MacBook Pro (14-inch, M4 Max, 2024) vs MacBook Pro (14-inch, M1 Pro, 2021)
Quick look
| Figure | MacBook Pro M4 Max1 | MacBook Pro M1 Pro2 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £3,1993launch price | £1,8994launch price |
| Chip | M4 Maxchip | M1 Prochip |
| CPU | 14-coreCPU | 8-coreCPU |
| GPU | 32-coreGPU | 14-coreGPU |
| Memory | 36GBunified memory, base | 16GBunified memory, base |
| Storage | 1TBstorage, base | 512GBstorage, base |
| Battery life | Up to18 hrsvideo playback, claimed | Up to17 hrsvideo playback, claimed |
| Released | 8 November 20245ReleasedIn Apple Stores; pre-order from 30 October 2024. | 26 October 20214ReleasedIn select Apple Stores; orderable online from 18 October 2021. |
| Security updates | Not available6Security updates | Not available7Security updates |
- Price
- The MacBook Pro M4 Max is £3,199 at launch, per Apple UK Store (archived 8 November 2024); the MacBook Pro M1 Pro is £1,899 at launch, per Apple Newsroom (UK).
True to scale
Footprints from above, from Apple’s published dimensions, drawn to one scale and superposed. Corner rounding is our drawing convention, not a measurement.
Specifications
Each figure is from the source marked by its Mac’s name unless it carries its own small number, which links to where that figure was read.
Body
| Specification | MacBook Pro M4 Max1 | MacBook Pro M1 Pro2 |
|---|---|---|
| Dimensions | 15.5 x 312.6 x 221.2 mm | 15.5 x 312.6 x 221.2 mm |
| Weight | 1.62 kg | 1.6 kg |
| Colours | Space Black, Silver | Silver, Space Gray |
| Ports | Three Thunderbolt 5 (USB-C) ports, HDMI port, SDXC card slot, MagSafe 3 port, 3.5mm headphone jack | Three Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C) ports, MagSafe 3 port, HDMI port, SDXC card slot, 3.5 mm headphone jack |
| Thunderbolt ports8 | 3 | 3 |
| Thunderbolt version | Thunderbolt 5 | Thunderbolt 4 |
| USB-A ports | No USB-A ports.9 | No USB-A ports.10 |
| HDMI | HDMI port | HDMI port |
| SD card slot | Yes | Yes |
| Headphone jack | Yes | Yes |
| MagSafe | Yes | Yes |
| Keyboard | Backlit Magic Keyboard with Touch ID | Backlit Magic Keyboard with Touch ID |
| Touch ID | Yes | Yes |
| Touch Bar | No Touch Bar.11 | No Touch Bar.12 |
Display
| Specification | MacBook Pro M4 Max1 | MacBook Pro M1 Pro2 |
|---|---|---|
| Display size | 14.2 in | 14.2 in |
| Resolution | 3024 x 1964 | 3024 x 1964 |
| Pixel density | 254 ppi | 254 ppi |
| Display type | Liquid Retina XDR display | Liquid Retina XDR display |
| Brightness | Not available13 | 500 nits |
| Brightness (SDR, outdoor) | 1,000 nits14 | Not available15 |
| Peak brightness (HDR) | 1,600 nits | 1,600 nits |
| Refresh rate | 120 Hz | 120 Hz |
| Wide colour (P3) | Yes | Yes |
| Nano-texture option | Yes | No nano-texture display option.12 |
Chip and memory
| Specification | MacBook Pro M4 Max1 | MacBook Pro M1 Pro2 |
|---|---|---|
| Chip | Apple M4 Max chip | Apple M1 Pro chip |
| Apple silicon | Yes | Yes |
| CPU cores | 14 | 8 |
| Performance cores | 10 | 6 |
| Efficiency cores | 4 | 2 |
| GPU cores | 32 | 14 |
| Neural Engine cores | 16 | 16 |
| Chip options | M4 Max with 14-core CPU and 32-core GPU, or M4 Max with 16-core CPU and 40-core GPU | M1 Pro with 8-core CPU and 14-core GPU, M1 Pro with 10-core CPU and 14-core GPU, or M1 Pro with 10-core CPU and 16-core GPU16 |
| Memory (base) | 36GB | 16GB |
| Memory (maximum) | 128GB | 32GB16 |
| Memory options | 36GB; 48GB, 64GB or 128GB (16-core CPU) | 16GB or 32GB16 |
| Memory upgradeable by user | No, as Apple documents17 | No, as Apple documents17 |
| Memory bandwidth | 410 GB/s | 200 GB/s |
| Storage (base) | 1TB | 512GB |
| Storage (maximum) | 8TB | 8TB16 |
| Storage options | 1TB, 2TB, 4TB or 8TB | 512GB, 1TB, 2TB, 4TB or 8TB16 |
| Media engine | Hardware-accelerated H.264, HEVC, ProRes and ProRes RAWvideo decode enginetwo video encode enginestwo ProRes encode and decode enginesAV1 decode | Hardware-accelerated H.264, HEVC, ProRes, and ProRes RAWvideo decode enginevideo encode engineProRes encode and decode engine |
Battery and power
| Specification | MacBook Pro M4 Max1 | MacBook Pro M1 Pro2 |
|---|---|---|
| Battery capacity | 72.4 Wh | 70 Wh |
| Rated charge cycles | 1,000 cycles18 | 1,000 cycles18 |
| Video playback (claimed)19 | 18 h | 17 h |
| Wireless web (claimed) | 13 h | 11 h |
| Included power adapter | 96 W | 67 W |
| Fast charging | Yes | Yes |
Connectivity
| Specification | MacBook Pro M4 Max1 | MacBook Pro M1 Pro2 |
|---|---|---|
| Wi-Fi | Wi‑Fi 6E (802.11ax) | 802.11ax Wi-Fi 6 |
| Bluetooth | 5.3 | 5.0 |
| Ethernet | No Ethernet port.11 | No Ethernet port.12 |
| External displays (base) | 4 | 2 |
Camera and audio
| Specification | MacBook Pro M4 Max1 | MacBook Pro M1 Pro2 |
|---|---|---|
| Camera | 12MP Center Stage camera with support for Desk View | 1080p FaceTime HD camera |
| Camera resolution | 12 MP | Not available20 |
| Speakers | High-fidelity six-speaker sound system with force-cancelling woofers | High-fidelity six-speaker sound system with force-cancelling woofers |
| Microphones | Studio-quality three-mic array with high signal-to-noise ratio and directional beamforming21 | Studio-quality three-mic array with high signal-to-noise ratio and directional beamforming |
Platform
| Specification | MacBook Pro M4 Max1 | MacBook Pro M1 Pro2 |
|---|---|---|
| Shipped with | Not available22 | macOS Monterey23 |
| Newest macOS | macOS 27 Golden Gate24 | macOS 27 Golden Gate25 |
| Model identifier | Mac16,6, Mac16,826 | MacBookPro18,3, MacBookPro18,426 |
| Model year | 2024 | 2021 |
Sources
Apple Support (UK) — MacBook Pro (14-inch, M4 Pro or M4 Max, 2024) - Tech Specs ·
↩Apple Support (UK) — MacBook Pro (14-inch, 2021) - Technical Specifications ·
↩- ↩
Apple Newsroom (UK) — Apple unveils game-changing MacBook Pro ·
↩Apple Newsroom (UK) — New MacBook Pro features M4 family of chips and Apple Intelligence ·
↩Security updates: no end date published.
↩Security updates: no end date published.
↩Different Thunderbolt generations. MacBook Pro M4 Max: Thunderbolt 5. MacBook Pro M1 Pro: Thunderbolt 4.
↩MacBook Pro (14-inch, M4 Max, 2024): No USB-A ports.
↩MacBook Pro (14-inch, M1 Pro, 2021): No USB-A ports.
↩MacBook Pro (14-inch, M4 Max, 2024): No Touch Bar. No Ethernet port.
↩MacBook Pro (14-inch, M1 Pro, 2021): No Touch Bar. No nano-texture display option. No Ethernet port.
↩Doesn’t apply: Apple’s one SDR brightness figure is the outdoor one
↩Apple Support (UK) — MacBook Pro (14-inch, M4 Pro or M4 Max, 2024) - Tech Specs ·
↩Doesn’t apply: Apple lists no outdoor brightness for this display
↩Apple Support (UK) — MacBook Pro (14-inch, 2021) - Technical Specifications ·
↩Apple Support (UK) — MacBook Pro: how to remove or install memory ·
↩Apple Support (UK) — Determine battery cycle count for Mac laptops ·
↩Two different Apple tests. MacBook Pro M4 Max: Video streaming. MacBook Pro M1 Pro: Apple TV app movie playback.
↩Not published by Apple (Apple states resolution: 1080p FaceTime HD camera)
↩Apple Support (UK) — MacBook Pro (14-inch, M4 Pro or M4 Max, 2024) - Tech Specs ·
↩Not published by Apple.
↩Apple Newsroom (UK) — Apple unveils game-changing MacBook Pro ·
↩Apple Support (UK) — macOS 27 Golden Gate is compatible with these computers ·
↩Apple Support (UK) — macOS 27 Golden Gate is compatible with these computers ·
↩Apple Support (UK) — Identify your MacBook Pro model ·
↩Geekbench Browser (Primate Labs) — MacBook Pro (14-inch, M4 Max, 2024) ·
↩Geekbench Browser (Primate Labs) ·
↩
Not published by Apple
MacBook Pro M4 Max. Apple doesn’t publish for this Mac: storage upgradeable by user. Pages checked: Apple Support (UK) — MacBook Pro (14-inch, M4 Pro or M4 Max, 2024) - Tech Specs; Apple Newsroom (UK) — New MacBook Pro features M4 family of chips and Apple Intelligence; Apple Support (UK) — Identify your MacBook Pro model, read 9 Oct 2026.
MacBook Pro M1 Pro. Apple doesn’t publish for this Mac: storage upgradeable by user. Pages checked: Apple Support (UK) — MacBook Pro (14-inch, 2021) - Technical Specifications, read 9 Oct 2026.
If you own one of them
Whether to move is a different question from which is better. Each Mac has a page on it: what its successor changes (the newest Mac in its line where Apple sells one, otherwise the Mac this site treats as its replacement, which can be in another line), what it fetches and whether it still gets updates. Should I upgrade my MacBook Pro M4 Max (14-inch, 2024)? · Should I upgrade my MacBook Pro M1 Pro (14-inch, 2021)?
Other comparisons
The pairs a buyer of either Mac would also weigh. Any two Macs in the catalogue can be compared from the chooser.