The battery in the Macbook Pro 14-inch is amazing and can last up to 12 hours of light productivity and 9 hours of movie playback. However, the battery is the only user-replaceable component, so there is no ability to upgrade other parts later.
Our Apple MacBook Pro 14 sports an M1 Pro SoC with 16GB of memory and 512GB of storage, 8 CPU cores, and 14 GPU cores. Upgrade to an M1 Pro or M1 Max with 10 CPU cores will only marginally improve multi-thread performance in terms of CPU performance. However, upgrading to an M1 Max with 24 or 32 GPU cores will considerably improve graphic performance. Additionally, the M1 Max processor features more media encoders to boost speed in programmes like video editing software that can take use of hardware acceleration. Upgrading the memory is possible to 32GB or 64GB, but 64GB is only offered on M1 Max variants.
Design
The MacBook Pro is a new size category that is evenly spaced between the 13-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models. This thin but powerful device weighs 3.5 pounds, with an edge-to-edge display, and a 0.61-inch thick chassis. With an aluminum shell, a sizable trackpad, and a sleek enclosure, this laptop immediately stands out as a MacBook Pro. But there’s a black casing around the keyboard, a notch in the display, and big feet underneath.
The MacBook Pro has been redesigned with a new notch design that includes a cutaway around the camera module to provide extra screen space in a similar-sized housing.
The iPhone X’s True Depth display features an edge-to-edge design, but Face ID is not available in the most recent MacBook Pro models. According to Apple, the menu bar now occupies the area around the notch, giving apps greater room to take over. Additionally, if they so wish, developers can create their programmes to cover the area around the notch.
The new MacBook Pro has been updated with a new internal layout that provides 50% more ventilation than the previous model. This is important because the high-end processor requires active cooling, but it won’t always be enabled. Additionally, due to the M1 Pro and M1 Max’s efficiency, many routine actions won’t result in the fans spinning up. The 14-inch MacBook Pro should stay reasonably cool while in use thanks to the fans, aluminum chassis, and higher bottom from the larger feet. ..
keyboard and touch pad
Apple’s 2019 MacBook Pro revision features a scissor switch keyboard, which has been problematic in the past. The new Magic Keyboard has mechanical scissor switches just as sturdy and clicky as older Mac keyboards, but the 14-inch MacBook Pro benefits from the form-fitting construction of the black keys with a black frame. ..
Apple has finally eliminated the Touch Bar, which was first introduced in 2016, after allowing it to languish for years without any feature updates or improvements. A full-sized set of function keys has been installed in its stead, a first for MacBooks. ..
Macbook Pro 14-inch review: Display
The MacBook Pro 14’s Mini-LED screen can achieve brightness levels of more than 1500 nits, although it is otherwise restricted to 500 nits or less. This is somewhat bothersome, especially outside when a brighter setting would be beneficial. There is currently an app called Vivid that removes this restriction, allowing you to always use the highest brightness level. ..
The programme functions as tested with our review unit. You receive an additional brightness bar, and using the standard brightness controls, you can easily boost the brightness even more. The highest values line up with the HDR outcomes. On a display that was all white, we measured more than 1100 nits; on our website, we measured about 1300 nits; and in a little window, we measured up to 1600 nits. We advise you to test the software if you frequently use your MacBook Pro outside and would like a brighter image.
The panel was also examined using the app, and while there are just slight, barely perceptible improvements in picture quality, the lid becomes substantially warmer. We are unable to predict how using the app may impact the LEDs’ lifespan. With the highest brightness, the battery life is also significantly reduced, and our Wi-Fi test only lasts for 2:28 hours until the battery runs out.
Webcam and microphone
Apple has released a new MacBook with a 1080p webcam and microphone, which is an improvement from the 720p camera that was previously included. This camera has a lens with a larger aperture that admits more light to reduce any background noise. ..
The new MacBook Pro has a better camera than the old one. ..
Apple’s new MacBook Pro models come with studio-quality microphones, which produce clearer audio than the microphones found in earlier models. These microphones are a great addition for video chats and meetings, and they can also be used to capture vocals and instruments for podcasts and spontaneous jam sessions. The fact that you don’t have to plug in the laptop is another great feature. ..
Graphics and gaming
M1 Max is a powerful gaming laptop that sits in M1 Pro’s shadow. While its high-resolution gaming capabilities are impressive, it still leaves users wanting more. ..
The new M1 Pro system-on-chip in the 14-inch MacBook Pro includes a 16-core GPU. This is an addition to the new chip, and it’s proving to be a beast, as we discovered when playing Rise of the Tomb Raider. The opening sequence went without a hitch even though Lara was being tormented by snow and wind on a cliff. ..
The 14-inch MacBook Pro scored 39 frames per second on Rise of the Tomb Raider (at 1920 x 1200), whereas the 16-inch model skyrocketed to an incredibly smooth 73.87 frames per second. The 16-inch still couldn’t reach 30 frames per second (fps) at 3456 x 2234, and the 14-inch only managed a choppy 17 fps at 3024 x 1964.
Gathering Storm ran at a smoother frame rate on the MacBook Pro than on the XPS 13.
The 3DMark Wild Life Extreme Unlimited test found that the M1 Pro was not as fast as the M1 Max when it came to performance. The 16-core GPU of the M1 Pro scored 10,386 frames per second, whereas the 32-core GPU of the 16-inch MacBook Pro scored 20,220 frames per second.
Macbook Pro 14-inch review: Performance
The new Apple M1 Pro SoC offers significantly more power than the M1 from the 13-inch MacBook Pro upgrade from a year ago. The M1 Pro is constructed using the same 5nm technology and the same architecture as the M1. There are now six (or eight) high-performance cores and just two efficiency cores, as opposed to four high-performance and four efficiency cores in the past. Additionally, there are now seven or eight, fourteen, or sixteen GPU cores. Even though memory is still integrated, the M1 Pro offers up to 32GB of memory and a quicker connection. Of course, these numbers increase even more with the M1 Max CPU option. ..
The new media engine in the M1 Pro and M1 Max devices can drive up to two and three external 6K screens.
Apple has introduced a new hardware tiering system for its products, which differs from the traditional CPU maker and PC brand tiers in that there are a number of capabilities to consider when selecting the best model for your requirements. Again, nothing can be upgraded, so you must decide everything at the time of purchase. ..
Battery life and heat
Our battery tests reveal that the MacBook Pro with the M1 Max SoC has shorter runtimes than the standard model, which was already indicated by the greater idle usage. Our Wi-Fi test at 150 nits, which is 7 large steps and 2 tiny steps below the maximum brightness, yields a result of around 11.5 hours and only 5.5 hours at maximum brightness. It is able to watch videos for almost 13 hours at 150 nits. ..
YouTube’s HDR playback was disabled immediately after it launched, but now it is completely trouble-free. Our HDR test film lasts 3:47 hours at maximum brightness, which is 20 minutes less than the entry-level model.
The new MacBook Pro doesn’t support fast charging. When the laptop is turned on, a complete recharge takes 1 hour and 43 minutes (30% after 21 minutes, 50% after 31 minutes, and 80% after 57 minutes). As we tested the new MacBook Pro, we noted that it only got somewhat warm, hardly anything to even notice. Our heat gun detected temperatures below 95 degrees Fahrenheit on its touchpad (85 degrees), keyboard, and underside after we streamed 15 minutes of Full HD film on it (both 89.5 degrees). ..
Configuration options
The new MacBook Pro 14-inch (2021) is a laptop that aims to meet the needs of creative professionals who want powerful mobile hardware. As a result, this laptop is quite pricey. It costs $1,999 / £1,899 / AU$2,999 for the MacBook Pro 14-inch (2021) with an 8-Core CPU, 14-Core GPU M1 Pro with 16GB unified memory, and 512GB SSD storage. While the more potent 10-Core CPU, 16-Core GPU M1 Pro with 16GB Unified Memory and 1TB SSD storage costs a hefty $2,499 / £2,399 / AU$3,749.
If you want to customize your MacBook Pro 14-inch with more RAM and storage space, you may choose between 16GB, 32GB, or 64GB of unified memory and up to 8TB of SSD storage. The M1 Pro chip can be upgraded to the significantly more potent M1 Max chip. With faster RAM (up to 64GB of it), graphics performance is increased by twofold.
Conclusion
Apple has finally recognized that a laptop for professionals and a laptop for everyday use are not the same thing. The new MacBook Pro family is designed to be more versatile, with a better keyboard and more ports. But it’s also expensive, so customers may not be able to afford it if they don’t already have a high-end computer.
Although we had anticipated the notch to be a major issue, we eventually found it to be manageable. It’s still annoying, and you’ll need to pick wallpapers carefully to cover it up, but it’s not a deal-breaker. It’s not a problem if you operate with apps in full-screen mode the majority of the time. Hopefully Apple will make the menu bar in macOS invisible once more.
