Apple just announced new versions of its 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro explicitly designed around their new Arm-based M1 Pro and M1 Max CPUs. Both models are configurable with either CPU and can be equipped with up to 8TB of storage. Models that use the M1 Pro can have up to 32GB of unified memory, while models that have the M1 Max can be configured to have up to 64GB. They also feature more powerful speakers and a greater selection of ports, making them more versatile than the MacBooks that only offered USB-C ports with Thunderbolt 4. (You no longer need a dongle for HDMI or SD cards.)

The last generation of MacBook Pro still has plenty of power, and for a while was the best option in terms of connectivity for Apple laptops. However, the advent of the M1 CPU in last year’s 13-inch MacBook Pro has changed what we expect from our MacBooks, a new bar that currently can’t be met by the older Intel and AMD-based MacBooks in most ways. If you’re a long-time Apple user, it’s hard to go wrong by upgrading to anything that uses the Apple Silicon architecture.

While all of the MacBooks currently available on the Apple store use some form of the M1 CPU, they’re all just a little bit different, so to help you weigh your options, we’ve put together charts comparing every current MacBook you can buy on the Apple Store, as well as another chart comparing current models to their predecessors if you’re someone that’s been waiting to upgrade. We even threw in the last MacBook Pro that included an HDMI port to show just how far we’ve come since 2015.

The new Pros have made some excellent strides in terms of their displays, with 120Hz refresh rates in all the available models, as well as improving the resolution and significantly raising the max brightness. The webcam has also received an upgrade to 1080p. While it’s no surprise that the new versions of the MacBook Pro trump their predecessors in just about every category in terms of performance, the race gets a little more competitive when stacking up the models that you can currently get on the Apple Store.

The M1 Air is the most sensible option for users that want a budget-friendly laptop. Unless you need a brighter display, better audio, or battery life, there's little reason to go with the 13-inch version of the MacBook Pro. However, this new breed of MacBook Pro definitely makes a more convincing argument for spending the extra cash.

At the lower end of the spectrum, the starting configuration for the 14-inch MacBook Pro costs twice as much as the MacBook Air, but has a larger screen with better resolution and far more ports. You also get twice the amount of memory and storage right out of the gate. The main drawback of opting for the 14-inch Pro is that it's slightly heavier and won’t last quite as long between charges when compared to its smaller siblings.

For an additional $500, the starting price of the 16-inch MacBook Pro will net you many of the same benefits, with the same amount of memory and storage to start, just with a slightly better processor. While the battery of the 16-inch Pro has more staying power, this model is easily the heaviest out of the bunch.

There are plenty of reasons to spring for a new MacBook Pro, especially if you’ve been biding your time with an older model. The M1 CPU is certainly worth the investment, but unless you can’t live without a dedicated HDMI port, or need a particularly powerful laptop, the MacBook Air is probably the way to go. However, if you’re a power-user or creator that needs bleeding-edge performance, the new 16-inch MacBook Pro seems like the clear winner — we’ll find out for sure in our upcoming reviews.