Apple's MacBook Pros have been awaiting some serious updates. The new models will offer ports that are both useful and more efficient. Apple unveiled the 14- and 16 inch versions of its Pro laptops on Monday. They are completely redesigned and feature the necessary ports for creative professionals, as well as miniLED screens. The new M1 Pro chips and M1 Max chips power the Pros, which are expected to be a game changer for Intel. We will be testing these claims, but we were impressed at least on paper.
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Powerful new chips: M1 Pro & M1 Max
First, let's say that the MacBook Pros are running on Apple's latest chips, M1 Pro or M1 Max. Apple claims that both new chips have up to 10 CPU cores (8 high-performance, two efficient), which deliver 70% more performance than the M1 Pro.
The M1 Pro boasts a 16-core GPU that Apple claims delivers up to twice the graphics performance of M1. It also has nearly three times as much memory bandwidth as M1, up to 200GB/s, and 32GB of RAM. M1 Pro is built on 5-nanometer architecture and has more than twice the number of transistors as M1. Apple claims that the M1 Pro's graphics performance is 7 times faster than integrated graphics on MSIs GP66 Leopard.
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M1 Max has 400 GB/s memory bandwidth. This is twice the speed of M1 Pro's and six times as fast as M1. The M1 Max has 64GB RAM, and 57 billion transistors. M1 Pro's 10-core CPU runs the same, but 32-core GPU provides four times more GPU performance than M1. Apple claims that the M1 Max has the same graphics performance of the Razer Blade 15, Advance, but 40% less power.
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Apple highlighted how this performance would play out in real-world applications. Final Cut Pro's video analysis for object tracking is five times faster than M1 and ProRes video transcodes is ten times faster.
Incredible Display, Notch Included
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Now that you're aware of the incredible new MacBook chips, it's time to talk about design. The new MacBook Pro comes in two sizes: a smaller 16-inch model and a larger 14-inch version. It is more powerful than the last year's 13-inch model. The thickness of the 16-inch MacBook Pro is 16.8mm and it weighs 4.7 pounds. The 14-inch MacBook Pro is 15.5mm thick and weighs 3.5 pounds. The Touch Bar is missing from the keyboard, although Apple tried very hard to create one. The Pro keyboard instead has a row with physical function keys, as the universe intended. The keyboard is enclosed in a black well and surrounded by silver aluminum. It also has a large trackpad.
Apple added miniLED to its MacBook Pro screen, much like the 12.9-inch iPad Pro. The MacBook Pros ProMotion display with adaptive refresh rate up to 120Hz is also available. The screen is surrounded by a thin 3.5mm side bezel (24% thinner) as well as a thinner 3.5mm top one (60% thinner). Yes, the webcam is located in a notch. This notch will almost certainly be polarizing. The webcam now has 1080p just like the new iMac. This will make video calls look better.
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The 16-inch Pro features a six-speaker soundsystem with two tweeters, four noise-canceling and woofers. It can deliver 80% more bass if you're into that type of music.
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Pros will be most pleased to know that the new MacBooks are equipped with all the ports. The Pros have an HDMI port, Thunderbolt 4 port and an SD card slot to the right. There is also a headphone socket and two additional Thunderbolt 4 ports to the left. MagSafe is returning for a satisfying charging experience. However, you can still charge using USB C. Apple apparently congratulated itself during the Mac event for eliminating adapters. An M1 Pro-equipped MacBook can be connected to up to two Pro Display XDRs. With an M1 Max MBP you can connect to up to three Pro Display XDRs as well as a 4K TV.
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Apple also promises the longest battery life on a MacBook: up to 17 hours for the 14-inch model, and up to 21 hours for the 16-inch. In 30 minutes, you can charge as much as 50% of your MacBook.
You have the option to choose your own path with the new MacBook Pro chips. The Pros are available in both the 14-inch or 16-inch sizes with the M1 Pro and M1 Max.
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What are the Best Times to Buy?
The new MacBook Pro is available for purchase now and will ship out on October 26th.
The Pro starts at $1999 for the 14-inch model and $2,499 the 16-inch model. These are not the most expensive laptops on the market, but they might not be too much to bear. The performance gains may be enough to justify the higher prices.
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Last year's M1 MacBook Pro was enough to make the eyes of PC laptop owners widen. Will the M1 Pro or M1 Max make PCs obsolete? Intel and AMD are anxiously awaiting benchmarks. The market is poised to become more competitive than ever.
