Apple Introduces MacBook Pros with M1 Pro and Max Socs, New Design, and HDMI

Apple has announced new 14″ and 16″ MacBook Pro models. The laptops have a modified design and will be available with more powerful variants of the M1 soc, the M1 Pro and M1 Max. The laptops do not have a Touch Bar, but they do have HDMI and a memory card reader.

Apple announced new MacBook Pro models with 14″ and 16″ screens on Monday evening. The laptops have mini-LED-backlit screens, offering higher contrast and screen brightness than previous MacBooks. The maximum screen brightness is 1600cd/m². The resolution of the 14.2″ model is 3024×1964 pixels, that of the 16.2″ laptop is 3456×2234 pixels. The screens offer a maximum refresh rate of 120Hz and it scales dynamically so that in applications where a higher refresh rate is not required, it stays lower to maintain battery life.

The screen edges on the side are thinner than with the previous MacBook Pro generation and measure 3.5 mm, at the top the decrease is 60 percent. As a result, the webcam protrudes, giving the screen a notch. That webcam has a resolution of 1080p, versus 720p on the previous versions, and an f/2.0 lens. Apple uses computational video to further increase image quality. Under the hood are three microphones and six speakers. According to Apple, the laptops reproduce bass tones deeper and there is support for the reproduction of spatial sound.

No more Touch Bar

The MacBook Pros have a modified design compared to their predecessors. It is striking that Apple has decided not to provide the models with a Touch Bar. This touch-sensitive strip with elongated OLED screen never became the success Apple hoped for. Instead of the Touch Bar, there is again the familiar row of Fn keys. The 14″ version is 1.55 cm thick and weighs 1.61 kilograms, the 16″ version measures 1.68 cm and weighs 2.15 kilograms in combination with the M1 Pro and 2.17 kilograms with the M1 Max.

Apple supplies both the 14″ and 16″ Pro with M1 Pro and M1 Max sockets. Those M1 Pro and Max socs are further developments of the M1 soc announced last year based on Arm. The Pro has eight or ten cores, six or eight of which are powerful and two are economical. The GPU has fourteen or sixteen cores, depending on the configuration. The M1 Max has ten cores, but the GPU has considerably more graphics processing power with 24 or 32 cores. The M1 introduced last year has to make do with eight cores, four of which are powerful and four economical, supplemented by eight GPU cores. The MacBook Pros therefore need considerably more powerful hardware, but also still need active cooling.

HDMI and memory card reader back

The previous Pro models were criticized for having very few ports with only two or four Thunderbolts. After years, Apple has listened to that criticism because the new MacBook Pros have HDMI again and the memory card slot is back, so that no dongle is required anymore. It also includes three Thunderbolt 4 ports. A MacBook Pro with M1 Pro can drive two 6k displays at 60Hz, versions with the M1 Max can drive three, supplemented by a 4k display at 60Hz. It is possible to control a 4k screen at 60Hz via HDMI, which indicates that it is HDMI 2.0 and not 2.1. The Pro 13″ with M1 allowed control of only a single screen. In addition, the magnetically attachable MagSafe port for the power supply returns.

Apple supplies the laptops with 16GB or 32GB of memory as standard, but 64GB of memory is available in combination with the M1 Max. This concerns universal memory that the GPU cores can also use. The 512GB or 1TB SSD offers a sequential read speed of 7.4GB/s.

The new MacBook Pro models with M1 Pro and M1 Max will be available from Tuesday, October 26. The 14″ MacBook Pro is available from 2249 euros. The 16″ version has a starting price of 2749 euros. Both laptops are available in light and dark gray.