The new MacBook Pro 13-inch (M1, 2020) from Apple is the most exciting laptop the company has made in years. indeed, some may say that it wasn't hard to do, since Apple has been playing it safe with its MacBooks for quite sometimes. But while previous MacBooks made small, incremental upgrades over the years, the new MacBook Pro 13-inch features Apple's own M1 chip, which is truly revolutionary
Apple has thus created its own chip rather than simply replacing the existing Intel chip in the new MacBook Pro 13-inch (and the new MacBook Air (M1, 2020) and Mac mini as well. This move sent shockwaves throughout the world ((and hit Intel's stock price hard), but the MacBook Pro 13-inch(M1, 2020) is an incredibly impressive piece of hardware, which has earned its place in our best laptops ranking.
It also boasts the longest battery life ever in a MacBook, with Apple promising an incredible 17 hours of web browsing and 20 hours of video playback. For people who want a powerful workstation on the go, then, the MacBook Pro 13-inch (M1, 2020) is an incredibly tempting bit of kit.
The MacBook Pro 13-inch (M1, 2020) went on sale in November 2020, making it the second 13-inch MacBook Pro revision that year (there was an earlier Intel-based version released earlier in 2020). The base model starts at $1,299 / £1,299 / AU$1,999, and comes with the M1 chip with an 8-core CPU and 8-core GPU, 256GB SSD storage and 8GB of RAM.
There is also a model with the same M1 chip, but 2TB SSD and 16GB of RAM, and that sells for $2,299 / £2,299 / AU$3,499. If you're a professional creative that's looking to do a lot of intensive video and 3D rending work on your new MacBook, this option is worth considering due to the extra RAM, and large amounts of storage space.
MACBOOK PRO 13-INCH (M1, 2020) REVIEW: KEY SPECS
CPU: Apple M1 (8-core)
Graphics: Integrated 8-core GPU
RAM: 8GB Unified PDDR4X-4266 MHz SDRAM
Screen: 13.3-inch, 2,560 x 1,600 Retina display (backlit LED, IPS, 500 nits brightness, wide color P3 gamut) Storage: 256GB SSD Ports: 2x Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C), 3.5mm headphone jack
Connectivity: Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.0
Camera: 720p FaceTime HD webcam
Weight: 3.0 pounds (1.4kg)
Size (W x D x H): 11.97 x 8.36 x 0.61" (30.41 x 21.24 x 1.56cm)
As with previous models of MacBook, you can't open it up and add more storage or RAM, which means if you're thinking you may need the extra space or memory, then buying it now will save frustration later. However, that does mean the MacBook Pro 13-inch remains a pricey investment.
One thing to point out, however, is that the price for the new MacBook Pro 13-inch with the M1 chip remains the same as the earlier 2020 model with an Intel processor. So, you're getting a boost in performance and battery life for the same asking price. That's something to commend Apple on, though it may be a bit of a bitter pill for people who have recently bought the Intel model.
2020 Apple MacBook Pro with Apple M1 Chip (13-inch, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD Storage) - Space Gray
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