Apple 14″ MacBook Pro (2021)
The last personal laptop that I have was in 2008, the Apple 15.4″ MacBook Pro 2.53GHz (Late 2008). I used it during my university days. Since graduating in 2010, I have used my work laptop most of the time.
When this MacBook Pro started to spoil parts by parts in 2016, I threw it away and switched to Li Xiang’s hand-me-down Apple 13″ MacBook Pro Retina (Early 2015), and I have been using it since then.
It has been 14 years, and I think it’s time for me to get my own personal laptop again. So I chose the base model Apple 14″ MacBook Pro (2021) which retails for S$2,999.
I got it for S$2,548.74 under Apple’s Friends & Family EPP Order, which is about a 16% discount because my brother’s friend was leaving Apple then.
I initially wanted the Apple MacBook Air M2, but if I waited, I would have to forgo the EPP discount as it was my brother’s friend last week at Apple. So I decided to get the Apple 14″ MacBook Pro M1 Pro.
Because for just S$100 more (S$2,548.74 vs. S$2,449), I get a better processor, mini-LED display, Thunderbolt 4 ports, HDMI 2.0 port, and an SDXC card slot. It is a no-brainer decision.
The compared price of the Apple MacBook Air M2 is S$2,449, as that is the specifications I initially wanted.
Below is the table for comparison. Without the EPP discount, the difference is S$550, which makes it slightly harder to decide and depends on individual needs.
| Apple 14″ MacBook Pro (2021) | Apple MacBook Air M2 (2022) |
|---|---|
| S$2,999 | S$2,449 |
| M1 Pro Chip | M2 Chip |
| 8-Core CPU | 8‑Core CPU |
| 14-Core GPU | 10‑Core GPU |
| 16-Core Neural Engine | 16‑Core Neural Engine |
| 16GB Unified Memory | 16GB Unified Memory |
| 512GB SSD Storage | 512GB SSD Storage |
| 14″ Liquid Retina XDR Display | 13.6″ Liquid Retina Display with True Tone |
| Supports 2 External Displays | Supports 1 External Display |
| Three Thunderbolt 4 Ports | Two Thunderbolt / USB 4 Ports |
| HDMI 2.0 Port | N/A |
| SDXC Card Slot | N/A |
| MagSafe 3 Port | MagSafe 3 Port |
| Magic Keyboard with Touch ID | Magic Keyboard with Touch ID |
| Force Touch Trackpad | Force Touch Trackpad |
| 67W USB-C Power Adapter | 67W USB-C Power Adapter |
| Up to 18 Hours Batter Life | Up to 17 Hours Batter Life |
| 31.26 x 22.12 x 1.55 (cm) | 30.41 x 21.5 x 1.13 (cm) |
| 1.6kg | 1.24kg |
The default packaging comes with a Apple 67W USB-C Power Adapter and Apple USB-C to MagSafe 3 Cable (2m) which Apple is selling for S$85 and S$65 respectively.
If you buy Space Grey, you will get matching stickers.
On the left is MagSafe 3 port, followed by two Thunderbolt 4 ports and a high-impedance headphone jack.
On the right is an HDMI 2.0 port, followed by one Thunderbolt 4 port and an SDXC card slot.
Apple MacBook Pro 14″ comes with the usual Magic Keyboard with Touch ID and Force Touch Trackpad.
