That doesn’t mean there’s no constituency for the base-model MacBook Pro, which remains the cheapest way to get a 120 Hz ProMotion display or the anti-glare nano-texture display finish from one of Apple’s laptops. I just wish paying this kind of money was enough to get you Apple’s best technology.
Look and feel
Andrew Cunningham
No glowing Apple logo here.
Andrew Cunningham
Andrew Cunningham
The keyboard and trackpad remain excellent.
Andrew Cunningham
No glowing Apple logo here.
Andrew Cunningham
The keyboard and trackpad remain excellent.
Andrew Cunningham
Andrew Cunningham
Ports are another selling point. On the right side is an SD card reader, Thunderbolt 4 port, and HDMI port.
Andrew Cunningham
Andrew Cunningham
On the left you get MagSafe, two more Thunderbolt ports, and a headphone jack.
Andrew Cunningham
Ports are another selling point. On the right side is an SD card reader, Thunderbolt 4 port, and HDMI port.
Andrew Cunningham
On the left you get MagSafe, two more Thunderbolt ports, and a headphone jack.
Andrew Cunningham
There’s nothing new here compared to the M5 MacBook Pro, but just in case it’s been a few years, let’s run down the basics and go over what makes this laptop different from the MacBook Air.
Though it’s now a few years old, this iteration of the MacBook Pro design still looks and feels good, particularly with a nano-texture display installed. The laptop looks and feels (and is) thicker and heavier than either the 13- or 15-inch MacBook Air, but it also comes with more ports. In addition to the MagSafe port, a pair of Thunderbolt 4 ports, and a headphone jack on the laptop’s left side, you also get a dedicated HDMI port, another Thunderbolt 4 port, and an SD card reader on the right side.
For those who use USB-C chargers, it’s nice to be able to plug the laptop in to charge it from either side. For everyone else, it’s just nice to have more ports and need fewer dongles.
The MacBook Pro keyboard and trackpad are broadly pretty comparable to the Air’s, though if pressed, I’d say the Pro’s feels ever-so-slightly crisper and firmer to type on.
| 13-inch M5 MBA | 14-inch M6 MBP | 15-inch M5 MBA | 14-inch OLED MBP | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Display size/tech | 13.6-inch LED | 14.2-inch mini-LED | 15.3-inch LED | 14.2-inch OLED touchscreen |
| Display brightness | 500 nits | 1,000 nits (SDR), 1,600 nits (HDR) | 500 nits | 1,000 nits (SDR), 2,000 nits (HDR) |
| Resolution | 2560×1664, 60 Hz | 3024×1964, 120 Hz | 2880×1864, 60 Hz | 3024×1968, 120 Hz |
| Weight | 2.7 pounds | 3.4 pounds | 3.3 pounds | 3.0 pounds |
| Starting price | $1,299 | $1,999 | $1,499 | $2,899 |
At 14.2 inches, the MacBook Pro’s screen sits between the 13.6- and 15.3-inch MacBook Air, though in practice it feels closer to the 13. And while it’s not OLED, it still comes with some notable upgrades to the Air’s regular old 60 Hz IPS laptop screens. These include a mini LED display panel with local dimming support that helps to improve contrast and lower black levels, a higher resolution than either MacBook Air display, a maximum SDR brightness of 1,000 nits and HDR brightness of up to 1,600 nits, the $150 nano-texture matte display upgrade, and, of course, the 120 Hz ProMotion refresh rate.
