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As expected, Apple introduced brand new MacBook Pro models at the "Unleashed." event. We have summarized what the new professional notebooks can do below.
Rumors have been hinting at this for many months. Now it's finally here. Apple has introduced two MacBook Pro models – in 14- and 16-inch sizes. The new MacBook Pro features the "M1 Pro" chip with 8 high-performance cores and 2 high-efficiency cores, a 16-core graphics processor, and 32 GB of RAM. There's also an "M1 Max" chip that doubles the RAM and GPU. Prices for the 14-inch MacBook Pro start at €2,249, and the 16-inch MacBook Pro starts at €2,749. The design of the MacBook Pro has also been completely redesigned. It now has thinner bezels, but with a cutout for the webcam – the familiar iPhone notch. The mini-LED display has more pixels, supports high contrast and a peak brightness of 1600 nits, and runs with ProMotion technology, meaning it runs at 120 Hz.
MacBook Pro 2021: Two different charging options
The 2021 MacBook Pro now also features an HDMI port, an SD card reader, and MagSafe for magnetic charging. In addition to the 16-inch model, a 14-inch model is available for the first time. Screen resolutions have also been significantly increased to allow for even higher DPI displays. The laptop's design has also been redesigned and is now more "boxy." There are a total of three Thunderbolt 4 ports. The headphone jack has also been upgraded. MagSafe returns with higher power throughput, although charging is still possible via the Thunderbolt ports. The M1 Pro chip is a scaled-up version of the M1 chip with up to 200 GB/s of memory bandwidth, up to 32 GB of RAM, and more than twice the transistors. According to Apple, CPU performance is about 70% faster than the M1, and GPU performance is about twice as fast. M1 Max doubles the memory to 64 GB and the GPU size to 32 cores.
The iPhone notch is back
Thanks to the power efficiency of Apple Silicon, customers can edit 8K videos on battery power, something previously impossible with other laptops in this size class. Apple also promises up to 2-4 times longer battery life for intensive tasks. Video playback is rated at 17 hours for the 14-inch model and 21 hours for the 16-inch model. You can also fast charge the battery, so it can reach up to 50% of its capacity in 30 minutes, cool right?! One of the most controversial design decisions of this generation will inevitably be the display notch, familiar from the iPhone. Apple says the display bezels are 24-60% thinner overall.
Availability
The height of the menu bar is extended to compensate for the notch. The webcam has been upgraded to 1080p resolution and offers up to 2x better performance in low light conditions - finally! The microphone and speaker arrangement has also been improved. The tweeters of the speakers are almost twice as large and provide better sound reproduction with Spatial Audio Sound. Both models are available in silver and space gray and can be pre-ordered starting today. According to Apple, deliveries will start next week. (Image: Apple)
