Apple got a lot of things right with the 2021 MacBook Pro, but as with any Apple gadget, all of those upgrades come at a steep cost. The MacBook Pro has never been a cheap laptop — and that’s because that’s never been the point of the device. If someone wants a MacBook without spending heaps of money, the MacBook Air delivers an excellent all-around experience for less cash. For the person who needs additional horsepower and has extra money to spend, that’s where the MacBook Pro comes into play.
For 2021, Apple’s delivered one of the most impressive MacBook Pros to date. It’s available in two sizes (14 and 16 inches), has the new M1 Pro and M1 Max chips, a mini-LED display, and a selection of ports that are bound to make any professional happy — including three USB-C ports, an SD card reader, HDMI port, a professional-grade 3.5mm headphone jack, and the return of MagSafe charging. It all sounds like the MacBook Pro fans have been yearning for since the 2016 model. There’s no doubt the 2021 MacBook Pro lineup has a lot to offer, but how much does all of this cost?
In short, these are the most expensive MacBook Pros Apple has ever released. The 14-inch model starts at $1,999 for the lowest-end configuration. It includes the M1 Pro chip with an 8-core CPU, 14-core GPU, 16GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD. That is a lot of power for a baseline machine, but it’s also an $800 increase over last year’s bottom-end MacBook Pro. From there, things only get more expensive.
All The Different 2021 MacBook Pro Configurations
![2021 MacBook Pro Price: How Much You’ll Pay For Apple’s Newest Laptop](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/apple-2021-macbook-pro-prices.jpg)
If someone wants the 14-inch form factor but needs more power, they can upgrade to the $2,499 version. It improves almost everything about the 14-inch MacBook Pro’s performance — delivering a 10-core CPU, 16-core GPU, 16GB of RAM, and a 1TB SSD. It also comes with a faster 96W USB-C power adapter, whereas the $1,999 model has a slower 67W one. Keep in mind that these two versions are just the pre-made ones Apple features on its website. If none of this sounds like a good fit, shoppers can go in and tweak almost everything about the 14-inch MacBook Pro. Maxed out with an Apple M1 Max chip, 64GB of RAM, and an 8TB SSD, you can spend up to $5,899 on the 14-inch version.
Then there’s the 16-inch MacBook Pro. Apple has three pre-made configurations available, the cheapest of which starts at $2,499. The baseline 16-incher includes a 10-core CPU, 16-core GPU, 16GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD. The next suggested model is slightly more expensive at $2,699 and upgrades the storage to a 1TB SSD — leaving the CPU, GPU, and RAM unchanged. Finally, the third model Apple highlights costs a cool $3,499. This version delivers an M1 Max chip with a 10-core CPU, 32-core GPU, 32GB of RAM, and a 1TB SSD.
Just like the 14-inch MacBook Pro, virtually everything with the 16-inch MacBook Pro can be customized. Shoppers can choose their exact chip configuration, RAM, and storage to be exactly as they want. If someone were to max out the 16-inch MacBook Pro — which includes a 10-core CPU, 32-core GPU, 64GB of RAM, and an 8TB SSD — they’d be paying $6,099 before tax. As this should make it clear, the 2021 MacBook Pros are not for everyone. These are incredible laptops for people who need as much power as possible while working on the go, but for everyone else, the $999 M1 MacBook Air is still a great buy.