The MacBook Pro with Apple silicon is a line of notebook computers in the Mac series introduced in November 2020 by Apple. It is Apple's professional notebook, sitting above the entry-level MacBook Neo and mid-range MacBook Air. , it is sold with screens. All models use Apple-designed M-series systems on a chip.

The first MacBook Pro with Apple silicon, based on the Apple M1, was released in November 2020.

The 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro models were released on October 26, 2021. Powered by either M1 Pro or M1 Max chips, the 14-inch MacBook Pro is the first to be available only with an Apple silicon system on a chip. These models re-introduced elements from previous revisions that were removed in the 2016 Touch Bar MacBook Pro, such as MagSafe charging and hardware function keys.

13-inch with Touch Bar (2020–2022) On November 10, 2020, Apple introduced a MacBook Pro with two Thunderbolt ports based on the Apple M1 system on a chip, launched alongside an updated MacBook Air and Mac Mini as the first Macs with Apple's new line of custom ARM-based Apple silicon chips. The M1 13-inch MacBook Pro is externally identical to the previous Intel model, with two ports and an aluminum case. It adds support for Wi-Fi 6, USB4, and 6K output to run the Pro Display XDR. The number of supported external displays was reduced to one, while the previous Intel-based models supported two 4K displays. The FaceTime camera remains 720p, but Apple advertises an improved image signal processor (ISP) that came with the M1 for higher quality video.

On June 6, 2022, at WWDC 2022, Apple introduced the 13-inch MacBook Pro with two Thunderbolt ports based on the Apple M2 chip. This launched alongside an updated MacBook Air, with a new design, and also with the M2 chip. The specifications of the M2 MacBook Pro are almost the same, but it supports up to 24 GB of unified memory. The 13-inch Touch Bar MacBook Pro was discontinued on October 30, 2023, in favor of an entry-level 14-inch model with the base M3 chip and two Thunderbolt ports.

Reception CNN's review of the M2 MacBook Pro was generally positive, praising it as "one of the fastest laptops ever", but criticized some aspects of the design, noting the lower-priced M2 MacBook Air has a higher-resolution webcam, larger display and MagSafe charging.

M2 SSD speed Testing by reviewers found the solid-state drive in the base 256 GB M2 model to be significantly slower (read speeds 50% slower and write speeds 30% slower) than the 256 GB M1 model due to only having one NAND chip as opposed to two. Apple later confirmed to The Verge that the M2 MacBook Air with the same 256 GB storage also lacked a second NAND chip. The subsequent M3 fixed this issue with the base 256 GB M3 model returning using two NAND chips.

Technical specifications

Discontinued

Model13-inch, M1, 202013-inch, M2, 2022Basic infoHardware stringsMacBookPro17,1Mac14,7Model numberA2338Part numberMYD82, MYDA2MYD92, MYDC2MNEH3, MNEP3MNEJ3, MNEQ3DateAnnouncedNovember 10, 2020June 6, 2022ReleasedNovember 17, 2020June 24, 2022DiscontinuedJune 6, 2022October 30, 2023UnsupportedSupportedOperating system InitialmacOS Big Sur 11.0macOS Monterey 12.4 Latest Colors MSRPUS$1,299US$1,499US$1,299US$1,499DimensionsHeightWidthDepthWeightSecure authenticationTouch IDcolspan="4" DisplaySizeDiagonalVertical-by-horizontalResolutionVertical-by-horizontal2560 × 1600Density227 ppiAspect ratio16:10Supported scaled resolutions 1680 × 1050 (rendered as 3360 × 2100) 1440 × 900 (rendered as 2880 × 1800, default) 1280 × 800 (rendered as 2560 × 1600, native) 1024 × 640 (rendered as 2048 × 1280)TechnologyRetina Display with IPS technologyBacklightLED-backlitNano-texture configurationcolspan="4" Refresh rateMinimum60 HzMaximum60 HzProMotion Displaycolspan="4" Supported fixed refresh ratecolspan="4" Brightness and contrastSDR max brightness500 nitsXDR Max brightnesscolspan="4" Contrast ratio (typical):1ColorFull sRGBcolspan="4" Wide color (P3)colspan="4" Color depth8-bit (native) with millions of colorsTrue Tonecolspan="4" Night Shiftcolspan="4" PerformanceCooling systemNumber of fan(s)1Maximum RPM7199Heat spreaderAluminum heat spreader attached on processorChipChip nameApple M1Apple M2Technology node5 nm (N5)5 nm (N5P)Bit64-bitTotal CPU cores8High-performance cores4 × 3.20 GHz4 × 3.49 GHzEnergy-efficiency cores4 × 2.06 GHz4 × 2.42 GHzcolspan="4" Graphics processorApple G13GApple G14GTotal GPU cores810GPU familyApple GPU Family 7Apple GPU Family 8Hardware-accelerated ray tracingcolspan="4" Neural Accelerators in GPUcolspan="4" Metal supportMetal 4colspan="4" Neural Engine16-core (11 TOPS FP16)16-core (15.8 TOPS FP16)Media engineHardware-accelerated H.264, HEVCHardware-accelerated H.264, HEVC, ProRes and ProRes RAWApple Intelligencecolspan="4" Unified memoryMemory typeLPDDR4X-4266 (2133 MHz)LPDDR5-6400 (3200 MHz)Memory bus width128-bitMemory bandwidth68.3 GB/s102.4 GB/sMemory size8 GB16 GB16 GB24 GBStorageStorage typePCIe 4.0-based SSDStorage speedUp to 3.3 GB/s read speedStorage size256 GB512 GB256 GB512 GB512 GB1 TB2 TB1 TB2 TB512 GB1 TB2 TB1 TB2 TBConnectorHDMIcolspan="4" SDXC card slotcolspan="4" USB-C/ThunderboltTwo Thunderbolt 3/USB4 USB-C ports supporting charging and DisplayPort protocols among othersTransmission speedUp to 40 Gbit/s transmission speed (Thunderbolt 3 or USB4)External display supportMaximum display1One external display 1 × 6K at 60 Hz (Thunderbolt)ConnectivityWi-FiWi-Fi 6 (802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax)BluetoothBluetooth 5.0Keyboard and trackpadTypeBacklit Magic Keyboard with scissor-switch mechanism and ambient light sensorNumber of keys65 (U.S.) or 66 (ISO)Arrow keys4 arrow keys in an inverted-T arrangementFunction keyscolspan="4" Touch Barcolspan="4" TrackpadForce Touch trackpadCameraResolution720p FaceTime HDAdvanced image signal processor with computational videocolspan="4" Center Stage and Desk Viewcolspan="4" AudioSpeakersStereo speakers with high dynamic rangeForce-canceling wooferscolspan="4" Wide stereo soundcolspan="4" Dolby Atmos playbackcolspan="4" Dolby Atmos with built-in speakerscolspan="4" colspan="4" MicrophoneStudio-quality three-mic array with high signal-to-noise ratio and directional beamforming3.5 mm jackcolspan="2" colspan="2" With advanced support for high-impedance headphonesAudio output from HDMIcolspan="4" PowerBattery11.4 V 58.2 W·h (5152 mA·h) with 1000 battery cycle countPower adapter61 W USB-C67 W USB-C colspan="4" Charging methodUSB-C portsFast charge capabilitycolspan="4"

14-inch and 16-inch (2021–present)

At an online event on October 18, 2021, Apple announced redesigned MacBook Pro models. They are based on the M1 Pro and M1 Max, Apple's first professional-focused ARM-based systems on a chip. The new models addressed many criticisms of the Touch Bar MacBook Pro by re-introducing hard function keys in place of the Touch Bar, an HDMI 2.0 port, a full-size SDXC reader and MagSafe 3 charging. Other additions include a 1000 nit Mini LED Liquid Retina XDR display with ProMotion supporting variable refresh rates up to 120 Hz, thinner display bezels and a 1080p FaceTime webcam housed in an iPhone-like notch, Wi-Fi 6, Thunderbolt 4, and a six-speaker sound system supporting Dolby Atmos. The M1 Pro chip supports up to two external displays, both at 6K resolution, while the M1 Max chip supports up to four displays: three at 6K resolution, and one at 4K resolution. The 16-inch version is bundled with a 140 W GaN power supply that supports USB-C Power Delivery 3.1, though only MagSafe supports full-speed charging as the machine's USB-C ports are limited to 100 W.

On January 17, 2023, Apple announced updated 14-inch and 16-inch models based on the M2 Pro and M2 Max chips. The updated models also include Bluetooth 5.3 and Wi-Fi 6E connectivity, HDMI 2.1, longer battery life, and up to 96 GB of memory with M2 Max models with better speed and performance.

On October 30, 2023, Apple announced updated 14-inch and 16-inch models with M3, M3 Pro and M3 Max chips, increased memory, and screens that support 600 nits of SDR brightness. The M3 Pro and M3 Max models replace the space gray finish with a darker space black finish. A lower-end 14-inch model was introduced with an M3 chip and two USB4/Thunderbolt 3 ports, replacing the 13-inch M2 MacBook Pro. The models also include a Thread radio unannounced by Apple. 16-inch models support charging at 140 W over USB-C.

On October 30, 2024, Apple announced updated models with M4, M4 Pro and M4 Max chips, 12 MP webcams with support for Center Stage, brighter 1,000 nit displays with a nano-texture option, and Thunderbolt 5 connectivity with a third port added to the M4 14-inch model. The baseline 14-inch models come with 16 GB RAM as standard, whereas the previous M3 14-inch model previously started with 8 GB.

On October 15, 2025, Apple announced updated 14-inch models with the Apple M5 chip. On March 3, 2026, Apple announced the updated 14-inch and 16-inch models with the M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, increased memory and storage, and the Apple N1 networking chip with Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6.

Design

The 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models feature a thicker and more-squared design than their immediate Intel-based predecessors. The keyboard features full-sized function keys, with the keyboard set in a "double anodized" black well. The MacBook Pro branding has been removed from the bottom of the display bezel and is engraved on the underside of the chassis instead. The models' appearance has been called reminiscent of the Titanium PowerBook G4 produced from 2001 to 2003. The models are available in silver or space gray finishes, similar to the previous Intel models. There was some criticism on social media that the MagSafe cable only came in silver and mismatched the space gray models.

Reception Reception to the 2021 MacBook Pro was generally positive. Online reviewers such Justine Ezarik (iJustine), Emily Young of Linus Tech Tips and Marques Brownlee praised the new design, the larger function keys, the new screen and M1 Pro and M1 Max. The Verge gave the models a 9.5/10 score, praising the increased speed and battery life, improved displays and speakers, and the removal of the Touch Bar, but criticized memory upgrade costs as "absurd" and noted only Apple's own apps seemed optimized for the GPUs.

iFixit gave the models a repairability score of 4/10, compared to just 1/10 for the Touch Bar MacBook Pro, saying that battery replacements are easier as it is no longer glued in, and the display as well as most ports are modular, though noted speakers are glued in and solid-state storage is permanently soldered (as before).

Under realistic workloads, the 8 GB RAM model suffers from bottleneck issues compared to the 16 GB RAM model. In 2024, with the release of the M4 chip, Apple increased the base memory to 16 GB across all Mac models.8 GB RAM in M3 MacBook Pro Proves the Bottleneck in Real-World Tests, MacRumors 2023 Nov 10.

Technical specifications Discontinued Current

M1 Pro and M1 Max models

Model14-inch, 202116-inch, 2021Basic infoHardware stringsMacBookPro18,3MacBookPro18,4MacBookPro18,1MacBookPro18,2Model numberA2442A2485Part numberMKGP3, MKGR3Build-to-orderMKGQ3, MKGR3Build-to-orderMK183, MK1E3MK193, MK1F3Build-to-orderMK1A3, MK1H3DateAnnouncedOctober 18, 2021ReleasedOctober 26, 2021DiscontinuedJanuary 17, 2023UnsupportedSupportedOperating system InitialmacOS Monterey 12.0 Latest Colors MSRPUS$1,999US$2,299US$2,899US$3,099US$2,499US$2,899US$3,099US$3,499DimensionsHeightWidthDepthWeightSecure authenticationTouch IDcolspan="9" DisplaySizeDiagonalVertical-by-horizontalResolutionVertical-by-horizontal3024 × 19643456 × 2234Density254 ppiAspect ratio9:5.8516:10 without notch9:5.8216:10 without notchSupported scaled resolutions 1800 × 1169 (rendered as 3600 × 2338) 1512 × 982 (rendered as 3024 × 1964, default and native) 1352 × 878 (rendered as 2704 × 1756) 1147 × 745 (rendered as 2294 × 1490)