I wanted to share a few things I've noticed and some of my opinions on the new 14" MacBook Pro (base model) after using it for the past few days. I'm using it for general computer use, web browsing, watching YouTube and Netflix, FaceTime and Teams calls, sending emails, and random other things that generally aren't resource intensive. I'm coming from using a 2019 16" MacBook Pro.
Display
- The display is all around excellent. In SDR use cases it doesn't get any noticeably brighter than the previous MacBook models, but in HDR videos it gets extremely bright especially in highlights. This is apparent even if you have a YouTube HDR video on that isn't taking up the entire display. Blacks are deep and blooming is essentially not noticeable. I still think OLED is a superior technology to mini-LED as the colors tend to pop in a way that a LED display can't, but in this case I think the mini-LED was the best option to go with on a laptop where burn-in can be a concern with static elements like the dock.
- Promotion is great, even moving windows around is super smooth. Once you go 120hz it's really hard to go back to anything less.
Processor
- I haven't done anything process intensive yet like all the reviewers are trying to do with video editing render times and artificial benchmarks. Personally, I think that method of testing has it's use, but there's other important things to look at as well. For example, on an hour+ FaceTime call while having Discord open in the background, the computer isn't even warm to the touch. On my 16" Pro, the area under the screen would be very warm. Even after the 12.0.1 update not only did I not hear the fans turn on, but it wasn't even warm. You can easily place this laptop on your lap or on a bed with restricted airflow and not have any issue doing light tasks.
- Apps are very fast to open and highly responsive. It feels like a modern iPhone with no slow downs whatsoever and you can easily switch between and open and close app after app and have it run completely buttery smooth.
Keyboard
- Feels the same as the previous gen 16" to me, which is a good thing. The black anodized background looks better in person and now to me the old models look dated without the black keyboard.
Speakers
- Sounds about the same as the previous gen 16", maybe slightly more bass and better clarity. They're excellent, and not only for a laptop speaker but for a speaker in general. There's really no reason to use external speakers unless you have a use case that you'd need them to be louder or have a specific task.
Camera
- Better than the 720p camera from previous gen but still bad. I see no reason why they couldn't fit the iPhone 13 front camera in it.
Size and weight
- The size is perfect. I always felt the 13" was a little cramped, it's probably more of an illusion than anything but the 14" doesn't feel cramped at-all. I feel like it's the perfect size between being portable but also useful at the same time. The extra thickness is non-noticeable since it's essentially the same thickness as previous models just without the tapered edges. Weight is fine, it isn't something worth thinking about.
Design
- Love the squared off design and flat lid compared to the old one which now looks like a bubble.
Headphone Jack
- The adaptive voltage output helps to keep the noise floor for IEMs low. With my Audeze iSines the audio is good and there's no noticeable buzzing. They can also power my HD6XX well, and they're completely fine to use. I still think the 6XX sounds better plugged into my Asgard 3 amp with the 4490 DAC, but it for anything but critical listening it's totally fine. If you have high-end planars I'd probably still depend on an external amp.
Misc Thoughts
- To be real the notch is there for 1 reason and 1 reason only and that's branding. I'm assuming that's why they took the MacBook Pro text off from the bottom of the display, since it's easily recognizable now with the notch. I don't mind it, really at-all, it just fades away and you don't notice or think about it. They should have added FaceID to justify having the notch, there's really no excuse not to.
- The rounded off top of the display but the squared off bottom of the display looks a little awkward if you notice it.
- Battery life is excellent and with regular use I'm getting full-day battery life.
- 1TB should be standard and 32gb of memory should be a cheaper upgrade than it is.
- Why no HDMI 2.1? 4K 120hz isn't possible via the HDMI 2.0 port.
Summary
I'll keep this short and to the point. The 14" MacBook Pro is exactly what a modern laptop should be: instantly responsive, no slowdowns, modern design, fantastic HDR display, incredible speakers, runs silent, and never gets hot with everyday tasks. Improvements could be made to include FaceID, the 4K webcam from the iPhone 13, and HDMI 2.1.
Display
- The display is all around excellent. In SDR use cases it doesn't get any noticeably brighter than the previous MacBook models, but in HDR videos it gets extremely bright especially in highlights. This is apparent even if you have a YouTube HDR video on that isn't taking up the entire display. Blacks are deep and blooming is essentially not noticeable. I still think OLED is a superior technology to mini-LED as the colors tend to pop in a way that a LED display can't, but in this case I think the mini-LED was the best option to go with on a laptop where burn-in can be a concern with static elements like the dock.
- Promotion is great, even moving windows around is super smooth. Once you go 120hz it's really hard to go back to anything less.
Processor
- I haven't done anything process intensive yet like all the reviewers are trying to do with video editing render times and artificial benchmarks. Personally, I think that method of testing has it's use, but there's other important things to look at as well. For example, on an hour+ FaceTime call while having Discord open in the background, the computer isn't even warm to the touch. On my 16" Pro, the area under the screen would be very warm. Even after the 12.0.1 update not only did I not hear the fans turn on, but it wasn't even warm. You can easily place this laptop on your lap or on a bed with restricted airflow and not have any issue doing light tasks.
- Apps are very fast to open and highly responsive. It feels like a modern iPhone with no slow downs whatsoever and you can easily switch between and open and close app after app and have it run completely buttery smooth.
Keyboard
- Feels the same as the previous gen 16" to me, which is a good thing. The black anodized background looks better in person and now to me the old models look dated without the black keyboard.
Speakers
- Sounds about the same as the previous gen 16", maybe slightly more bass and better clarity. They're excellent, and not only for a laptop speaker but for a speaker in general. There's really no reason to use external speakers unless you have a use case that you'd need them to be louder or have a specific task.
Camera
- Better than the 720p camera from previous gen but still bad. I see no reason why they couldn't fit the iPhone 13 front camera in it.
Size and weight
- The size is perfect. I always felt the 13" was a little cramped, it's probably more of an illusion than anything but the 14" doesn't feel cramped at-all. I feel like it's the perfect size between being portable but also useful at the same time. The extra thickness is non-noticeable since it's essentially the same thickness as previous models just without the tapered edges. Weight is fine, it isn't something worth thinking about.
Design
- Love the squared off design and flat lid compared to the old one which now looks like a bubble.
Headphone Jack
- The adaptive voltage output helps to keep the noise floor for IEMs low. With my Audeze iSines the audio is good and there's no noticeable buzzing. They can also power my HD6XX well, and they're completely fine to use. I still think the 6XX sounds better plugged into my Asgard 3 amp with the 4490 DAC, but it for anything but critical listening it's totally fine. If you have high-end planars I'd probably still depend on an external amp.
Misc Thoughts
- To be real the notch is there for 1 reason and 1 reason only and that's branding. I'm assuming that's why they took the MacBook Pro text off from the bottom of the display, since it's easily recognizable now with the notch. I don't mind it, really at-all, it just fades away and you don't notice or think about it. They should have added FaceID to justify having the notch, there's really no excuse not to.
- The rounded off top of the display but the squared off bottom of the display looks a little awkward if you notice it.
- Battery life is excellent and with regular use I'm getting full-day battery life.
- 1TB should be standard and 32gb of memory should be a cheaper upgrade than it is.
- Why no HDMI 2.1? 4K 120hz isn't possible via the HDMI 2.0 port.
Summary
I'll keep this short and to the point. The 14" MacBook Pro is exactly what a modern laptop should be: instantly responsive, no slowdowns, modern design, fantastic HDR display, incredible speakers, runs silent, and never gets hot with everyday tasks. Improvements could be made to include FaceID, the 4K webcam from the iPhone 13, and HDMI 2.1.
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