Look through the differences we outlined below and let us know which of these notebooks you’ll be going for. READ MORE: MacBook Pro 2021: New Design, Performance, Strong Battery, Price.
MacBook Pro 14-inch (2021) vs MacBook Pro 13-inch (2020)
MacBook Pro 14-inch (2021) vs MacBook Pro 13-inch (2020): Display & Design
This is one of the biggest and most obvious differences. The MacBook Pro (2020) came in a 13-inch version while the 2021 upgrade came in a 14-inch version. To be more specific, the display of the MacBook Pro (2020) is 13.3 inches while the latter is 14.3 inches. Asides from the size of the display, there’s also an upgrade on the resolution. MacBook Pro (2020) came with a 2,560 x 1,600 Retina display while MacBook Pro (2021) has a 3,204 x 1,964, Mini-LED Liquid Retina XDR display with ProMotion. Hence, if you’d consider just the display, the 2021 version is your go-to. A design change also occurred in the enclosure of the 2021 version that optimizes internal space for more performance and features. In addition, physical keys replace the touch bar which was present in the 2020 version.
Performance & Storage
The newer version of the MacBook Pro can either come with the M1 Max or M1 Pro chip. However, the 2020 version came with the M1 chip. You should expect superior performance from the MacBook Pro (2021). Take a look at our comparison of Apple’s M1 chips. You can find the 2021 version of this MacBook Pro in 16GB, 32GB, 64GB RAM variants. While the 2020 version is in 8GB, 16GB, 32GB. Storage for the former ranges from 512GB to 8TB while the latter is 256GB to 4TB.
Connectivity
There are more ports in the MacBook Pro (2021) than the 2020 version. There’s an HDMI port on one side of the notebook to help users connect to display and TVs. There’s also a Thunderbolt 4 port that connects to high-speed peripherals and an SD card slot on that same side. An SD card slot is not present in the 2020 MacBook Pro. Overall, there are 3 Thunderbolt 4 ports in the 2021 version as opposed to the 2 found in the 2020 MacBook Pro.
MacBook Pro 14-inch (2021) vs MacBook Pro 13-inch (2020): Battery Life
The battery life on the MacBook Pro (2020) is very decent. In fact, it’s great! And now, it seems Apple took it a notch higher with the 2021 MacBook Pro. According to Apple, the 14-inch model delivers up to 17 hours of video playback. This is as opposed to the 2020 version that lasts for around 10 – 13 hours. The new MacBook Pro also supports fast charge. It can charge up to 50% in 30 minutes.
MacBook Pro 14-inch (2021) vs MacBook Pro 13-inch (2020): Price
The 14-inch MacBook Pro 2021 is priced at $1,499 while the 13-inch MacBook Pro 2020 is priced at $1,299.
Which Should You Buy?
In theory, the MacBook Pro 2021 obviously blows the MacBook Pro 2020 out of the water. For a lot of users, the 2020 version will sufficiently serve whatever purpose they intend to use. Hence, there’s the question of knowing if the extra amount you’ll be paying for the 14-inch is worth the upgrade. If you think the MacBook Pro (2020) will not serve your purpose, by all means, go for the MacBook Pro (2021). However, if it’ll do that sufficiently, you should probably save money and go for it and save money.
