Apple MacBook Pro (M1) Review: More Powerful Than Ever

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The latest 13-inch MacBook Pro from Apple has just received its biggest refresh up to date. With the introduction of the now legendary M1 chipset, it’s now the most powerful laptop from Apple’s lineup of computers as of writing. The M1 chipset boasts a significant boost in performance as well as in its battery life. So just how powerful exactly is this laptop? Let’s find out in our review below.

See Where The Apple MacBook Pro Ranks In Our List Of The Best Laptops For A Small Business In 2021.

Overview Of The Apple MacBook Pro

Apple’s newest iteration of their 13-inch MacBook Pro makes up for its lack of a redesign by providing a significant performance bump in its hardware. The smallest MacBook Pro in the lineup was able to retain all of the features we loved from its predecessors but made even better. It is now more powerful and lasts longer than before.

This is all thanks to Apple’s M1 chip. This particular processor greatly increases the power and efficiency of the Macbook Pro dramatically. I dare even say that this can easily substitute your standard desktop PC. This is undoubtedly a beast of a laptop that will satisfy even the most power-hungry tech fans.

What Makes The M1 Chip So Good?

The introduction of the M1 chip into Apple’s lineup of computers and tablets has definitely moved them into a new era as well as putting themselves at the forefront of the market and competition.

For plenty of years now, Apple has always relied on using Intel CPUs to power all their computers. Apple’s M1 chip is the first step in the company’s deliberate decoupling from Intel. The 16 billion transistors in the ARM-based 5-nanometer chip are the most the company has ever packed into a single chip.

With that being said, the M1 chip is a huge upgrade to their computer lineup and one of the biggest leaps we’ve seen so far for Apple’s products. With the M1 chipset powering up the Macbook Pro, we’re talking about having video editing capabilities in 4K and even up to 8K!

To put it simply, that means it can tackle pretty much any task (whether it be professional or recreational) you throw at it while still maintaining a sophisticated and stylish look with Apple’s signature sleek design.

The System on Chip (SoC) also has an eight-core processor, integrated graphics, a unified memory architecture, Apple’s Neural Engine, an enhanced image signal processor, and Apple’s Secure Enclave, in addition to all those transistors. The result? You get a beast of a machine that’s faster and has more power packed into a slim and sleek laptop that you can take with you anywhere.

And in case the 13-inch isn’t enough for you, you can also opt for the 16-inch version of this laptop.

Features & Specifications

Dimensions: ‎13.41 x 11.97 x 0.61 inches
Item Weight: 3 pounds
Brand: Apple
CPU: System on Chip (SoC) Apple M1 chip; 8-core CPU with 4 performance cores and 4 efficiency cores; 16-core Neural Engine
Graphics: Integrated 8-core GPU
Operating System: MacOS
Screen Size: 13.3-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit display with IPS technology
Resolution: 2560-by-1600 native resolution at 227 pixels per inch with support for millions of colors, 16:10 aspect ratio
RAM: 8GB – 16GB unified memory
Storage: 256GB or 512GB SSD
Ports: Two Thunderbolt / USB 4 ports with support for: Charging, DisplayPort Thunderbolt 3 (up to 40 Gbps), USB 3.1 Gen 2 (up to 10 Gbps)
Battery Life: Up to 17 hours wireless web browsing, may differ depending on usage.
Extra Special Features: LED-backlit Retina display, True Tone technology, P3 wide color, FaceTime HD Camera, Three-mic array, Touchbar, Touch ID, and Magic Keyboard.

See The Preview & Highlights For The 13-Inch MacBook Pro With The M1 Chip Below.

Want To Check Out Other Laptops? See Our Top Picks For The Best Laptops For A Small Business Here.

What We Love About The MacBook Pro

Boosted Performance

According to Apple’s claims, the 8-core CPU found in the M1 chip is the highest-performing CPU they have ever built, by far. It combines four performance cores and four efficiency cores to tackle demanding multithreaded activities while at the same time, giving in a massive performance improvement while only using a fraction of its power as well as a huge boost in its overall battery life.

To add to that, Apple also boasted that the M1 chip’s CPU is also outrageously fast and powerful that it can complex workflows and heavy workloads, with up to 2.8x faster-processing performance than the previous generation.

Specifically, the latest MacBook Pro is supposedly 5.9 times faster in the 3D title render speeds in Final Cut Pro, 2.8 times faster at constructing Xcode projects, 2.9 times the performance in Shadow of the Tomb Raider, and twice as fast vector performance in Affinity Photo, all thanks to its GPU. With that in mind, we have been impressed by this particular MacBook Pro’s performance so far.

When it came to video editing, the MacBook Pro didn’t disappoint either. Final Cut Pro, which is Apple’s video editing software has been updated to run on the M1 chip. Safe to say that while editing an 8K video, the MacBook Pro held up commendably and was truly remarkable.

The MacBook Pro still has fans built into its system, and they do come on after a time when you’re performing more intensive work on it. Keep in mind that the rear of the laptop can also get quite warm at times. The fans, on the other hand, are never overly obtrusive, and you’ll never hear them during everyday use.

Longer Battery Life

Just like with the M1 chip, Apple also made huge claims about this MacBook Pro’s battery life. According to Apple, the 13-inch MacBook Pro has the highest battery life ever found in a Mac computer. It is supposed to last up to 17 hours of wireless web browsing and routine email checking while video playback will last you for up to 20 hours. Compared to its predecessor, this is 10 hours more of battery life.

Again, these are large claims from Apple, and you’ll probably use the MacBook Pro 13-inch for a lot of heavier work than that, but so far Apple’s battery claims to be relatively accurate in the past and until now. Just keep in mind that more intensive tasks will naturally drain your MacBook Pro’s battery life at a faster rate.

Our Least Favorite Thing

Same Old Design

Don’t get me wrong, the Apple MacBook Pro doesn’t ugly by any means. But seeing the same design on the MacBook Pro over and over can somewhat feel boring after a certain amount of time. So a redesign or a change would have been greatly welcomed.

Take the iMac for example. Apple was able to give it a nice update by providing you with more fun color options to choose from. Even the MacBook Air gives you more colors to suit every taste. So why not the same treatment for their MacBook Pro lineup?

In A Nutshell

Pros

Huge performance boost due to the M1 chipset.
Beefy and longer-lasting battery life.
Can also run iOS applications.
The best webcam in a laptop.
Fast SSD.

Cons

Ridiculously expensive.
No other significant upgrades aside from the M1 chip.
Same old design.

Our Final Verdict

All in all, the latest generation of the 13-inch MacBook Pro is very impressive thanks to the M1 chipset. It’s an excellent laptop with a significant performance boost and a longer-lasting battery life that paints a very bright future for Apple and will truly make you excited and look forward to what else they have in store for us.

However, as great as the M1 chip is, it is really the only significant upgrade the Pro 13-inch receives and that’s about it. In case you have a 2019 or early 2020 model of the MacBook Pro, I highly recommend definitely waiting for a few generations before you upgrade to a new MacBook Pro with the M1 processor.

But if you have the money to spare and you’re that desperate for power, then, by all means, go ahead and get your hands on this powerful device. The M1 chip is without a doubt a huge and significant upgrade. This new model is 2.8 times faster than the previous generation, and it also has longer battery life. Not to mention, it’s also three times faster than Windows laptops within the same range of performance.

Do you already own the latest generation of the 13-inch MacBook Pro from Apple? Or are you still on the fence about purchasing it? Let me know in the comments section below if you have any insights or questions to share with us. We’d love to hear all your thoughts about this product!