Apple MacBook Pro M1 (16.2-inch, 2021)

Stunning display ; Amazing performance ; The ports and MagSafe are back

RAM upgrades are expensive

Sporting a stunning display, wildly powerful internals and the re-addition of important ports, the MacBook Pro 2021 rights the wrongs of the past few iterations of Apple’s flagship laptop.

Excellent performance ; Stunning mini-LED display ; Extremely long battery life ; Plenty of ports

Large ; Heavy ; Expensive

Breathtaking display ; Impressive speakers ; Improved connectivity ; Hugely powerful

Expensive ; Heavy ; No Centre Stage ; Value reliant on specific workflows

The most niche of MacBooks is also the most impressive. But even if you ditch the M1 Max, there’s a lot to like.

Superb mini-LED screen ; Incredibly powerful ; Great battery life

A touch heavy

All told, the performance, display and battery life make the MacBook Pro 16in (2021, M1 Pro) a pretty special laptop. Indeed, there’s no other machine on the market that can match its all-round capabilities.

Screen tech ; Excellent build quality ; Amazingly fast!

Price ; Notch (for some)

Fast, with a razor-sharp screen, excellent build quality, and a happy reunion with MagSafe, HDMI and SD card readers, the 16in MacBook Pro with M1 Max is a high ranking professional computer. This is not a computer for the average user - if that's you...

+ Strong selection of ports ; + Gorgeous screen ; + Long battery life ; + The best speakers on a laptop ; + No more Touch Bar ; + Excellent performance

- Upgrade pricing is extreme ; - Notch design may bother some ; - No facial recognition option

The 16-inch MacBook Pro is a powerhouse thanks to the M1 Max chip, and includes a beautiful display, the best speakers I've ever heard on a laptop, and a strong choice of ports.

It's pretty clear that the 16in MacBook Pro with M1 Pro or M1 Max has an awful lot going for it. As good as the 16in MacBook Pro with Intel processor was, and as good as it still is in comparison to the competition, there is no doubt that the M1 Pro or...

Incredible XDR display ; Fantastic creative performance ; Extensive port selection ; Keyboard and trackpad are perfect ; Excellent speakers and webcam ; Endless battery life

Notch is a distraction

“It's the best MacBook Pro since 2015. And yes, it has a notch.”

Seriously powerful components ; Exceptional battery life ; Impressive audio performance ; HDMI output and SD card reader ; High-quality 1080p webcam ; Gorgeous Mini-LED display ; High-quality keyboard, huge touchpad

M1 Max CPU option, as tested, represents poor value for most workloads ; Configuration upticks are expensive ; Obtrusive camera notch ; Weighs nearly 5 pounds

The new ultimate Mac laptop, the 2021 Apple MacBook Pro 16-Inch is a finely engineered, high-octane workstation that will thrill content creators. The pumped-up M1 Max silicon in our tester, though, is beyond mere bragging rights—it's reserved for...

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

Higher-end configs quickly drive up the price ; Screen has a notch for the webcam