Elly Awesome reviews the 2021 MacBook Pro

Apple have seemingly outdone themselves with their latest MacBook Pro release, which will surprise even the most savvy users.

Apple have seemingly outdone themselves with their latest Macbook Pro releases featuring a 14 inch and 16 inch model in Space Grey or Silver. Boasting incredible performance, insane battery life and an impressive Liquid Retina XDR display, are they worth the upgrade?

Unboxing

Inside the box you’ll find some Apple stickers, a Quick Start guide, charging brick, MagSafe cable (improved braided cable), and the Macbook Pro itself. The design of the latest model looks a little chunkier with squared edges rather than rounded edges and ‘Macbook Pro’ is cleanly etched into the underside of the aluminum housing.

The Macbook Pro no longer features the Touch Bar, instead, it’s been replaced by the regular function keys that are on most Macs and earlier generations of Macbook Pros.

I’m happy to see this because, although the Touch Bar looked great, I’ve found the physical buttons less cumbersome.

On the left hand side of the laptop you’ll find the MagSafe charging port, two Thunderbolt 4 USB-C ports and a 3.5mm headphone jack. And on the right hand side, excitingly, legacy ports have returned including an SD card slot and HDMI port and there’s also an additional Thunderbolt USB-C port.

The sleek new Macbook has some serious bells and whistles.

As someone who is frequently off-loading videos and photos from SD cards onto my computer (and occasionally wanting to share my laptop’s screen via an HDMI connection) the return of these ports are incredibly welcome.

Especially when considering that most MacBooks have reduced their ports down to solely USB-C ports, which means you often have to carry around multiple adaptors to accommodate other connections.

Also, the latest Macbook Pro includes a hidden feature where not only can you charge via newly returned MagSafe (great because it won’t drag your laptop off a table if the charging cord is tripped over) you can also use any of the USB-C ports for charging - as seen on the previous generation.

Features and user experience

The latest models feature an updated 1080p HD FaceTime camera (for video calls) and there’s an obvious improvement in low light performance as well as in-built microphone quality. Although Apple claims the Pros have a battery life of up to 21 hours, it really depends on your usage with the device.

However, the battery life is solid and hasn’t dropped compared to the previous models. Additionally, you’re able to get the same performance on battery power that you would if the laptop was plugged in, which is practically unheard of.

This allows access to desktop-like performance on the go and is a game changer for professionals.

Every app‘s launch time is quicker all around and there’s barely a moment where you’ll notice the laptop lagging behind you. When using programs like Photoshop, Final Cut Pro X or Premiere Pro, I was able to produce graphics and render 4K footage at blazing speeds.

The Liquid Retina XDR Display is absolutely gorgeous to work with and the in-build speakers compliment it greatly. I’ve often found myself watching high quality movies or series on the go or in bed after work such as Apple TV+ series Morning Wars (my favourite at the moment).

The new Macbook offers the same performance on battery power that you would if the laptop was plugged in, which is practically unheard of.

Worth it?

Having previously worked in an animation studio, where professionals were creating feature films which required $4000+ iMacs or desktop PCs, I know that a laptop like this is invaluable to creative industries.

Apple’s M1 Pro and M1 Max chips that are inside of these Macbook Pros rival all previous Intel-based Macs when it comes to performance, and it was easy to notice. My past colleagues would be blown away by the power of these MacBook Pros - especially with their ability to run their usual performance-taxing software, such as Cinema 4D, lag-free on battery power alone.

With these Macbook Pros it’s actually possible to do a previously desk-bound job while on the go and, better yet, they offer the ability to instantly transition to working from home when required.

The 14 inch Macbook Pro baseline model with the M1 Pro chip offers an 8-Core CPU, 14-Core GPU, 16GB of Unified Memory and 512GB of built-in SSD storage for $2,999 and the 16 inch baseline Macbook Pro with the M1 Pro chip offers a 10-core CPU, 16-Core GPU, 16GB of Unified Memory and 512GB of SSD storage for $3749.

For the average student this laptop probably won’t be their first choice - these computers are pricey - and honestly likely overpowered for their needs.

They’re exceptionally well suited to those studying or working in creative fields where tasks such as 3D modelling, 4K video rendering, coding or high quality music production are required.

I would easily recommend either baseline model for industry professionals, depending on which screen size suits you best.

From there, prices quickly escalate if you choose to upgrade the laptop’s specs. But for those who truly need it I doubt you’ll be disappointed.

Elly Awesome is an Aussie tech and lifestyle vlogger | @ellyawwesome | YouTube