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The Apple MacBook Pro 2021 (the 14- and 16-inch models with M1 Pro and M1 Max chips) is a powerful laptop that still makes a smart used buy in 2026, as long as you pay used prices. Its mini light-emitting diode (mini-LED) screen, long battery life, and full set of ports still compete with new laptops, and refurbished units now sell for a fraction of the $1,999 launch price. This MacBook Pro 2021 review covers what reviewers found, how the laptop has aged, and how it compares with the current M5 generation.
Quick verdict: The 2021 MacBook Pro brought back the ports, MagSafe charging, and physical function keys that pros wanted, and it paired them with a superb 120 hertz (Hz) display. Five years later, it still handles photo editing, coding, and 4K video work with ease, and macOS 27 still supports it. Buy one with at least 16GB of memory and a healthy battery. Check the MacBook Pro 2021 price on Amazon.
Key takeaways
- What it is: Apple’s October 2021 MacBook Pro in 14.2- and 16.2-inch sizes, with M1 Pro or M1 Max chips and up to 64GB of unified memory.
- Price: It launched at $1,999 (14-inch) and $2,499 (16-inch); refurbished M1 Pro models sold for about $600 to $800 in 2026 deals tracked by Slickdeals. Prices change often.
- Main strength: Battery life, with 14 hours and 8 minutes (14-inch M1 Pro) and 15 hours and 31 minutes (16-inch M1 Max) in Tom’s Guide’s testing.
- Main weaknesses: A display notch, a heavy 16-inch chassis, and High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) 2.0 output limited to 4K at 60Hz.
- Successor: Apple now sells the 14-inch MacBook Pro with M5 (from $1,599) and M5 Pro or M5 Max models from $2,199, released in March 2026.
MacBook Pro 2021 at a glance
| Spec | 14-inch (2021) | 16-inch (2021) |
|---|---|---|
| Chip | M1 Pro (8 or 10 central processing unit (CPU) cores, 14 or 16 graphics processing unit (GPU) cores) or M1 Max (10 CPU, 24 or 32 GPU cores) | M1 Pro (10 CPU, 16 GPU cores) or M1 Max (10 CPU, 24 or 32 GPU cores) |
| Memory | 16GB or 32GB (M1 Pro); 32GB or 64GB (M1 Max) | Same as 14-inch |
| Storage | 512GB to 8 terabytes (TB) solid-state drive (SSD) | 512GB to 8TB SSD |
| Display | 14.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR (Extreme Dynamic Range), 3024 x 1964, up to 120Hz ProMotion | 16.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR, 3456 x 2234, up to 120Hz ProMotion |
| Brightness | 1,000 nits sustained, 1,600 nits peak in high dynamic range (HDR) | Same |
| Ports | Three Thunderbolt 4, HDMI 2.0, Secure Digital Extended Capacity (SDXC) card slot, MagSafe 3, headphone jack | Same |
| Webcam | 1080p FaceTime HD | 1080p FaceTime HD |
| Battery (Apple claim) | 70 watt-hours (Wh), up to 17 hours of video | 100Wh, up to 21 hours of video |
| Weight | 3.5 pounds | 4.7 pounds (M1 Pro), 4.8 pounds (M1 Max) |
| Launch price | $1,999 | $2,499 |
Specs come from Apple’s launch materials, MacRumors’ launch pricing report, and Tom’s Guide’s M1 Pro and M1 Max benchmarks. Used listings vary a lot, so confirm the chip, memory, and storage of any unit you buy.
Is the MacBook Pro 2021 still worth buying in 2026?
Yes, for the right price. Apple announced these models on October 18, 2021, and shipped them on October 26. It replaced them with M2 Pro and M2 Max versions in January 2023, so you can only buy them used or refurbished now. That works in your favor: Slickdeals tracked a refurbished 14-inch M1 Pro with 16GB of memory and a 1TB SSD for $688 in January 2026, and a 16-inch M1 Pro with 32GB of memory for about $774 in June 2026. Shoppers in that thread said similar 14-inch units sold for closer to $600.
Software support also looks solid. Apple’s compatibility list for macOS 27 includes every Apple silicon MacBook Pro, while it drops the last Intel models. Apple hasn’t announced an end date for M1 support, but the 2021 Pro should receive security updates for several more years.
Design and ports
Apple redesigned the MacBook Pro from the ground up in 2021. The thicker, flatter aluminum chassis looks less sleek than the earlier wedge models, but it makes room for the ports pros had missed since 2016: an HDMI port, an SDXC card slot, a headphone jack that supports high-impedance headphones, and a MagSafe 3 charging connector, alongside three Thunderbolt 4 ports. Apple also dropped the Touch Bar for a full row of physical function keys, and Touch ID sits in the corner.
The 14-inch model weighs 3.5 pounds, which feels portable for a pro laptop. The 16-inch weighs up to 4.8 pounds, so it works better as a desktop replacement than a carry-everywhere machine. If you need more Universal Serial Bus Type-C (USB-C) devices or a second monitor at your desk, a Thunderbolt 4 dock adds them through one cable.
Liquid Retina XDR display
The display remains the best reason to buy this laptop. Apple used thousands of mini-LEDs grouped into local dimming zones, which allows 1,000 nits of sustained brightness, 1,600 nits peak in HDR, and deep contrast for movies and HDR photo work. ProMotion raises the refresh rate to 120Hz for smooth scrolling and drops it to save power. The panel still looks excellent next to 2026 laptops, and the current M5 models use the same mini-LED technology, resolution, and peak brightness.
Two caveats apply. The notch at the top of the screen holds the 1080p camera and can hide menu bar icons in apps with long menus. Mini-LED backlights can also show slight blooming around bright objects on dark backgrounds, which owners notice most with white text on black. Our local dimming explainer covers how this works.
Performance: M1 Pro vs. M1 Max
The M1 Pro and M1 Max share the same 10-core CPU design, so everyday speed barely differs. In Tom’s Guide’s testing, the 14-inch M1 Pro scored 12,477 in the Geekbench 5 multicore test and the 16-inch M1 Max scored 12,683, more than double the original M1 MacBook Air. Both finished a 4K to 1080p HandBrake video transcode in under 5 minutes, well ahead of the Windows workstation laptops Tom’s Guide compared them with.
The M1 Max matters if you work with heavy GPU tasks such as 3D rendering, 8K video, or color grading, since it doubles the GPU cores and memory bandwidth and supports up to four external displays (the M1 Pro supports two). For most photographers, developers, and YouTubers, an M1 Pro with 16GB or 32GB is the better value. Gaming remains a weak spot: Tom’s Guide called the gaming results disappointing, with 46 frames per second in Civilization VI on both chips.
Battery life
Battery life helped make the 2021 MacBook Pro a hit. In Tom’s Guide’s battery test, the 14-inch M1 Pro lasted 14 hours and 8 minutes and the 16-inch M1 Max lasted 15 hours and 31 minutes with ProMotion on, while the Windows workstations it compared lasted 6 to 7 hours. On a used laptop, expect less: lithium-ion batteries lose capacity over time, so check the battery health in System Settings and the cycle count before you buy.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Excellent mini-LED display with 120Hz ProMotion
- Fast M1 Pro and M1 Max performance that still holds up
- Long battery life
- HDMI, SDXC slot, MagSafe 3, and headphone jack
- Big discounts on refurbished units
Cons
- Notch cuts into the menu bar
- 16-inch model is heavy
- HDMI 2.0 limits external output to 4K at 60Hz
- Memory and storage can’t be upgraded
- Weak for gaming
MacBook Pro 2021 vs. the M5 MacBook Pro and other alternatives
Apple’s current lineup starts with the 14-inch MacBook Pro with M5, launched in October 2025 at $1,599. In March 2026, Apple added M5 Pro and M5 Max models starting at $2,199 (14-inch) and $2,699 (16-inch), according to AppleInsider. They add Thunderbolt 5, Wi-Fi 7, up to 128GB of memory, faster SSDs, and much faster artificial intelligence (AI) performance, while keeping the same mini-LED screens and battery claims. You can see the current models on Apple’s MacBook Pro page.
Amazon is our main affiliate partner, and it carries renewed 2021 MacBook Pros alongside the newest MacBook Pro and MacBook Air models. Prices change often, so check the latest deals.
Compare similar MacBooks on Amazon
| Laptop | Chip | Display | Best for | Shop |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MacBook Pro 14-inch (2021) | M1 Pro or M1 Max | 14.2-inch mini-LED, 120Hz | Pros on a budget, buying used | Check price |
| MacBook Pro 16-inch (2021) | M1 Pro or M1 Max | 16.2-inch mini-LED, 120Hz | Big-screen creative work | Check price |
| MacBook Pro 14-inch (M3 Pro, 2023) | M3 Pro | 14.2-inch mini-LED, 120Hz | A newer used step up | Check price |
| MacBook Pro 14-inch (M5) | M5, M5 Pro, or M5 Max | 14.2-inch mini-LED, 120Hz | Buyers who want the newest model | Check price |
| MacBook Air 13-inch (M5) | M5 | 13.6-inch Liquid Retina | Light, quiet everyday use | Check price |
- MacBook Pro M3 Pro: It adds hardware ray tracing, a Space Black finish, and longer battery life, and used prices have fallen fast. Read our MacBook Pro M3 Pro review for details.
- MacBook Pro M5: It costs more, but it adds years of extra software support, Wi-Fi 7, and Thunderbolt 5. See the M5 MacBook Pro on Amazon.
Prefer Windows? Our Dell XPS 13 Plus review covers a premium Windows ultrabook with a very different design approach.
Who should buy the MacBook Pro 2021?
Buy a refurbished 2021 MacBook Pro if you edit photos or video, write code, or produce music and want pro features without paying for a new machine. Pick the 14-inch for portability and the 16-inch if you want the bigger screen and the longest battery life. Skip it if you need the longest possible software support, plan to game, or want a light laptop for email and browsing; a MacBook Air suits that better. Add a protective hard shell case to keep a used unit looking good.
Frequently asked questions
Is the MacBook Pro 2021 still supported by macOS?
Yes, the MacBook Pro 2021 still receives macOS updates, and Apple’s macOS 27 compatibility list includes every Apple silicon MacBook Pro. Apple hasn’t announced when M1 support will end.
Should I get the M1 Pro or M1 Max?
Most buyers should get the M1 Pro, because the M1 Pro and M1 Max share the same CPU performance. Choose the M1 Max only for heavy GPU work such as 3D rendering or 8K video, or if you need more than two external displays.
How much should I pay for a used MacBook Pro 2021?
A fair price for a refurbished 14-inch MacBook Pro 2021 with an M1 Pro is roughly $600 to $700 in 2026, based on deals tracked by Slickdeals. The 16-inch M1 Pro models sold for under $800, and M1 Max models cost more.
What replaced the MacBook Pro 2021?
The M2 Pro and M2 Max MacBook Pro replaced the MacBook Pro 2021 in January 2023. Apple’s current models use the M5, M5 Pro, and M5 Max chips.
Final verdict
The 2021 MacBook Pro fixed nearly everything pros disliked about earlier models, and its display, battery life, and ports still impress in 2026. Newer M5 models are faster and will get support for longer, but a refurbished M1 Pro at $600 to $800 delivers most of that experience for a fraction of the price. Check battery health, get 16GB of memory or more, and you’ll have a laptop that still feels fast. Check the current MacBook Pro 2021 price on Amazon.