Our opinion on the MacBook Pro M1 laptop (late 2020): technical sheet

Here is everything you need to know about the laptop which is already shaping up to be the most powerful under macOS. Welcome to the MacBook Pro M1!

The new M1 processor on MacBook Pro

The MacBook Pro M1 released at the end of 2020 is the very first MacBook Pro to be equipped with the proprietary M1 processor. This was therefore designed by Apple, in its Californian laboratories. It was therefore not manufactured by Intel, unlike the models released before the MacBook Pro M1. This allowed the manufacturer to reduce costs by eliminating the need for a major subcontractor.

The MacBook Pro M1 chip is claimed to deliver up to 2.8 times higher performance than before. This is quite substantial. You should also know that this CPU is equipped with a Neural Engine. The graphics card is also integrated, for renderings up to five times faster than before. You guessed it after reading this paragraph: the MacBook Pro M1 is a speed monster. Especially since it integrates either eight or sixteen gigabytes of RAM: it's your choice.

MacBook Pro M1: what is its screen worth?

The Retina screen of the MacBook Pro M1 unveiled at the end of 2020 measures exactly 13.3 inches diagonally. Powered by IPS technology, its native resolution is 2,560 by 1,600 pixels. Which therefore gives us a density of 227 pixels per inch.

Supporting millions of colors, the MacBook Pro M1 panel also has a luminance of 500 nits. Finally, it is also important to specify that the MacBook Pro M1 screen is entitled to True Tone technology. It is the same one that is offered onthe fourth generation iPad Air.

Operating system

The M1 MacBook Pro comes with macOS Big Sur. It's Apple's most advanced operating system to date, with dozens of free apps not found in any other brand. Among them, those who use the MacBook Pro m1 (late 2020) will particularly appreciate Pages, Numbers and Keynote. Respectively word processing, spreadsheet and presentation software, these three office programs are easy to use by everyone.

In the MacBook Pro M1, there are also several paid services. Among them, Apple TV+ which is a competitor to Netflix or Amazon Prime Video. For 4.99 euros per month, it allows you to watch unlimited series. If, however, you prefer to download your own episodes to the M1 MacBook Pro, then the QuickTime Player will do the job just fine.

What's more in macOS Big Sur on the M1 MacBook Pro? We can also talk about Continuity features. For example, Handoff offers the possibility of continuing a film started on your iPad or iPhone without cutting the sound and image by sending it immediately to the MacBook Pro M1. Additionally, AirDrop uses Wi-Fi to send files very quickly between your MacBook Pro M1 and your other Apple devices.

Design you MacBook Pro M1

The MacBook Pro M1 comes in an aluminum shell available in only two colors (at least for now). It is aboutArgentetSpace gray. On the back of the screen we find the Apple logo, recognizable among thousands. And the dimensions, then? For the MacBook Pro M1, these are actually exactly the same as onthe old version announced before the end of 2020.

Which translates concretely into a MacBook Pro M1 with a width of precisely 30.41 cm, compared to a little more than twenty centimeters in depth. In height, it will be only 1.56 cm: enough to fit into any backpack without worry. Finally, if we look at the weight of the MacBook Pro M1, we realize that it does not exceed 1.5 kg: a real advantage if you take the plane with it.

Image and sound

To make video calls, the MacBook Pro M1 relies on a FaceTime HD camera with 720p definition. It's certainly not much, but will be enough for a few meetings. The audio, meanwhile, is powered by stereo speakers.high dynamic range“. Supporting Dolby Atmos, the sound of the MacBook Pro M1 is of very good quality for speakers installed in a computer. We checked it.

Oh, and, by the way: the MacBook Pro M1 also has a 3.5mm jack. Just in case you want to plug in a wired headset or earbuds, you never know.

Keyboard for MacBook Pro M1

If there's anything that the M1 MacBook Pro differs from other traditional computers, it's its backlit keyboard. In fact, it is topped with a touch screen called Touch Bar because it is very slender. You can use it to choose options in Adobe Photoshop, or simply choose an emoji during an exchange on WhatsApp.

The MacBook Pro M1 also has Touch ID digital recognition technology. This scans your fingerprint and, thanks to the T2 chip and the Secure Enclave, unlocks your MacBook Pro M1 with a promise of confidentiality regularly renewed by Apple.

You should also know that the MacBook Pro M1 is equipped with the Magic Keyboard scissor mechanism. Published in many languages, this is more efficient than the butterfly keyboard that existed on other previous Macs.

Communications

In terms of connections, the MacBook Pro M1 is minimal, but very good. In fact, it is equipped - in addition to the headphone jack, therefore - with two USB-C ports. These are Thunderbolt 3 compatible, up to 40 Gbit per second. The MacBook Pro M1 also supports an external display with a resolution of up to 6K at sixty Hertz, which is not insignificant for those who are more productive this way.

The MacBook Pro M1 is also equipped with several very energy-efficient wireless technologies, such as Bluetooth 5.0 and Wi-Fi 6.

Autonomy

Delivered with a 61-watt USB-C power adapter, itself coupled with a two-meter long USB-C charging cable, the MacBook Pro M1 is announced with a maximum autonomy of seventeen hours in wireless web browsing. A figure that rises to almost a day non-stop if you watch a series on the Apple TV app.

The lithium polymer battery integrated into the MacBook Pro M1 delivers 58.2 Wh of power.

Price and availability

The MacBook Pro M1 is probably one of the cheapest MacBook Pros on the market. Indeed, its price starts at just 1,449 euros in its version with a 13.3-inch screen, a 256 GB SSD and the Apple M1 processor of course. But this is only the price for the MacBook Pro M1 without options.

Indeed, the MacBook Pro M1 can be configured as desired. For example, if you add double the RAM, it will cost you an additional 230 euros. Storage space is also your choice on the MacBook Pro M1:

• + 230 euros for 512 GB
• + 460 euros for 1 TB
• + 920 euros for 2 TB

To finish with our technical sheet for the MacBook Pro M1, let us point out that it can also be sent to you with paid software. So, it will cost you 329.99 euros for Final Cut Pro (made in Apple too).