Which is the best MacBook for you to find out, especially now that Apple has a new MacBook Pro on the market with all-new processors and a different design. With the Apple M1 chip now joined by the M1 Pro and M1 Max, MacBooks as we know them have changed.
But once you take a closer look at the best MacBooks, you can see that one size does not fit all. There are specific reasons why you should opt for the entry-level MacBook Air and MacBook Pro M1, or spend more on the newer 14- and 16-inch systems where you can choose between the M1 Pro and M1 Max.
What is the best MacBook right now?
Apple’s M1-equipped MacBook Air is our top recommendation for the best MacBook overall. The Apple M1 chip makes it faster than we expected the Air to get, and its energy efficiency allows for a longer battery life, lasting over 14 hours on a charge. The $1,299 MacBook Pro M1 is a bit more powerful and lasts longer when charged. However, we expect Apple to release a new entry-level Macbook Pro in 2022, so if you like the look of a 13-inch Pro with the M1 and don’t need it right away, you might want to wait and see if it’s the best model to debut.
But if you want more power, consider upgrading to the 2021 MacBook Pro. Available in 14-inch ($1999) or 16-inch ($2499) versions, these powerful MacBooks deliver unprecedented power with remarkable energy efficiency thanks to Apple’s new M1 Pro and M1 Max chips. It’s the best MacBook Pro Apple has released in years, and it’s a good investment if you can stand the asking prices.
Moreover, there is talk of the MacBook Air 2022, which appears to be a higher version of the M1 model that was released last year. There’s also a recently discovered patent for a 2-in-1 iPad computer running macOS, but don’t expect to see this anytime soon, if at all.
No matter which model you choose, be sure to read our guide on how to clean your MacBook screen to keep it looking its best.
The Best MacBooks You Can Buy Today
The MacBook Air has always been the best MacBook for most people, but now it’s better for more people than ever before. Apple’s decision to replace its Intel processors with its own Apple Silicon, starting with the M1 chip in the MacBook Air, is reaping serious rewards. This laptop’s battery life is 14 hours 41 minutes n Tom’s Guide Battery Test is the best MacBook Air ever. In addition, the M1 delivers extremely fast performance, to the point that it can run serious games smoothly.
The MacBook Air’s webcam has also been upgraded, with the M1 chip providing signal processing tricks to improve clarity and color accuracy. And of course, Magic Keyboard is still there, which provides a comfortable typing experience. Dolby Atmos audio support means that some movies and TV shows will sound better than before. The MacBook Air is now not only the best MacBook for the average Apple user, but it’s closer to the title of king of laptops than it has been in years.
Read full MacBook Air with M1 review.
The new 14-inch MacBook Pro is the Mac to get if you 1) have the budget and 2) need more ports. This is simply because the new Liquid Retina XDR display with 120Hz refresh rate is bewitching. Your favorite movies and everything else will simply look better. Oh, and the new M1 Pro (and more expensive M1 Max) chips deliver faster speed than ever before, while still enabling all-day battery life.
On top of that, Apple recharged MagSafe, HDMI output, and an SD memory reader for the MacBook Pro. This means that you don’t need to bring a USB-C dongle to connect to a monitor or use an external memory. However, there is still no USB-A port, something we’re starting to realize that Apple has no plans to bring back. Other notable changes include the death of the Touch Bar (which has never been proven valuable), which has been replaced by physical F1-F12 keys. Apple also increased the internal webcam to 1080p, from 720p. The MacBook Pro definitely feels like a Pro-level laptop again.
Read full MacBook Pro (14-inch) review.
Do you want everything? So, you might be looking at the brutal 16-inch MacBook Pro, which has the M1 Pro or M1 Max chipset, which delivers an impressive amount of performance. An upgrade over the previous intel-based model, this model features thinner bezels to give more room to the gorgeous LED Liquid Retina XDR displays. Once you get past this notch, you will be amazed at its contrast and smoothness, especially with its 120Hz refresh rate.
Moreover, you will get the back ports that are demanded by the professionals. This is not only the safety-focused MagSafe 3 charging port, but an HDMI output for connecting to monitors and an SD memory reader for connecting memory cards to real cameras. Oh, and don’t think MagSafe would take USB-C charging out of the picture: The MacBook Pro’s trio of Thunderbolt 4 / USB4 ports also pulls power. On top of that, you have a 1080p webcam, triple improved microphones and an excellent six-point speaker system.
Read full MacBook Pro (16-inch) review.
The MacBook Pro with the M1 takes everything we love about the M1-based MacBook Air, and then takes it up a notch or two. For example, it lasted 16 hours and 32 minutes on the Tom’s Guide Battery Test, beating the M1 Air (14:41) by about two full hours.
On top of that, the MacBook Pro’s 434.8-nit display is brighter than the Air’s 365.8-nit panel. And on the Handbrake Video transcoding test, it converted a 4K movie to 1080p in 7 minutes 44 seconds, beating the already fast MacBook Air 9:15.
Other highlights include Dolby Atmos audio, improved webcam video quality (thanks to the new M1 signal processing chip), a Retina display with a resolution of 2560×1600 pixels, and support for iOS and iPadOS apps. And don’t forget the Magic Keyboard, which is a real pleasure to write on.
Even as Apple adds the M1 Pro- and M1 Max, the 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro- to its lineup, this 13-inch model remains available.
Read full MacBook Pro with M1 review.
How to choose the best MacBook for you
performance: If you know you’re not pushing your laptops to their limits, get the MacBook Air and get the base model. The M1 octa-core chip and 8GB of RAM will surprise you with its speed. Upgrade your RAM to 16GB if you keep a lot of apps open at once. Those who work with more demanding applications will either want to get the M1 MacBook Pro (check your favorite apps to see if they are updated for Apple silicon) with 16GB of RAM, or consider getting an Intel-based MacBook with 32GB of random access memory. Storage is quick to go up and down the lineup.
Graphics and games: For M1-based MacBooks, you can get a 7-core or 8-core integrated GPU, and we’ve seen amazing results on the octa-core version – so upgrade if you want to play on your Mac. Yes, you can play serious video games on your Mac now. It’s embarrassing.
size and weight: The 13-inch MacBook Air and Pro both feature an Air wedge shape and slightly lighter weight. The MacBook Pro (3.0 pounds for the M1, 3.1 pounds for Intel) is 0.2-0.3 pounds heavier than the 2.8-pound MacBook Air. Unsurprisingly, the 16-inch MacBook Pro — which weighs just over 4.3 pounds — is best for those who don’t mind the heft in their bag or don’t travel much.
Battery life: The M1 MacBook Pro 13-inch is the longest-lasting MacBook, posting a Tom’s Guide battery test time of 16:32. This beats the M1 Air (14:41) and 16-inch MacBook Pro 2021 (15:31) by a solid margin.
How we test the best MacBooks
To find the best MacBook, we run each device through a combination of benchmark and real-world tests, and then also use it as our main computer. Only then are we comfortable recommending them (or not) for your purchase.
We use a Klein K-10A colorimeter to test each MacBook display to find its average brightness and color quality (so we don’t just assume Apple’s reviews are correct). When it comes to overall performance, we use the Geekbench 5 benchmark (CPU Performance), the time it takes Macs to convert 4K video to 1080p.
We’re also testing BlackMagic’s storage speeds to see how fast our MacBooks SSDs are (spoiler alert: they’re all pretty fast). Next, we run our dedicated battery test to see how long each MacBook (at 150 nits of brightness) can continue surfing the web over Wi-Fi until it runs out of power.
We’ve also tested several PC games on MacBooks, with Civilization VI: Gathering Storm being one of the current favorites to play because it works well on both macOS and Windows, which gives us a good point of comparison.
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