Apple's new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models will begin arriving to customers this Tuesday, October 26, and ahead of time, the embargo has lifted on the first reviews of the notebooks across media publications and YouTube channels.

macbook pro 2021 verge

Image Credit: The Verge

We've rounded up more video reviews of the new MacBook Pro models in a separate story, while highlights from written reviews can be found below.

Performance: M1 Pro and M1 Max

Both the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro can be configured with either the M1 Pro or M1 Max, with both chips featuring a 10-core CPU. The difference between the chips comes down to graphics, with the M1 Pro available with up to a 16-core GPU and the M1 Max available with up to a 32-core GPU.

The first Geekbench 5 benchmark results for the new MacBook Pro models revealed the M1 Pro and M1 Max chips are over 1.5x faster than the M1 chip in lower-end Macs, while Apple said the M1 Max chip has up to 4x faster graphics than the M1 chip.

Jason Snell shared a useful chart comparing benchmark scores at Six Colors:

macbook pro 2021 benchmarks six colors
MobileSyrup's Patrick O'Rourke:

In my time with the 14-inch MacBook Pro and its M1 Pro chip, I didn't encounter a single instance of slowdown, even when editing photos with Lightroom and Photoshop CC, while also cutting video in Premiere CC when connected to a 4K HDR external monitor. In fact, the laptop's fans only turned on while exporting a 4K video file.

As we previously reported, 16-inch MacBook Pro models configured with an M1 Max chip feature a new High Power Mode that is designed to maximize performance during intensive, sustained workloads.

Design: Notch, Keyboard, and More

Key design changes to the new MacBook Pro models include a notch at the top of the display that houses an upgraded 1080p webcam, and a revamped keyboard with an all-black design and full-size function keys instead of a Touch Bar.

The Verge's Nilay Patel:

And yes, the display has a notch, which we know will be polarizing, but I very quickly stopped noticing it, just like everyone stops seeing the iPhone notch. We'll see how I feel after another few days with this thing.

CNBC's Todd Haselton:

I like that Apple got rid of the Touch Bar screen up top, which I didn't really find useful on earlier MacBook Pro models, and instead replaced it with full-sized function keys that are easy to tap to adjust the volume, screen brightness and more.

Added Ports: HDMI, SD Card Slot, and MagSafe

Apple has brought back many ports on the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models that it had previously removed in 2016, including an HDMI port, an SD card slot, and MagSafe for a magnetic power cable.

CNET's Dan Ackerman:

It's as if Apple designers decided to go through all the feedback they've gotten for years and cherry pick everyone's top handful of wishlist requests (with apologies to whoever wanted mini-DisplayPort or DVI to return). […]

HDMI is something people have been asking to get back. It's great to be future-forward, but HDMI remains immensely useful, even if it's transitioning into being more of a legacy port. That's also why we had laptops with VGA ports for so many years after they should have vanished. People have older or legacy devices, like printers, projectors, displays, etc., and they want to be able to plug into those immediately, with a cable common enough that you might luck out and find one buried in the back of a desk drawer.

Displays: Mini-LED and ProMotion

The new MacBook Pro models are equipped with Liquid Retina XDR displays with mini-LED backlighting for up to 3x higher brightness when viewing HDR content, while the addition of ProMotion allows for an adaptive refresh rate between a power-preserving 24Hz and a smooth-looking 120Hz depending on the type of content that is showing on the screen.

Gizmodo's Caitlin McGarry:

The new Pro displays have also been upgraded with the iPad Pro's ProMotion feature, which is so good that it's now upsetting to use a laptop without it. ProMotion, which is turned on by default, makes it so the Pro can adjust its refresh rate between 10Hz and 120Hz, depending on what you're doing. You can turn off ProMotion and use the Pro at a fixed refresh rate (47.95Hz, 48Hz, 50Hz, 59.94Hz, or 60Hz) if you want to, but I tried using it at 60Hz and found the difference too glaring after almost a week at 120Hz. It really is so much smoother with ProMotion turned on.

Battery Life

Apple said the new MacBook Pro models get up to 10 hours longer battery life per charge compared to the previous-generation models.

Engadget's Devindra Hardawar:

[T]he efficiency of the M1 chip's ARM design leads to great battery performance. The 14-inch MacBook Pro lasted 12 hours and 35 minutes in our benchmark, while the 16-inch went for 16 hours and 34 minutes. That’s over five hours longer than the last Intel model.

Key Takeaways

With very fast performance, the return of useful ports like HDMI and an SD card slot, and improved displays, the new MacBook Pro models check all of the boxes for a lot of professional users and are a very worthwhile upgrade.

TechCrunch's Brian Heater:

Much like the return of MagSafe, the abandonment of the Touch Bar is a prime example of why the new MacBooks are the best in years. They build on the technologies and learnings of previous generations introduce some key breakthroughs and, perhaps, most importantly, listened to user feedback. That means moving on from what doesn't work and doubling down on what does, and above all, not ever assuming you know what's best for the consumer — particularly in the case of extremely particular creative pros.

Priced between $1,999 and $5,899, this is very much not the MacBook for everyone. For most consumers, the MacBook Air gets the job done — and then some. But if you're someone who regularly finds yourself pushing your machine to the limits, the new Pro is a great marriage of the line's best elements.

More Reviews

MacRumors will share its own hands-on impressions of the new MacBook Pro later this week.

Related Roundup: MacBook Pro
Buyer's Guide: MacBook Pro (Caution)
Related Forum: MacBook Pro

Top Rated Comments

GadgetBen Avatar
49 months ago
iJustine is the worst and most annoying reviewer!
Score: 53 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MacFather Avatar
49 months ago
Thicker and heavier than the power-hungry Intel predecessor.

Score: 27 Votes (Like | Disagree)
sniffies Avatar
49 months ago
I don’t even doubt the new MBPs have top notch performance
Score: 24 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Razeus Avatar
49 months ago
The Verge so desperate for clicks they published a "we are working in it"/"here's what you already know" post. Lame. They say they've had it for a week and still need to test battery life and whatnot. Like, what have you been doing this past week?
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
davidako Avatar
49 months ago
These initial impressions are almost worthless.

I’m looking forward to the detailed comparisons of the different configurations that should come out over the next week or so.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
840quadra Avatar
49 months ago
One of 2 embargo lifts today that I was looking forward to. Can’t wait for real and full featured reviews from Anandtech, Rene Ritchie and a few others that tend to do deeper dives into these devices.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

apple tv 4k new orange

New Apple TV Expected Later This Year With These New Features

Saturday July 12, 2025 3:09 pm PDT by
A new Apple TV is expected to be released later this year, and a handful of new features and changes have been rumored for the device. Below, we recap what to expect from the next Apple TV, according to rumors. Rumors Faster Wi-Fi Support The next Apple TV will be equipped with Apple's own combined Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. He said the chip supports ...
iphone 16 pro ghost hand

5 Reasons to Skip This Year's iPhone 17 Pro

Thursday July 10, 2025 4:54 am PDT by
Apple will launch its new iPhone 17 series in two months, and the iPhone 17 Pro models are expected to get a new design for the rear casing and the camera area. But more significant changes to the lineup are not expected until next year, when the iPhone 18 models arrive. If you're thinking of trading in your iPhone for this year's latest, consider the following features rumored to be coming...
iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro Coming Soon With These 16 New Features

Friday July 11, 2025 12:40 pm PDT by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are only two months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models. Latest Rumors These rumors surfaced in June and July:A redesigned Dynamic Island: It has been rumored that all iPhone 17 models will have a redesigned Dynamic Island interface — it might ...
Apple Watch Ultra 2 Complications

Apple Watch Ultra 3: What to Expect

Sunday July 13, 2025 10:30 am PDT by
The long wait for an Apple Watch Ultra 3 is nearly over, and a handful of new features and changes have been rumored for the device. Below, we recap what to expect from the Apple Watch Ultra 3:Satellite connectivity for sending and receiving text messages when Wi-Fi and cellular coverage is unavailable 5G support, up from LTE on the Apple Watch Ultra 2 Likely a wide-angle OLED display that ...
iphone 16 pro pro max

iPhone 17 Pro Models With BOE Displays Will Be Sold in China Only

Thursday July 10, 2025 11:59 pm PDT by
iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max models with displays made by BOE will be sold exclusively in China, according to a new report. Last week, it emerged that Chinese display manufacturer BOE was aggressively ramping up its OLED production capacity for future iPhone models as part of a plan to recapture a major role in Apple's supply chain. Now, tech news aggregator Jukan Choi reports...
top stories 2025 07 12

Top Stories: iPhone 17 Pro Rumors, iOS 26 Beta 3, and More

Saturday July 12, 2025 6:00 am PDT by
The iOS 26 public beta release is quickly approaching, while developers have recently gotten their hands on a third round of betas that has seen Apple continue to tweak features, design, and functionality. We're also continuing to hear rumors about the iPhone 17 lineup that is now just about right around the corner, while Apple's latest big-budget film appears to be taking off, so read on...