In 2020, the company announced that it was ditching the Intel chips it had been using since 2006 and released the first Macs with the M1 processor. Like Apple's iPhone, it runs on the ARM architecture and gives the company more control over hardware and software. This makes its laptops more powerful and energy efficient, which means a significant boost in performance and battery life. Plus, you get other benefits, such as the ability to run mobile apps originally built for iOS.
Apple still sells models based on Intel processors, and a full transition to Apple processors will take about two years. Your current Intel MacBook will be supported for years, but if you need an upgrade right now, here are the best options to spend your hard-earned money on.
Apple MacBook Air (M1, 2020)
The MacBook Air with the M1 chip is nearly as powerful as the more expensive Intel MacBooks, outperforming or equaling the scores in our tests. This is especially true when you use applications designed from the ground up for the new processor, such as the Safari web browser.
You can still download and install applications built for Intel x86 chips (the ones that are on every PC you've probably ever had). I was great at running games in my Steam library, editing photos and videos in Adobe Lightroom and Premiere Pro, and working in Google Chrome and Slack. This is because Apple has a transition tool called Rosetta 2 that automatically prompts you to download along with these apps. This is what allows them to work well with the M1 (often better than on Intel Macs). There may still be some flaws with these apps, but so far we haven't had any major issues.
Apple MacBook Pro (M1, 2020)
The new MacBook Pro with M1 isn't much faster than the MacBook Air. It does, however, have a fan that allows the processor to heat up a bit and consume more power over a longer period of time. We haven't tested it yet, but it's a model worth buying if you frequently use more intensive applications like video editing or encoding software. It's faster than most Windows laptops.
Other benefits include longer battery life, better speakers and microphones, a brighter 13-inch screen, and a touchpad on top of the keyboard (if you consider that a benefit). It's only slightly heavier than the MacBook Air (3lbs vs. 2.8lbs), but fits its size while still being very thin.
Like the MacBook Air with the M1, you can run mobile apps on the MacBook Pro. Find the app in the Mac App Store and you'll see a new tab called "Apps for iPhone and iPad". Not all mobile apps are available—developers must agree—and those that are available can look and feel clunky, as they are clearly designed for touchscreen interfaces, a hardware attribute that this machine doesn't have. However, once these apps are better optimized for the MacBook, you'll be able to pick up where you left off when switching from iPhone to Mac (or vice versa).
Apple MacBook Pro (16-inch 2019)
Right now, the only people who should buy a 16-inch MacBook Pro are power users who need a graphics-intensive Mac right now, plus the best speakers possible on a laptop, built-in podcasts. microphones, four USB-C ports, and a much larger and crisper 16-inch screen.
The 9th Gen Intel Core i7 processor (upgradeable to Core i9) is no slouch. Just know that the MacBook Pro with M1 processor outperforms this 16-inch laptop in many ways. However, the dedicated AMD graphics card in this machine will give you a big boost whether you're gaming or video editing, although it does get very loud and the large battery drains quickly when doing intensive tasks (it doesn't last as long as a 13" MacBook). pro). The base model comes with a 512GB SSD. Video editors will be happy to know that you can get up to 64GB of RAM.
The biggest drawbacks are size, price and weight. If you're looking for a laptop that you can easily take with you anywhere, look elsewhere. But if you want the most powerful MacBook, this is it.
Apple will support this Intel-based MacBook for years and you won't have to worry about potential app issues, but I highly recommend waiting until late 2021 if you need a supercharged model. Apple will likely release a 16-inch M-series MacBook Pro that will outperform this one. By that time, most developers had probably also optimized their apps for Apple's new processor.
Apple iMacBook (2021)
If you value power over portability, there's another option: the 2021 iMac. Earlier this year, Apple launched the M1-powered 24-inch iMac, which is also the first major iMac design change in years. Like other M1 devices we've tested, it offers excellent performance. The powerful GPU adds extra power for graphics-intensive tasks such as video editing or gaming.
