14″ MacBook Pro Unboxing and First Impressions

Introduction

This article shares my first impressions of unboxing the 14″ MacBook Pro with an M1 Pro chip, 16GB RAM, and 512 GB SSD. Unlike the 16″, which I already unboxed, this unit is not mine. It was generously provided by a family member who, like me, also waited 10 more weeks to get his machine after ordering in February this year.

Box

Relatively light, the box is more than 90% fiber-based. 14″ MacBook Pro weighs only 3.5 pounds compared to its bigger brother’s 4.7 or 4.8. You don’t need a knife to open either of their boxes since they both have a nylon pull tab on the side. Everything is wrapped in paper, not plastic, like in the early 2000s to mid-2010s. Overall the packing feels highly premium. On the top, inside the box, you get the laptop itself; the power supply is underneath, along with the documentation and some Apple stickers.

Stickers

Like with the 16″, you also get black stickers with this 14″ MacBook Pro. Hence Apple considers it a pro-level machine since only their highest-end products get black stickers, excluding AirPods Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max.

Charger

Unlike the 16″, which comes with a bigger 140W charger, this includes a 96 or 67, depending on the specs. The 10-core gets 96, and the 8-core, which I review, gets the smaller 67. Either way, the charger is Magsafe to USB C, somewhat similar to the older models.

Connector Color

Contemplating the space grey 14″ Mac Book Pro, I still believe Apple should have made the connector the same color as they eventually did for their M2 line. At the end of the day, it is what it is. And I don’t think the owner will pay too much attention to it anyway. Like the 16″, the power adapter has a braided cable, which feels very premium, promising it will last longer.

Battery

According to Apple, the battery is significantly improved. This 70-watt-hour lithium-polymer battery lasts up to 17 hours of video playback and about 11 hours of web browsing.

Display and Ports

The 16″ and 14″ MacBook Pro have identical basic features; this includes the stunning liquid retina XDR display with a resolution of 3024 x 1964 and a pixel density of 254 PPI. The same is capable of supporting up to 1000 nits brightness.

Less Need For Dongles

Like the 16″, the 14″ Mac Book Pro also reduces the need for dongles. On the left, its ports are a MagSafe charger, two thunderbolt-4 USB C, and a headphone jack; on the right, there’s an SD card slot, another thunderbolt 4 USB C, and one HDMI port. Feeling very satisfying, the MagSafe snaps every time it is connected. As a content creator, I am happy that Apple returned the SD card reader, even on the smaller model. I missed that on my old Mac since it stopped working a few years ago after an update.

Specs

Unlike in previous years, the 2021 14′ MacBook Pro can be specced similarly to the 16′. The base model I review has 8-core CPU, 14-core GPU, 16GB Ram, and 512GB SSD. The owner is not a content creator or programmer, so the configuration is more than enough. In fact, I advised him this would be an overkill for daily tasks and plain writing, but he insisted on getting the machine.

Chassis and Portability

Slightly less thick than the 16″, the 14″ MacBook Pro has a height of 0.61 inches. It feels equally premium but less beefy and quite comfortable in my hands. Needless to say, it’s the clear winner regarding portability.

Less Need For Dongles

The flat design and rounded edges are just as great as the 16′, and the new feet seem more solid than the previous models. The logos on the top and bottom panels are gorgeous, complimenting the color and materials. I am glad Apple removed the MacBook Pro logo from the screen, engraving it more extensively on the bottom panel. Besides contributing to a less distracting screen, that makes the bottom of the laptop super dope, just in case, you look at it.

Cooling

Unlike previous models, this 14″ MacBook Pro’s ventilation is no longer on the back but on the sides. Apple’s advanced thermal system improves airflow by 50%, even at lower fan speeds. And due to the efficiency of the M1 chip, the fans rarely turn on.

Color

Now that I unboxed this 14″ MacBook Pro and my 16″, I have no doubts I prefer the space grey. Sleek, professional, and futuristic, the darker metal looks gorgeous and techy. Its dimmed and subtle contrast creates inspiring associations, inviting you to do your best work.

Sound and Speakers

Coming from a 2012 model, I cannot express my satisfaction with this MacBook’s speakers. The best I have ever heard on a laptop, they pack tons of punch, providing full and rich sound with an outstandingly clean low end. Truth be told, the speakers made me rediscover the mixes of some of my tracks, such as how great at capturing my voice my Apollo and Neumann really are.

Keyboard and Trackpad

Like on my 16″, I love how the all-black keys contrast with the subtle space grey. Typing on this keyboard feels very good, almost identical to my old Mac. I am pleased that Apple got rid of the butterfly keyboard, which wasn’t their brightest invention, to say the least. Slightly smaller than the 16″, the 14″ MacBook Pro trackpad is exceedingly responsive, and I find it a perfect fit for my hands since its size is closer to that of my older Mac.

Final Words

Overall I think this is an excellent purchase for productivity, browsing the web, and light content creation, especially if you move around, travel a lot, or prefer cafes for work. I’m sure the owner will be delighted with the machine, just as I am with my 16″.

The previous Mac I recommended to him still works flawlessly 12 years later…