Should I Buy The M1 MacBook Pro Right Now Or Wait?
TL;DR: You’re thinking if you should buy an M1 MacBook Pro now or wait for the next generation. You’re not alone. While the M1 MacBook Pro is a great offering, the M1X MacBook Pro sounds like a sweet deal to miss. In this case, the deciding factors come to whether you’re satisfied with Apple’s current ARM-based computer, or you have the time to wait for the new products to arrive in the market.
The MacBook Pro is the tool of choice for power users in the Apple ecosystem. Equipped with the latest Apple silicon, it gets a 20-hour battery backup and impressive processing capabilities. However, Apple is most likely to announce its next-generation silicon, the M1X in the coming months. And with it, we’re also expecting a new MacBook, designed to make full use of Apple’s new chips.
In other words, the current M1 MacBook Pro is basically the Intel MacBook Pro, without the Intel chip. The next generation is expected to be a new product from the ground up. It is likely to revive MagSafe, remove the Touch Bar, and add some bells and whistles under the hood. This makes us think if you should buy the M1 MacBook Pro right now or wait?
Should I Buy The MacBook Pro Right Now?
Like I mentioned above, the M1 MacBook Pro has a brand new chip and packs a punch in terms of performance. While the difference between the M1 MacBook Air and the Pro is debatable, the Pro still has a couple of advantages over the Air.
Having said that, if you’re thinking of buying a MacBook Pro, it depends on how urgently you need the upgrade. If you need a machine right now, it is a great laptop for the money, and you can’t go wrong with it. However, if you can wait a couple more months, the next generation of MacBooks is around the corner. In terms of pricing, you can get the M1 MacBook Pro at discount prices from BestBuy, Amazon, and other platforms.
If you go for the trade-in program or look for refurbished MacBooks, you can save a lot of money and get something that is practically brand new. So in any scenario, you should buy a MacBook Pro right now, and it’ll save you some money.
Should I Wait For The M1X MacBook Pro?
| Feature | M1 MacBook Pro | M1X MacBook Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Processor | Apple M1 chip with 8-core CPU and 8-core GPU | Apple M1X/M2 chip- Rumors indicate to a 16 or 32-core GPU |
| Design | Same as the Intel MacBook Pro with Touch Bar | Touch Bar likely to go away. A design refresh is also expected |
| Value for money | M1 MacBook Pro offers good value for money. Sellers like Amazon and BestBuy are offering good discounts | Will get the latest tech from Apple. Second-gen M-series chip will have processing advantages over the current one |
| Refurbished Vs New | You can get a refurbished MacBook Pro for as low as $900 from certified refurbished sellers | These will launch later in 2021, which means refurbished models won’t be available for a while |
| Choice offered | The current MacBook Pro lineup lets you choose between Intel and Apple chip | If you wait for the M1X MacBook Pro, you get to choose between two Apple chips |
Seeing a couple of months into the future, the M1X or M2 MacBook Pro will be up for grabs. If you’re not a fan of the current models with the Touch Bar, or you can wait for the future models, you get to choose between the current one and the future models.
It comes with its own advantages. Firstly, you’ll be free to choose between the 2020 and the 2021 lineup. Secondly, remember the iPhone 11 prices when the iPhone 12 launched? With the iPhone 12, iPhone 11 prices got slashed to close to half. So even if you don’t buy the latest and greatest MacBook Pro, you can get the M1 MacBook Pro for hefty discounts.
So right now, you have a choice between Intel and M1 Macs, which isn’t really a choice. However, if you wait for the M1X MacBook Pro, you get to choose between two processors, models, and price points. All of this makes the waiting sound like the sweeter deal. In the meantime, if you’re confused about which Mac to buy, you should check out our Mac buying guide.
