MacBook Pro With Magic Keyboard, Touch ID and More

MacBook Pro series of Macintosh laptop computers.

It was introduced in January 2006 as the MacBook family’s higher-end variant, sitting above the consumer-focused MacBook Air.

It is now available with 13-inch, 14-inch, and 16-inch screens, all of which are powered by variations of Apple’s M1 and M2 system on a chip.

The first-generation MacBook Pro was based on the PowerBook G4 architecture, but the PowerPC G4 chips were replaced with Intel Core processors, a webcam was added, and the MagSafe power connector was introduced.

The 15-inch model was released in January 2006, and the 17-inch model was released in April.

Intel Core 2 Duo processors and LED-backlit displays were later introduced in later iterations.

The second-generation model was released in October 2008 in 13- and 15-inch sizes, with a 17-inch model following in January 2009. The “unibody” model, so named because its chassis was machined from a single piece of aluminum, included a slimmer flat display, a new touchpad with a single clickable button across its entire surface, and a revised keyboard. Updates delivered Intel Core i5 and i7 processors, as well as Thunderbolt from Intel.

Table of Contents

13-inch MacBook Pro

In June 2022, a 13-inch MacBook Pro M2-based model will be available.

What exactly is it? The 13-inch MacBook Pro is a notebook designed for demanding users who also value portability.

What is it for? The MacBook Pro is designed for the discerning user who need a portable computer that also performs well.

What are the specifications?

Apple provides two basic configurations:

$1,299 model: Apple 8-core M2 SoC with 8GB of RAM, a 10-core GPU, and a 16-core Neural Engine; 256GB SSD, and two Thunderbolt/USB 4 connections
$1,499 model: Apple 8-core M2 SoC with 8GB of RAM, 10-core GPU, and 16-core Neural Engine; 512GB SSD, two Thunderbolt/USB 4 connections

The native resolution of the 13-inch Retina display is 25601600, and macOS supports a scaled resolution of up to 16801050.

What exactly is the Touch Bar?

The Touch Bar interface at the top of the keyboard is standard on all 13-inch MacBook Pro models. The Touch Bar is a gadget for input that sits on top of the keyboard. It’s essentially a small touchscreen. Depending on the software, the buttons and controls available on the Touch Bar alter.

Find out more about the Touch Bar.

How do I connect stuff?

There’s no need to be concerned about wireless connectivity because the MacBook Pro includes both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.

You should be concerned about wired connectivity. The MacBook Pro has only two Thunderbolt/USB 4 ports that are USB-C compliant. If you have a Thunderbolt device, you can connect it to the laptop immediately. The same may be said for any USB-C device. If you have wired devices that aren’t USB-C or are older Thunderbolt versions, you’ll need an adapter. To assist you decide which MacBook Pro Thunderbolt adapters you’ll need, we’ve created a separate guide. Unfortunately, you will need to spend some extra money.

13-inch MacBook Pro How quick is it?

Because they share the same chip, the 13-inch MacBook Pro operates similarly to the MacBook Air.

However, the architecture of the MacBook Pro allows it to stay cool while maintaining speed, but the thinner MacBook Air must be throttled down for heavy processing activities.

Macworld’s purchasing advice:

The 13-inch MacBook Pro is ideal for mobile Mac users whose work requires a lot of processing power—you conduct video or audio editing, graphics work, or software development—but you also want a tiny laptop.

The 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro, on the other hand, offer a significant speed gain over the 13-inch model, but they are larger and heavier notebooks.

If your job mostly entails online browsing and other productivity duties, choose for a MacBook Air.

Please keep in mind that the 13-inch MacBook Pro with the M2 SoC will be released in June.

We also compare all MacBook Pro models here:

Which MacBook Pro: 13, 14, or 16-inch?

14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro

The 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro models for sale were initially scheduled to be introduced in October 2021.

What exactly is it?

Apple’s top-of-the-line computers are the 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pros.

If you want a laptop that can handle whatever task you throw at it and you don’t have a limited budget, one of these laptops is for you.

What is it for?

When Apple dubbed these laptops “Pro,” they weren’t joking.

If your work requires a lot of computing power, these laptops can handle it.

Work exclusively in professional-level software?

Purchase a 14- or 16-inch MacBook Pro.

They are the quickest laptops Apple has ever manufactured, with either the M1 Pro or M1 Max processor.

What are the specifications?

Apple sells the M1 Pro and M1 Max MacBook Pro in 14- and 16-inch versions.

Here are the usual MacBook Pro 14-inch configurations.

$1,999 model: Apple 8-core M1 Pro SoC with 16GB of RAM, 14-core GPU, and 16-core Neural Engine;512GB SSD, 67W power adapter
$2,499 model: Apple 10-core M1 Pro SoC with 16GB RAM, a 16-core GPU, and a 16-core Neural Engine; 1TB SSD, 96W power adapter

The following are the basic MacBook Pro configurations:

Model $2,499: Apple 10-core M1 Pro SoC with 16GB of memory, a 16-core GPU, and a 16-core Neural Engine; 512GB SSD, 140W power adapter
Model $2,699: Apple 10-core M1 Pro SoC with 16GB of memory, a 16-core GPU, and a 16-core Neural Engine; 1TB SSD, 140W power adapter
$3,499 model: Apple 10-core M1 Max SoC with 32GB RAM, a 32-core GPU, and a 16-core Neural Engine; 1TB SSD, 140W power adapter

The 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pros both offer a Liquid Retina XDR display with 254 pixels per inch, 1,600 nits of maximum brightness (1,000 nits for HDR content, 500 nits for regular content), a 1,000,000 to 1 contrast ratio, and ProMotion functionality with a refresh rate of up to 120Hz.

16- and 14-inch MacBook Pro

Apple

What exactly is that notch at the top of the screen?

That’s the FaceTime 1080p camera, an upgrade from the 720p camera seen in the 13-inch MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, and prior MacBook Pros.

The notch has no effect on the available screen size—the work area is a 16-by-10 space, while the screen surrounding the notch is deemed supplementary space and displays the menu bar.

How do I connect stuff?

Wireless communication is provided through Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on the 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro models.

In terms of ports, Apple supplies three Thunderbolt/USB 4 ports that are USB-C compliant.

If you have a Thunderbolt device, you can connect it to the laptop immediately.

The same may be said for any USB-C device.

If you have wired devices that aren’t USB-C or are older Thunderbolt versions, you’ll need an adapter.

To assist you decide which MacBook Pro Thunderbolt adapters you’ll need, we’ve created a separate guide.

Unfortunately, you will need to spend some extra money.

Additionally, these laptops include an HDMI 2.0 port for attaching an external monitor or projector, as well as an SDXC Card slot for inserting memory cards from cameras, audio recorders, and other devices.

How do I charge these laptop computers?

Apple included MagSafe, a magnetic connector that breaks away with a strong tug.

It’s a convenient safety feature, but you can also charge via the Thunderbolt port.

The new fast charging feature allows the laptop to charge from zero to fifty percent in 30 minutes, but you must have the appropriate power adaptor to do it. It will not operate with the 67W adaptor included with the $1,999 MacBook Pro. The 14-inch models require the 97W adaptor and may charge quickly via MagSafe or a Thunderbolt connector. The 16-inch devices require the 140W converter with MagSafe; fast charging does not function with Thunderbolt or a lower-wattage adapter.

How fast is it?

Apple designed these laptops with professionals in mind, and the results are impressive.

Its performance with software that can take advantage of the CPU’s many cores is noticeably faster than the M1 in the 13-inch MacBook Pro.

In our assessment of the M1 Pro, we found that it outperformed the high-end Intel CPU in the 2019 16-inch MacBook Pro.

Professionals will profit greatly from the M1 Pro or M1 Max.

Macworld’s purchasing advice:

Start with the $2,499 M1 Pro model with the 10-core CPU and 16-core GPU when considering the 14-inch MacBook Pro.

Avoid the $1,999 model with its 8-core CPU and 14-core GPU.

Paying the extra money is worthwhile—you can save money by purchasing a smaller SSD.

The 16-inch $3.499 MacBook Pro has all the bells and whistles.

It’s designed for the most discerning consumers, who will appreciate the high-end M1 Max processor and 32-core GPU.

How To Reset Macbook Pro

Turn on your Mac and instantly press and hold the Option, Command, P, and R keys together.

After around 20 seconds, release the keys.

This clears user settings from memory and restores any security features that may have been modified.

Best MacBook Pro Alternatives

There are several solutions available, each with something special to offer (at varying different price points).

Vivobook Pro 14/14X from ASUS

The ASUS Vivobook Pro lineup isn’t getting nearly as much attention as it should, and we’re not sure why.

These laptops look great, have a nice build quality, incredible OLED panels (up to 3K and 90Hz), and some seriously excellent internals – top-tier Ryzen 5000 series CPUs and NVIDIA RTX 3050 GPUs.

They aren’t the most powerful MacBook Pro replacements on the market, but they are perhaps the most well-rounded, and hence more than worthy of your consideration.

Lenovo Yoga Line-up (2022)

Lenovo’s Yoga Slim 7/9 laptops have been updated with Alder Lake and Ryzen 6000 processors, as well as gorgeous, high refresh rate 2K/3K OLED panels, LPDDR5 RAM, and just the proper amount of I/O for any creative professional.

Their RTX 3050 (Ti) GPUs aren’t the most powerful on the market, but they’ll sufficient for video editing and casual gaming.

Surface Laptop Studio by Microsoft

The Surface Laptop Studio is an intriguing device that is more powerful than it appears but is nowhere near as capable as some other options on the market.

It does, however, include an adjustable display, which effectively transforms this laptop into a three-in-one device.

The Surface line-up from Microsoft, like Apple’s MacBook Pros, combines great build quality with some reasonably good internals, but they’re also marketed at an exorbitant cost and are rarely upgraded.

They are, however, a distinctive solution and are thus worth considering.

Razer Blade 14/15

Razer’s latest Blade laptops cram the most mind-blowing internals into sleek and slender chassis that are easy to carry around — and they’re also easy on the eyes.

The Razer Blade is the only Windows laptop that delivers a similar level of craftsmanship (to say nothing of its appearance) to that of a MacBook.

They may be exorbitantly priced, but if you want the greatest MacBook replacement on the market — and don’t mind burning a hole in your wallet — they’re well worth the asking price.

ASUS Flow X13 / Zephyrus G14 (2022)

These two (albeit very dissimilar) laptops are undoubtedly ASUS’s most appealing options.

They provide outstanding build quality as well as AMD’s latest and finest processors.

The Flow X13 is far more portable, yet it does not sacrifice performance, which is critical.

The G14, on the other hand, is significantly more powerful and hence better suited for more demanding tasks.

In any case, both devices provide more than adequate power for most users’ needs and are worthy alternatives to Apple’s MacBook Pros.

What is the main difference between MacBook Pro and Air?

However, the ports are where the main disparities come into play.

The MacBook Air and Apple M2-powered MacBook Pro both have two Thunderbolt ports, however the M1 Pro/Max models have three Thunderbolt 4 ports, an HDMI connector, an SD card slot, and other features.

Screenshot With Macbook Pro

You can capture the entire screen, a window, or just a piece of the

How to Capture a Screenshot on a Mac

To take a screenshot, press and hold the Shift, Command, and 3 keys at the same time.
Click the thumbnail in the corner of your screen to alter the screenshot.

Alternatively, you can wait for the screenshot to save to your desktop.

FAQs

Is it worth having a MacBook Pro?

Intel-powered MacBook Air and MacBook Pro in 2020:

From performance to battery life, these models have been fully surpassed by late 2020 versions with with the Apple M1 CPU.

They’re only worth purchasing if you can get them for less than $700.

Is it worth buying 2020 MacBook Pro?

The MacBook Pro 13-inch (M1, 2020) is Apple’s most intriguing laptop in years.

The new M1 chip provides remarkable battery life, and performance in our early tests has been excellent.

It’s just a pity about the outdated design.

Is it worth waiting for the new MacBook Pro 2022?

In the meantime, the new MacBook Air 2022 features a bigger display with smaller bezels, a 1080p webcam, and a thinner, lighter design.

It’s easy to dismiss the new MacBook Pro as unimportant, preferring to wait for its more current relative, the MacBook Air.

Is MacBook Pro M1 coming?

Apple’s latest MacBook Pro models are available with either the M1 Pro or M1 Max processor. Both CPUs have a 10-core CPU with eight high-performance cores and two high-efficiency cores, however the entry-level 14-inch MacBook Pro has a lower-end 8-core variant.

Will there be new Macbooks in 2022?

In June 2022, Apple unveiled a newly redesigned MacBook Air based on their new M2 CPU, with a starting price of $1,199 and a release date of July 15, 2022. The older M1-based MacBook Air from late 2020 is still available for $999.

Is it worth it to refurbish a MacBook Pro?

There’s almost no drawback to buying a reconditioned Apple gadget as long as you’re willing to wait a few months.

The quality is excellent, and the cost reduction may be worth the wait.

Is it worth buying an old Mac Pro?

Without a question, a refurbished M1-powered MacBook Pro is an excellent buy.

It’s one of the greatest refurbished MacBooks on the market.

If you want to learn more, read our post about the benefits and drawbacks of buying a refurbished MacBook Pro.

When did the M1X MacBook Pro come out?

The Apple M1X chip is likely to make its debut inside the MacBook Pro 2021, which is slated to be unveiled today at Apple’s digital event. The new laptop is anticipated to hit stores in the coming weeks, so if you want a Mac with the M1X processor, you won’t have to wait long.

Is buying refurbished MacBook worth it?