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When it comes to sheer performance, the Apple Silicon inside this 3-pound behemoth outperforms most Windows laptops by a long shot, thanks to its M1 chip. It’s a breath of fresh air from Apple’s Intel-powered processors as the newly upgraded MacBook Pro 13 features a longer battery life and 2.8 times faster performance than the previous model.
Let's go through our thoughts on the MacBook Pro 13, so you can decide if this laptop is worth your money or not.
PROS
CONS
Apple MacBook Pro 13-Inch M1 Specifications
The price of the Apple MacBook Pro 13-Inch M1 starts at $1,299. It's designed with Apple's new operating system, long battery life, improved keyboard, and trackpad. Although it looks similar to previous MacBook 13 models, the new MacBook Pro 13's M1 chip processor gives it an advantage over its predecessors.
Apple MacBook Pro 13-Inch M1 Features & Benefits
Build & Design
Despite being a new model, Apple stuck with its classic, minimalist, premium-looking design for the MacBook Pro 13-Inch M1. It offers only two color options: silver and space gray. This 13-inch MacBook Pro is housed in the same aluminum chassis, with a glass display and thick black bezel.
This Apple MacBook Pro 13-Inch has a smooth and flat base that allows you to slide it in and out of your bag quickly. It also features four small rubber feet that provide traction and prevent the laptop from sliding around on your desk.
While it still maintains its exceptional thinness and lightness, the use of identical designs for Apple’s newer MacBook line makes them look outdated.
Magic Keyboard, Trackpad, and Touch Bar
Like the MacBook Air and the 16-Inch MacBook Pro, the Apple MacBook Pro 13-Inch M1 features the same Magic Keyboard. We love the new keyboard for its comfortable keys and dedicated Esc key. It still features a backlit keyboard with adjustable brightness for convenient use during dark hours.
We also like how the trackpad on the MacBook Pro 13 is larger than the previous models. Another feature, which is the Force Touch, allows precise cursor control and pressure-sensing capabilities. It's as responsive as ever, and doing three-finger swipes to switch between tabs is seamless.
The MacBook Pro 13-Inch M1 also has a Touch Bar, a touch-sensitive strip of glass that replaces the function keys on the keyboard. This feature enables quick access to multiple features and settings like adjusting brightness and volume on your MacBook Pro quickly.
Display
The MacBook Pro 13's panel display features a 13-inch retina display. It is perfect for watching ultra-high definition videos, browsing the web, and working on documents. Display colors are very accurate, and the viewing angles are excellent. With LED backlighting and a resolution of 2560 x 1600 pixels, you’ll enjoy viewing brilliant, crisp, and clear images from this device.
With its P three-color gamuts support and True Tone technology, this MacBook Pro 13-Inch M1 makes an ideal laptop for creative professionals. However, if you're doing image and video editing daily, we recommend you opt for a 16-inch MacBook Pro instead.
Although the integrated graphics are suitable for light gaming, video playback, and web browsing, this MacBook cannot handle tasks that require heavy graphic use. So, if you're looking to do more intensive tasks like video editing or graphic design, you'll need to connect an external GPU.
Facetime Camera
Like all MacBook Pro models, the MacBook Pro 13-Inch M1 features a FaceTime 720p HD cam and low-light enhancement. The image processing delivered by the new M1 chip helped improve image quality and reduce noise. So the images look better compared to previous MacBooks.
Speaker System and Audio
We like the quality of the stereo speakers on the MacBook Pro 13-Inch M1 as it produces the same fascinating kick as previous MacBook Pro models. It supports Dolby Atmos, which creates a more immersive sound when watching movies and TV shows. The bass quality is also quite impressive for such a small laptop.
Battery Life
On its release date, Apple claimed that the MacBook Pro 13-Inch M1 has the longest battery life in a MacBook. It promises a whopping 17 hours of wireless web browsing and up to 20 hours of video playback. That said, it has 10 extra hours of battery life than its predecessor, allowing you to conveniently get through an entire workday or school day without recharging.
Performance
MacBook Pro 13’s M1 chip is the same processor found in MacBook Air, iMac, and Mac Mini. Apple's in-house designed processor features 16 cores, allowing the 13-Inch MacBook Pro to perform more tasks seamlessly at an exceptional speed. It also offers up to five times faster graphics and 2.8 times better CPU performance.
The M1 processor also improves performance when working with processor-intensive applications such as Adobe Photoshop or Final Cut Pro. And while Macs are not typical for gaming, the M1 chip can provide smooth gameplay for casual gamers who want to play less-intense games after work.
Compared to other laptops with an Intel processor, the new M1 chip in the MacBook Pro 13-Inch is significantly faster. Not only is the M1 processor efficient, but it also provides seamless performance while using less power.
While the Apple MacBook Pro 13-Inch is faster than the MacBook Air, the differences are almost negligible because they share almost the same specs and processors. However, the addition of thermo-regulating fans in the MacBook Pro 13 allows a fast-performing laptop that can sustain processor-intensive tasks. So, you can use your MacBook Pro for hours without the worry of overheating.
Security Features
The MacBook Pro 13 M1 comes with a Touch ID sensor that allows you to unlock your MacBook with your fingerprint. This excellent security feature keeps your computer safe from unwanted access to your files. You can also use the Touch ID sensor to make purchases on the mac app store and iTunes.
Another security feature of the MacBook Pro 13 is the T2 Security Chip. This system allows you to encrypt your hard drive to prevent data theft.T2 is the T1’s predecessor, the first Touch Bar found in MacBook Pros.
The T2 chip also ensures a secure boot, ensuring all programs running on your MacBook Pro are Apple verified. Thus, preventing attackers from adding malicious codes and taking over your Mac. It also enables Apple’s “Hey Siri” feature, which you can activate to execute commands easily.
Ports
There are only three ports included in the MacBook Pro 13: two Thunderbolt ports and a 3.5 mm headphone jack.
Both Thunderbolt ports allow support for charging and connecting high-performance devices. It also allows you to transfer files quickly. This feature is great for creative professionals who need to connect their MacBook Pro to devices like cameras and scanners.
But if you want more ports, Apple and other third-party companies offer USB-C expansion docks and hubs to expand your MacBook's functionality.
What is the Apple MacBook Pro 13-Inch (M1, 2020) Best For?
Apple MacBook Pro 13-Inch is best for users who:
- Want a powerful laptop with excellent battery life
- Seek a device that provides clear audio outputs
- Want a smooth and fast laptop that can handle intensive programs
Apple MacBook Pro 13-Inch is not for users who:
- Seek a convertible laptop or a laptop with touch screen laptop with a stylus
- Seek a laptop that can handle intensive graphics
MacBook Pro 13-Inch M1 Social Proof
After searching the internet for audience insights and user reviews about the MacBook Pro 13-Inch M1. Here's what we found:
Here are some excerpts from user reviews of the MacBook Pro 13-Inch M1:
I bought my MacBook Pro 13 from Apple directly not from Amazon. This thing is amazing. Battery life is awesome. Hard to believe that I can work with it all day and do not have to charge at all even with a bright screen. No issues with speed at all. I use Matlab a lot and this computer is even slightly faster than my desktop with 12 core AMD CPU and 32 GB ram. Excellent machine. Happy I bought it.
JK Reviews21
I got my new MacBook Pro M1 two weeks ago and could not be more happy with it. This machine is absolutely incredible in terms of speed, looks, weight/size, display, and battery life - and texture (it feels so good against the skin on my wrists as I type) and basically anything else you can think of. Overall I honestly could go on for hours about every little detail that I absolutely love about this machine. A free one year subscription to Apple TV is also another little perk. But I am still mystified every day at how incredible this machine is. I've been online for over 3 hours now and its still on 92% battery. The new Retina display is brilliant. Everything is perfect. I truly am in love this laptop and would recommend that anyone looking for a new laptop to last a long time and outperform everything else on the market gets the new matchbook 13 inch M1.
T123
I don't normally write reviews, but since I spent $1500 on this MacBook Pro M1 13" from Amazon I have been very pleased. I have had it for less than a month and so far everything seems to be in perfect working order! I really love it to be honest. I was skeptical and a bit anxious about buying from Amazon instead of Apple directly, but I can say that there is no difference and it seems I got it $100 cheaper on Amazon and 2 day shipping. Just make sure it's sold and fulfilled by Amazon. All in all very pleased. For anyone on the fence about it you shouldn't be. Screen is bright, speakers are amazing, keyboard feels very nice, and battery is great!
Conclusion
While Apple’s MacBook Air shares almost identical specs with this new MacBook Pro 13, the MacBook Pro 13 offers more advantage in faster performance, battery life and running processor-intensive workflows.
That said, the new MacBook Pro 13-Inch is not a slouch when it comes to performance. With its improved keyboard, new M1 chip, and software, it makes an excellent upgrade for users looking for a more powerful and efficient laptop that is sure to last you a long time.
If you are a creative professional or power user, the new MacBook Pro 13-Inch is definitely worth your investment.
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