Apple MacBook Pro M1 (14.2-inch, 2021)

Incredible performance ; Beautiful display ; We have escaped from Dongletown ; Incredible performance ; Incredible battery life for M1 Pro model ; Beautiful display ; Our long national Touch Bar nightmare is over

Expensive ; Absurd RAM pricing ; Software ecosystem still coming around to Apple’s GPU ideas ; Expensive ; Absurd RAM upgrade pricing ; Software ecosystem still coming around to Apple’s GPU ideas

The other is that Apple is still in the midst of the transition to its own chips, and the software ecosystem isn’t totally there. These machines feel like the future, but parts of that future are still a little bit hazy. Will Apple’s GPU ideas get...

Seriously powerful M1 Pro CPU HDMI output and SD card reader Impressive audio performance High-quality 1080p webcam Eye-catching HDR display Marathon battery life Luxurious keyboard and touchpad

Expensive Camera notch may be obtrusive for some users or applications

The 14-inch Apple MacBook Pro occupies a new sweet spot among pro content-creator laptops: far more capable than consumer-class alternatives, yet much less expensive than its 16-inch sibling and bulkier Windows workstations.

Brilliant performance Best screen on a laptop Long battery life Plenty of ports

Screen may be a bit small for some Overkill for regular users

The MacBook Pro 14-inch (2021) is the best laptop for creative professionals you can buy right now. It offers amazing performance, even on battery, and comes with the best screen you’ll find on a laptop anywhere. For day-to-day use, this won’t be the...

M1 Pro processor power is immense ; Ports are back - including SD card slot and HDMI ; MagSafe 3 charging is fast ; 14.2-inch screen with ProMotion 120Hz looks great

It's heavy ; Side vents may cause future issues ; No Face ID ; No SIM card slot ; Price can skyrocket with upgrades ; Entry-level doesn't include the faster-charging plug

Apple has put the 'pro' back in the MacBook Pro and found its purpose with this series once again. With actual ports back in place and much more power than ever before, it's one laptop that many professionals will be clambering to have in their...

Superb design, aluminium unibody enclosure, backlit keyboard, dual graphics setup, large touchpad, SD card slot, better battery life than previous models

Touchpad has areas with poor response, display viewing angles could be improved, glossy display can be distracting, 5400rpm hard drive, graphics switch requires log-out, no ExpressCard slot, only two USB ports

Apple's latest MacBook Pro features improved internal components and now comes with an SD card slot at the expense of an ExpressCard slot. The superb aluminium design remains the same and performance is pretty impressive on the whole.

Loads of power ; Stupendously good display ; More portable than the Pro 16in

My verdict on the MacBook Pro 14in, then, is very much the same as it was for the MacBook Pro 16in. It’s a stupendous laptop and, if you have the cash and need a powerful portable for demanding creative work, then it’s a no brainer. Just go out and buy...

HDMI and SD card ports return ; MagSafe power connection is back ; Bigger, better screen with slimmer bezels ; New great-looking 1080p webcam ; Huge leap in graphics performance over earlier M1 systems ; Function keys replace the Touch Bar

Adds some weight, so not as portable ; High starting price if you just want the better screen/webcam and ports ; The screen has a notch cutout for the webcam

We'd love to see a MacBook Pro with these ports at a more affordable price, but that's not in the cards right now. The MacBook Air M2 comes close thanks to its MagSafe charger, but it still lacks an HDMI port and SD card reader. All that said, the new...

At the same time as Apple has readied the MacBook Pro for the future with new chips the company has taken a positive step backwards and provided the computer with the much missed MagSafe charger and HDMI port. You'll get a lot of performance compared...