across various creative disciplines.

“Harnessing Graphics Excellence”

In the realm of computing, true advancement lies not merely in features, but in the potential to harness them effectively. This sentiment holds particularly true for applications capable of leveraging enhanced graphics prowess.

Consider Handbrake, a prime example of a CPU-bound application that I put to the test on this new machine. The results were promisingly aligned with the M1's earlier success. However, it's the 16-inch M1 Pro MacBook Pro that caught my attention this time. It effortlessly encoded a 4K video to H.265, outpacing its 13-inch M1 sibling by a staggering 38%. Swift, indeed. Yet, while this laptop undoubtedly blazes a trail, it encounters competition in the form of laptops like the Asus Vivobook Pro 16X that nudge ahead.

Let's acknowledge the elephant in the room: the true marvel lies in the graphics domain. Here, the M1 Max takes the spotlight, flaunting GPU capabilities set to rival dedicated graphics cards nestled within competitive gaming and creative laptops. My review unit was equipped with the M1 Pro sporting 16 GPU cores, doubling the M1's eight.

Notably, the 14-inch model shines as a beacon of graphics splendor. While I'm yet to personally dissect this specific variant, the uniformity of the graphics configuration across both sizes is pivotal. It's worth noting that the previous 16-inch MacBook Pro boasted an 8-core CPU and a discrete GPU, a balance that led to a formidable creative machine. The 13-inch MacBook Pro never enjoyed this privilege. The 14-inch model emerges to bridge this gap, delivering a truly potent option in a more compact form factor and at a price that doesn't scale the 16-inch summit.

However, the true brilliance unravels when harnessed by applications that can exploit these graphics enhancements. A prime illustration is video editing through Adobe Premiere Pro, which now operates natively on Apple Silicon. PugetBench for Premiere Pro puts the M1 Pro through its paces, assessing everything from timeline playback to GPU-driven effects. Impressively, the M1 Pro performs remarkably even under emulation. The export score, while not earth-shattering, still stands 29% faster than its M1 counterpart. To surpass this, one would require an 8-core Intel or AMD processor coupled with a discrete Nvidia graphics card.

For video playback, the MacBook Pro takes flight, soaring to the top of our records, even outpacing gaming desktops and workstations. This is the realm where the MacBook Pro is designed to flourish, undoubtedly earning its spot among the pantheon of the best video-editing laptops. Opting for the M1 Max variant is likely to further elevate export scores.

Yet, let's not forget that the MacBook Pro doesn't tread this path alone. The landscape of 2021 is punctuated with a plethora of potent 14-inch laptops, like the Razer Blade 14, Surface Laptop Studio, and Acer Swift X, each commanding their own prowess. Amidst this throng, the MacBook Pro's implementation emerges as the epitome of refinement. It maintains an enviably cool exterior at all times, and the symphony of fan noise barely registers. A stark contrast to laptops like the Razer Blade 14, which hum incessantly, leaving palms moist with perspiration.

A Glimpse into Gaming Performance

Apple's ambitions didn't pivot towards gaming as the driving force behind the MacBook Pro's graphics prowess. With each stride in Apple's graphics performance, this sentiment becomes increasingly clear.

Discovering games that truly challenge the MacBook Pro proves to be a challenge in itself. The modern AAA gaming repertoire on the platform remains somewhat limited. However, games like Fortnite, Civilization VI, and Rise of the Tomb Raider managed to grace my test suite.

In the realm of Fortnite, a comparison between the M1 Pro and the M1 reveals an uplift. High settings propel the MacBook Pro to hover near 60 frames per second (fps), eliminating the need for relegation to Medium settings. This aligns it more closely with the likes of an RTX 3050 or 3050 Ti, a feat that isn't surprising. Comparable graphics capabilities can be found in laptops of a similar form factor, such as the Surface Laptop Studio or Asus Vivobook Pro 16X. However, what truly distinguishes the MacBook Pro is its serenading silence. Even during intense gaming, the MacBook Pro's fans operate at barely audible levels.

Civilization VI, however, paints a slightly less favorable picture. The M1 Pro MacBook Pro achieves an average of 64 fps at Medium settings and a modest 49 fps at Ultra. This falls short by 35% when compared to the Surface Laptop Studio, underscoring the significance of optimization. It's worth noting that Civilization VI has historically grappled with performance on the Mac platform, and this trend persists.

The tale continues with Rise of the Tomb Raider, a title often touted as a benchmark for Mac gaming. The MacBook Pro strives to achieve 60 fps but finds itself averaging just 40 fps at the Highest settings in 1920 x 1200. Similarly, it manages 47 fps at Medium settings. This falls behind the Surface Laptop Studio, which averages a commendable 70 fps at Medium settings, showcasing a 33% advantage.

In the realm of graphics performance, the M1 Pro undoubtedly shines. However, this brilliance isn't confined to performance metrics alone, particularly on the 16-inch model. The 16 GPU cores on display here don't necessarily obliterate the performance of an equivalent midrange discrete card, a scenario witnessed in previous 16-inch MacBook Pros boasting discrete graphics.

On the horizon, the M1 Max, particularly the 32-core GPU variant, may spin a different yarn. The veil of certainty will only lift once I dive into hands-on testing. With twice the GPU cores of the M1 Pro, an augmentation in gaming performance is a tantalizing possibility.

Yet, let's dispel any misconceptions—the MacBook Pro isn't metamorphosing into a dedicated gaming laptop. It remains bereft of the game library that could substantiate such a classification. Even with the powerful M1 Max MacBook Pro, the realm of gaming fails to render a compelling rationale for choosing a Mac.

M1 Battery Life: A Marvel of Efficiency

Efficiency, an age-old hallmark of Apple's M-series chips, continues to reign supreme. It's this trait that propelled the M1 MacBook Pro and MacBook Air leagues ahead of competitors in the realm of battery life.

Remarkably, the 2021 MacBook Pros raise this efficiency to even loftier heights. In my trials, the 16-inch model emerged as a battery life champion during web browsing. A new record etched itself into our database as the 16-inch MacBook Pro sailed beyond 18.5 hours. A laptop that traverses multiple full workdays without a recharge is more than a mere device; it's a multiday companion.

A select few AMD Ryzen systems offer a semblance of competition in this battery life marathon. The Asus Vivobook Pro 16X OLED managed an impressive 16 hours and 15 minutes, while the AMD-powered Surface Laptop 4 clocked in at 13.5 hours. Evidently, the 16-inch MacBook Pro reigns supreme, underscoring the efficiency benefits garnered from sidestepping a heat-generating discrete GPU.

The story doesn't end there; standby time showcases its own formidable prowess. Should you leave it partially charged, it won't fizzle into oblivion within days. This facet elongates the perceived lifespan of the MacBook Pro, reducing the dependency on frequent charging.

Apple's projections anticipate that the 14-inch MacBook Pro, due to differences in battery size, will harbor approximately three hours less battery life compared to its 16-inch sibling. With a 99.6 watt-hour battery for the 16-inch model and a 70 watt-hour battery for the 14-inch, the divergence is evident.

Our Verdict: A Resounding Triumph

Behold the 2021 MacBook Pro, the professional laptop Mac aficionados yearned for over half a decade. A triumphant return to eminence, this product eradicates the sense of obsolescence and underperformance that loomed over its predecessor. In a remarkable confluence of attributes, it triumphs in speakers, webcam, keyboard, trackpad, display, battery life, and port selection. This multitude of achievements consolidated within a single laptop is truly awe-inspiring. Beneath this masterstroke lies a performance arsenal capable of harmonizing with demanding creative workflows, an ideal companion for professionals entrenched in creative endeavors.

Alternatives Explored

Venturing into the realm of Windows, a multitude of potent yet compact laptops beckon. The likes of Dell XPS 15 and XPS 17, Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme, MSI Creator Z16, and Surface Laptop Studio grace this domain. Most feature discrete Nvidia graphics and up to 8-core CPUs, offering a varied spectrum of choice.

These alternatives each tout their own strengths—some wield greater power, others dazzle with innovative designs, and many carry a more budget-friendly price tag. Yet, none manage to encapsulate the holistic package that the MacBook Pro proudly unfurls.

Endurance Beyond the Horizon

Given the investment accompanying a laptop of this caliber, the desire for longevity is both natural and justified. The MacBook Pro steps into this arena with a promise of enhanced reparability compared to its predecessors. While certain components, like memory and storage, remain soldered, replaceable elements such as the battery and ports infuse a breath of longevity into the MacBook Pro's lifespan.

In customary Apple fashion, AppleCare+ stands as a testament to their unwavering commitment to customer support. While an investment, it extends the standard one-year warranty, rendering premium protection for your prized possession.

The Resounding Recommendation

In the face of these revelations, the verdict resounds—yes, indeed. The 2021 MacBook Pro emerges as a phoenix of innovation, ushering in an era of professional laptops. It stands as a paragon of technological prowess, not only reigniting the legacy of the MacBook Pro line but also ascending to the throne of the ultimate creative companion one can acquire.

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