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After Apple officially introduced the MacBook Pro 2021 models last week, the first test reports have now been published. Below is an overview.
As expected, Apple introduced brand new MacBook Pro models at the "Unleashed." event. The new features include a new design, more ports, significantly more performance and a brand new display technology. The embargo on initial test reports has now been lifted. Regarding the M1 Max chip explained The Verge says:
Inside are Apple's new M1 Pro and M1 Max processors, which are much more powerful versions of the M1 chip and have much better GPU capabilities. We run a lot of performance tests to find out what these chips can do, but I can tell you right now that the 16-inch Pro with M1 Max achieved the fastest time of any result to date in our Adobe Premiere 4K export test - by over a minute.
But what do the testers actually say about the controversial notch? Jason Snell, from SixColors, expressed as follows:
You're probably thinking that this notch is a major pain point for both developers and users, but it's not. That's because of the menu bar, a Mac convention since day one that provides the perfect place to hide a section of the screen. The menu bar has been given a little extra height to completely enclose the notch, and menu items automatically move to the other side when they run out of room. It doesn't take long to get used to the notch at the top of the display. Plus, the space is used well, as the menu bar is moved up into the otherwise unused frame, leaving more room for everything else at the bottom.
As a “game changer” designated Gizmodo the return of the SD card slot, as well as MagSafe and the HDMI port.
The return of useful ports is a big step forward if you use a lot of peripherals in your workflow. Both MacBook Pros have three Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C) ports, a headphone jack, an HDMI port, an SD card slot, and a MagSafe charging port that's so nice to use. (You can also charge via USB-C.) I would have liked to have included a USB-A port, but the integrated ports minimize the need for dongles, and I'm grateful for that (even if I'm a little annoyed that I settled for USB-C for so long).
MacBook Pro 2021: The ProMotion display is “incredibly impressive”
As for the 120Hz ProMotion display, Gizmodo calls it “incredibly impressive.”
The new Pro displays also come with the iPad Pro's ProMotion feature, which is so good it's now annoying to use a laptop without it. ProMotion is enabled by default and means the Pro can adjust its refresh rate between 10Hz and 120Hz depending on what you're doing. You can turn ProMotion off and use the Pro at a fixed refresh rate (47.95Hz, 48Hz, 50Hz, 59.94Hz or 60Hz) if you want. I tried 60Hz, however, and found the difference too stark after nearly a week of using 120Hz. With ProMotion enabled, it really is much smoother.
CNBC, on the other hand, particularly highlighted the new speakers. is called it in the test report:
The speakers are much better than any other laptop speakers I've tested. They have remarkably rich bass and can fill an entire room with sound. They also support spatial audio, which is like surround sound when you play movies or music encoded with Dolby Atmos. This makes a movie or music sound like it's coming from everywhere, not just the left or right side of the laptop.
On the whole, the new devices were praised for their significantly better display, more performance and various connection options. If you are interested in one of the models, you can order the devices from Apple orderDepending on the equipment and model, costs range from 2,249 to 6,839 euros. (Image: Apple)
