So there we have it. After roughly 600 years (okay, six), Apple has finally seen fit to redesign the MacBook Pro. The company revealed its brand new pro notebook during tonight's 'Unleashed' event, and the new machine is already eliciting strong reactions online.
Rather than love it or hate it, it seems the 2021 MacBook is already proving to be something of a love it and hate it device. There's plenty to like here, from the return of ports to the super-slick new display. But a couple of points of contention are proving hard for Apple fans to swallow. (Don't fancy waiting? Check out the best Apple deals available now.)
Available in 14-inch and 16-inch versions, the new MacBook Pro features either Apple's M1 Pro or M1 Max chip, which were both also announced today. Apple calls the latter "The world’s most powerful chip for a Pro notebook", and both offer a huge improvement over last year's already incredible M1 chip. Read on to find out what the internet has to say about the new laptop, and check out some of today's best MacBook Pro deals below.
USA deal: Save $209.01 on a MacBook Pro 13-inch (2020) Head to Amazon right now and you can grab a MacBook Pro 13-inch (2020) for just $1,089.99. That's a big reduction from the normal price $1,299.00, saving you 16 per cent.
UK deal: 20% off MacBook Pro 16-inch (2019) You can make huge savings on a Apple MacBook Pro 16" (2019) if you buy it today from Amazon. They've reduced the price from £2,199.97 to £1,744.99, saving you £454.98: that's 20% off!
The good
For years now, MacBook users have been living in a dongle dystopia, limited to a measly two USB-C ports and forced to fork out on all manner of adapters. That's all changed with the 2021 MacBook Pro. HDMI. SD. Thunderbolt. MagSafe. USB-C. The new machine offers no less than five different port options – which can only be good news for creatives using the best cameras, monitors and the like. Oh, and there's a headphone jack – which is very un-Apple these days.
Ports, glorious ports (Image credit: Apple)
I'm not a MAC guy but... the new MacBook Pro brought back PORTS!!Connect external monitors, 4K tv, camera, headphones.. I'm listening #AppleEvent pic.twitter.com/NxIqYMCrR5October 18, 2021
Users are also loving that the wildly unpopular TouchBar has finally been removed, and replaced instead with genuinely useful shortcut keys. And then there's the screen, with the super-slick ProMotion display tech that was, until now, confined to the iPad Pro and iPhone 13 Pro.
Goodbye Touchbar, the feature nobody ever asked forOctober 18, 2021
The bad
You didn't think this thing would be cheap, did you? This is the company that sells a set of wheels for $699, remember. Still, even we were shocked when Apple announced that the new MacBook Pro starts at $1999. That's two grand for the cheapest version – and it goes all the way up to a whopping $3499 for the maxed-out 16-inch model. Needless to say, the price is proving quite a sticking point online.
The last time I purchased a MacBook Pro which cost me $1299 in 2013 for top end. And now $1999 is just the starting price for the base model. Apple have lost their mind on this pricing. #MacBookPro #AppleEventOctober 18, 2021
The ugly
It has a notch. Repeat, it has a notch (Image credit: Apple)
And then there's the notch. Yep, Apple has taken the most controversial iPhone design feature and slapped it onto the MacBook Pro. And, predictably, it's the thing people are talking about most. Even some users who love the design and specs of the new machine are struggling to come to terms with the notch, with many seeing it as a blight on an otherwise perfect-looking MacBook. And we can't help but agree – it certainly stands out. But hey, we got used to it on our iPhone, maybe we can learn to live with it on the Mac.
Get the Creative Bloq Newsletter
Daily design news, reviews, how-tos and more, as picked by the editors.
So the new MacBook Pro got back the magsafe port, SD Card slot & a HDMI port BUT THEY PUT A NOTCH?????? A NOTCH ON A LAPTOP!?!?!? WTF🤦🤦🤦 Love it and hate it #AppleEventOctober 18, 2021
Here’s all these features on the #MacBookPro. But wait… since we’re giving you so many ports, let’s slap that notch right on top just to balance everything out. #AppleEvent pic.twitter.com/gy07B085koOctober 18, 2021
New MacBook Pro: no touchbar, decent port selection, magsafe adapter. Looks exciting... Notch and curved cornered screen. From looking really good to no good in quick time.October 18, 2021
Time will tell if the new MacBook Pro is destined to become a classic, but one thing's for sure – it's a device that's got people talking. As soon as we get our hands on it, we'll let you know how it fares for for creatives. In the meantime, if you want the best Mac deal available now (or simply hate notches – you're not alone), check out today's best deals below.
Daniel John is Design Editor at Creative Bloq. He reports on the worlds of design, branding and lifestyle tech, and has covered several industry events including Milan Design Week, OFFF Barcelona and Adobe Max in Los Angeles.
