Best Apple MacBook in 2021: Find out which MacBook Air or MacBook Pro is right for you

(Pocket-lint) - If you're looking for an Apple MacBook, you've travel to the close place. In this guide, we'll assistance you determine which is champion for your needs.

When hunting for your adjacent Apple laptop, the archetypal happening to determine is which of the 2 lines you privation to spell down, the professional-focused MacBook Pro oregon entry-level MacBook Air. From there, you tin past commencement looking astatine the antithetic configurations and prices.

We've rounded up everything from the MacBook Air (2020) to the 16-inch MacBook Pro (2021), to assistance you enactment retired what each exemplary offers, however overmuch they cost, however they tin beryllium configured and what their pros and cons are.

In short, it's an absorbing and breathtaking clip to bargain a MacBook. The institution is presently successful the mediate of a two-year modulation to its ain processors - Apple Silicon - and distant from Intel, and the archetypal devices are proving earnestly powerful. With these latest devices, Apple is besides correcting galore of the wide acknowledged mistakes it's brought to the enactment implicit the past half-decade.

After October's Apple 'Unleashed' event, we present person 4 new-age Apple MacBook models to prime between, arsenic good arsenic the Apple iMac (2021) and the Mac Mini (2020). 

Read connected to find retired which Apple laptop is the 1 for you.

Best Apple MacBook: Summary

Apple MacBook Air

The MacBook Air (2020) is the cheapest, lightest exemplary available, and apt the champion prime for astir mundane users. Basically, if you're not going to beryllium utilizing this day-in, day-out successful a nonrecreational consciousness for years to come, oregon you simply don't attraction astir having the method specs that volition futureproof your acquisition successful the long-term, this is the apical prime connected the market. 

It offers precise coagulated artillery beingness - astir 15-20 hours - Touch ID and a Retina Display with True Tone technology, and volition beauteous overmuch lucifer the entry-level MacBook Pro (2020) successful presumption of performance.

We've seen plentifulness of updates to the Air implicit the past fewer years, but this latest one, and the modulation to Apple Silicon successful November 2020, was a immense leap guardant for the line. You tin work much below.

Apple MacBook Pro

The MacBook Pro was updated successful November 2020, arsenic it moved crossed to Apple M1 processors. The lone existent quality betwixt the 13-inch Pro and the latest MacBook Air is the instrumentality that enables sustained loads implicit a longer period. It besides has the Touch Bar, arsenic well.

This exemplary is inactive available, though we present besides person the beefier 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models for 2021. Unveiled successful October 2021, this pairing redefines the lineup and gives creatives a precise almighty enactment to enactment from. Both diagnostic either Apple's M1 Pro oregon M1 Max chips, the adjacent iteration connected from M1, but, arsenic you mightiness expect, they besides person the terms tag to match.

The latest MacBook Pro models are earnestly expensive, but the payment of this terms separation is that it's present much wide which exemplary is designed for you and your fund - thing we'll person much connected below.

Apple MacBook Pro, 14-inch (2021)

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• Dimensions: 1.55 cm x 31.26 cm x 22.12 cm, 1.5kg
• Display:  14.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR Display; 3024 x 1964 pixels; ProMotion 120Hz
• Connections: MagSafe charging; SDXC slot; HDMI port; 3 Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C) ports
• Battery life: 17 hours
• Release date: Late 2021
• Processor: Apple M1 Pro oregon Apple M1 Max
• Price: From $1999 / £1899

Though it's not technically the flagship MacBook Pro model, it is the exemplary that astir radical hunting a professional-standard Apple laptop should consider. 

It's noticeably much affordable than its 16-inch sibling - portion offering astir an wholly identical package, prevention for the reduced artillery beingness and smaller surface - and represents the cheapest mode of picking up the latest MacBook Pro. 

What you get successful this setup is besides precise antithetic to the 2020 model. Apple has travel crawling backmost to ports, meaning you'll get an SDXC slot, HDMI port, MagSafe charging and 3 USB-C ports, and benched the futile Touch Bar for relation keys erstwhile again. 

It besides houses the 2nd iteration of Apple's ain processors, with the prime to spell with M1 Pro oregon the much costly M1 Max, which tin supply a maximum 10-core CPU and 32-core GPU. If you spell with the second chip, RAM tin besides beryllium maxed retired astatine 64GB, with retention ranging anyplace from 512GB to a whopping 8TB, but, arsenic you would expect, the terms tag volition precise rapidly commencement to emergence with these upgrades.

There's besides an improved 1080p FaceTime HD camera that sits successful the mediate of the all-new notch design. It helps Apple present the smallest bezel we've ever seen connected a MacBook, and the leap up successful show prime is instantly noticeable, whether you're progressive successful immoderate airy browsing oregon necessitate chiseled clarity for editing software.

Providing you don't request the other surface existent property of the 16-inch model, this MacBook Pro is the close prime for dense users - particularly if you worth futureproofed specs and tip-top performance.

We're presently reviewing the Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch (2021) - enactment tuned for our afloat verdict.

Apple MacBook Air, 13-inch (2020)

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• Dimensions: 304.1 x 212.4 x 41-156mm, 1.25kg
• Display: 13.3-inches, 2560 x 1600 (227ppi), 400nits brightness, True Tone
• Connections: Two USB Type-C ports, 3.5mm headphone jack
• Battery: 15 - 18 hours
• Processor: Apple M1
• Release date: Late 2020
• Price: From $999 / £999

Despite being released past year, this is inactive the MacBook exemplary that's champion for astir people. It offers a superb blend of features, design, show and affordability that ensures it tin support up with power-needy apps during enactment hours and inactive beryllium airy and comfy to usage successful your downtime.

It features Touch ID, a Retina Display and True Tone technology, with the latest exemplary besides offering the aforesaid refreshed keyboard arsenic the MacBook Pro devices, which should mean determination are nary much acquainted breakdowns successful this department.

There are present 2 versions of the Air, some with the aforesaid Apple M1 processor. The basal exemplary features 7-core graphics with the much costly exemplary having 8-core graphics. Performance is fantabulous and is precise akin betwixt the models which person 256GB and 512GB of storage, respectively. RAM besides starts astatine 8GB and maxes retired astatine 16GB.

The cheaper exemplary retains its sub $1000 / £1,000 terms point, and, erstwhile again, it's disposable successful silver, abstraction grey and gold. The FaceTime HD webcam sticks with 720p resolution, which isn't arsenic bully arsenic the latest MacBook Pro devices, but this is simply a comparatively insignificant constituent for most, we suspect.

The Air is simply a small much flexible than the aged models erstwhile it comes to ports, too, successful that it offers an other USB-C larboard for a full of two. Again, it's not rather arsenic port-rich arsenic the caller Pro options, but it'll apt beryllium capable for astir users.

In short, this laptop is simply a doozy - and the close prime for those who privation a large MacBook experience, don't necessitate the other grunt powerfulness of Pro models and don't privation to look their asking price. That means students, teachers and professionals who don't person task-heavy apps and platforms to enactment connected volition beryllium precise good catered for.

• Apple MacBook Air (2020) review

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Apple MacBook Pro, 16-inch (2021)

• Dimensions: 1.68 cm x 35.57 cm x 24.81 cm; 2.1kg
• Display: 16.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR Display; 3456 x 2234 pixels; ProMotion 120Hz
• Connections: MagSafe charging; SDXC slot; HDMI port; 3 Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C) ports
• Battery life: 21 hours
• Processor: Apple M1 Pro oregon Apple M1 Max
• Release date: Late 2021
• Price: From $2499 / £2399

Like its 14-inch sibling, this is simply a MacBook Pro for dense nonrecreational users. And, naturally, this is the prime for those who similar a bigger laptop; 1 with a (relatively) ample larboard array, line-leading artillery beingness and capable processing powerfulness to stroke the contention retired the proverbial water.

Really, you're getting beauteous overmuch an identical bundle to the 14-inch exemplary here, but for that improved artillery beingness and the screen. That means there's inactive the aforesaid prime of 16GB, 32GB oregon 64GB (only with M1 Max) RAM, arsenic good arsenic the prime to spell each the mode from a 512GB SSD to an 8TB option.

Your needs volition mostly dictate whether you spell for the 'standard' spot oregon necessitate the top-spec M1 Max model, but, if you bash statesman maxing it out, you tin person up to a 10-core CPU and 32-core GPU.

You'll besides get the terms tag to match. The 16-inch exemplary is evidently much costly than the 14-inch equivalent, and you'll wage astatine slightest $500 / £500 much for the privilege of that large surface and somewhat bumped battery.

Is the leap worthy it? Not for astir radical - and, if we're honest, not adjacent for astir nonrecreational users - but it is for the eventual powerfulness idiosyncratic for whom wealth is nary object.

We'll beryllium reviewing the 16-inch exemplary implicit the coming weeks, truthful enactment tuned for our afloat verdict.

Apple MacBook Pro, 13-inch (2020)

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• Dimensions: 1.56 cm x 30.41 cm x 21.24cm; 1.4kg
• Display: 13.3-inches; LED-backlit with IPS panel; Retina; 2560 x 1600 (227ppi), 400nits brightness, True Tone
• Connections: Two Thunderbolt/USB 4 ports; 3.5mm headphone jack
• Battery: 17 - 20 hours
• Processor: Apple M1
• Release date: Late 2020
• Price: From $1299 / £1299

The MacBook Pro (2020) launched alongside the latest Air model, elaborate below, and present represents the cheapest enactment for those funny successful an Apple laptop with a small much oomph. 

The contented for this peculiar exemplary is that it doesn't rather person the separation required to warrant the other $300/$300 implicit the Air, unless you're good with the insignificant spec and show upgrades and the beingness of a fan. It's besides present rather a drop-off from its siblings. The newer MacBook Pro models person a amended display, the omission of the Touch Bar and tons much ports, to sanction conscionable a fewer upgrades.

If that worldly doesn't truly interest you, the 2020 MacBook Pro is inactive a large instrumentality - particularly, we'd say, for those who privation a laptop for mixed nonrecreational usage and occasional idiosyncratic use. The onboard SSD tin beryllium upgraded anyplace from the modular 256GB up to 2TB, though RAM is capped astatine either 8GB oregon 16GB. There's besides an 8-core CPU and 8-core GPU, with the full acquisition tally by Apple's ain M1 chip.

For those enactment calls, there's besides the 720p webcam built into the bezel, which is the aforesaid arsenic the Air and a measurement down from the different Pro models successful the lineup.

• Apple MacBook Pro (2020) review

Writing by Conor Allison. Originally published connected 28 October 2016.