Apple released new versions of its MacBook Pro series at its Mac hardware event in October. The new models are a radical improvement over the previous generation models which were plagued with issues. The company finally acknowledged the fact that the Touch Bar is not a good replacement of the traditional function keys.
The new 14” MacBook Pro and the 16” MacBook Pro come in an all-new design. The most noticeable change is, of course, the almost bezel-less screen that stretches from edge-to-edge. To make the screen more immersive, Apple placed all the light sensors and the webcam in a notch, similar to the iPhone.
M1 Pro and M1 Max: Performance beasts1
On the inside, the new MacBook Pro models are powered by new M-series chips: M1 Pro and M1 Max. The 14” MacBook Pro only comes in the M1 Pro version but allows users to choose from two different variants: 8-core CPU or 10-core CPU. On the other hand, the 16” MacBook Pro can be customized to use the M1 Pro or the even more powerful M1 Max. The M1 Max doubles the GPU core count of the M1 Pro from 16-core to 32-core, offering a massive jump in graphical performance.
The MagSafe makes a return. The long gone king of charging mechanisms is once again back. The magnetic charging system which was used in Apple laptops for years, only to have been scrapped in the 2015-16 period in favour of USB-C charging. Nonetheless, it is good to see a good and intuitive technology make a return.
The base model 14” MacBook Pro draws power from a 67W USB-C power adapter whereas the higher end variant packs a 96W USB-C adapter. The larger 16” MacBook Pro ships with a whopping 140W USB-C power adapter. All the variants ship with a USB-C to MagSafe cable.
The new MacBook Pro laptops are actually “Pro”. They are thicker and heavier to pack better cooling technology, larger batteries, and more ports.
