Review 295: 03.06.2022 at 04:00 pm by OTTO:
Apple has issued a number of new Mac devices with the M1 or M1 variation CPU. There are many choices to choose from. Which Mac is the best device for you?
In this review, I’ll help you find out which device is best for you, i’ll also discuss the M1 CPU and its variations.
Mac devices have been updated, and some of them got a new design with lots of technological advancements. For sure you’ve thought of which Mac device is better for you! I’ll discuss all Mac devices in this review, not just MacBooks. What should you do while reading this review?
In this review, I’ll discuss a number of devices and their use cases. You then have to check your needs to find out which device is better for you.
Let me start with the MacBook Air with the M1 CPU:
This is a light and thin device with high capabilities. Apple markets it as a beast dressed as a butterfly. And indeed, considering its performance and weight, it is a satisfactory device. The device is well-built and made from aluminum. It weighs less than 1.5kg.
Mobilizing it won’t be a problem. The screen is 13.3″ Retina Display, it is not huge, but it is still bigger than a tablet. The resolution is high, and the colors the screen offers are beautiful and saturated, it is good for watching content. Using the device as a daily driver to edit photos, use MS Office, Apple apps will be great with this device.
The device comes with the M1 CPU with 8 cores. It also has two options; the best one has a more powerful GPU. The RAM is 8GB, which is suitable for most cases. The onboard storage starts from 256GB, but you can choose a higher capacity if you prefer.
The battery lasts for up to 18 hours, but it depends on your usage. And now since I covered most of the specs, who is device targeted for?
It is suitable for students and daily tasks. You can also use it for editing photos using the Photoshop software.
However, I am not saying it is suitable for RAW photos editing. It is even suitable for light video editing, even if the videos were 4K. However, it is not meant for video editing with lots of layers. The device offers great performance for light video editing with short and vertical videos. This laptop offers enough performance for most cases. The price of this device is 1252 USD.
However, with more specs, the price of the device will increase. Let me clarify again, the device is suitable for most users. If you don’t require 3D modeling or high video editing, then this device is a great option for you. You can take with you when you travel and it offers lots of options and capabilities. It’ll work great with Apple ecosystem if you have an iPhone.
Let me remind you of something before I continue with this review. Microsoft has their own ecosystem, which could also be suitable for most users. You should consider the smartphone and other devices you have and how their work in the ecosystem. Android devices work great with Windows machines. The iPhone also works great with Mac devices.
Let me now discuss the MacBook Pro with the M1 CPU:
This laptop is targeted for pro users, it is a higher investment, and it targeted for users who use 3D and video editing softwares. Sometimes, we use this device here in Tech Pills to edit multi-layered videos, it is also perfect for 3D rendering. If your use case is to use Photoshop and light video editing, then this device is not meant for you.
The Pro version offers high capabilities and comes with 3 different versions. It comes with 3 sizes, the smallest one is the 13″, and it costs a little less than 6000 SAR. The RAM starts from 16GB and the onboard storage reaches up to 1TB, and it comes with the M1 CPU.
The screen is better and it comes with a touch bar. This touch bar offers lots of shortcuts depending on app you’re using. The touch bar isn’t very useful, but it works great with video/photo editing softwares.
The battery reaches up to 20 hours, but it depends on your usage, But as with all laptops, it offers better performance when plugged in. The device is slightly heavier than the Air version.
For whom is this device targeted?
It is suitable for most cases, such as video editing, light tasks, media consumption and so on. If you do video editing and you prefer a a snappy device, then this is a good option for you, it is also excellent for 3D rendering and Autocad, it is also excellent for media consumption and mobilizing. But it is also, to some extent, similar to the MacBook Air, it is also slightly better in GPU performance than the Air version, it is up to you to decide whether the Air or Pro is better for you.
But in general, the MacBook Air is a great option for most users. But some people prefer the Pro version because of the naming.
Let me now discuss the bigger Pro versions: 14″ and 16″.
These devices are meant for heavy duty. They are meant for people who require a lot of performance. These devices are meant for heavy duty users who need high performance in 3D rendering, designing and video editing. It offers high performance with the Final Cut and Adobe softwares. It is comes with the M1 Pro version, which offers amazing performance for most of your tasks.
The other option is the M1 Max, which is the most powerful. But only certain users will benefit from how powerful it is. It is meant for 3D rendering and multitasking. Both, the 14″ and 16″ have Mini-LED screens. Though, the 16″ has a better resolution. Both of them, nonetheless, support ProMotion technology. This technology enables 120Hz refresh rate. This will be great during 3D modeling and video rendering. Both also come with a top notch for the front facing camera similar to the one found in iPhones. Both of them come with ports that are not available with the MacBook Air and Pro 13″.
The ports include an HDMI port and as SD card slot. The battery lasts for 17 hours, but I think the smaller version lasts for 17h, while the bigger version lasts for 21h. But it also depends on your usage. But these devices nearly cost double the price of the first two devices.
The price starts from 2532 USD.
For whom these 14″ and 16″ laptops are directed?
They’re meant for designers and users who require high-performance devices. They are for those for whom the 13″ Air and Pro are not enough. Also for those who use it to make profit. These devices are not for users who need it for web-surfing and so on. They are meant for pro users. These devices have been great for us. It is for users who need for autocad, 3D rendering, 4K video editing and so on. There are lots of other technologies about these devices that I haven’t mentioned. These devices can also edit 8K videos.
There are 2 devices left, and they are not not laptops.
The first one is the iMac with the M1 CPU:
This is similar to the MacBook Air, since it is the entry level for desktop Macs. The design of this device is thin and beautiful with a modern design. It has a great style and colors, and the Gold color is one of the most popular with this series. It has the M1 CPU inside. The RAM reaches up to 16GB, which is enough for most works.
The screen has a 4.5K resolution, which is great for video/photo editing and media consumption. The front facing camera records 1080p videos. The camera supports Center Stage technology, which tracks you as you move around the device in video calls. This device is targeted for users with light load and don’t require to mobilize it with them. It is suitable for home work, office work, and school work.
It offers great daily performance. It is suitable for online meetings and heavy work loads. It is suitable for light video/photo editing. It is similar to the MacBook Air but it has a big screen. It is an all-in-one device with a great design. It is not meant for mobilizing. The MacBooks, however, are meant for mobilizing.
Let me now discuss the newly released Mac Studio:
Along with the screen, the price of this device starts from 16K SAR with the M1 Max, but there’s also the M1 Ultra version. The price reaches up to 40K with the screen. The CPU has 20 cores and 64 GPU cores. When it comes to the specs, this device is a beast.
The storage reaches up to 8TB. The bigger the storage, the higher the price will be. The device comes with all the ports that users need without needing adapters. There’s an ethernet port, USB port, HDMI port and Thunderbolt 4 ports. With this device, no need to worry about ports.
To whom this device is targeted?
This device has a high price, but it is a beast, and until now, I haven’t met anyone who could fully benefit from it. Even the OS itself doesn’t take full advantage of the device. It is an extended investment. This device will work perfectly for 4 or 5 years without any problems.
This device is meant for pro users and video editors who work with lengthy videos with lots of layers and effects. It is also for editing RAW photos. This device is not meant for mobilizing, and it requires to be plugged in to work. You’ll need an external screen with it, which Apple also released and it is called the Studio Display. The screen offers great performance.
We’ve fully reviewed it on the magazine OTTO before. The price of this device starts from 16K SAR, 4000 USD.
In this review, I discussed the M1 series Mac devices. Keep visit us to find out more details about Apple’s coming devices. Hopefully, this review helped you find out which device is suitable for you.
Voice your opinion about these Mac devices in the comment section down below. Mac devices are part of one of the most famous ecosystems; Windows and macOS. Each of these devices offer lots of features.
Those who like to built their own computer will find it hard to built a Mac device. Windows is better for that. But if you prefer a smooth and capable device, then the Mac is a good option. Apple design their own SoCs. Apple design the OS and SoC, which is rare in the Windows ecosystem, except for the Surface series.
This is the end of this review guys, Let me know what you think.
See you later.
Written by:
Content Editor, OTTO Magazine Manager.
WhatsApp: +212691595123.