When Apple launched its first wave of Apple Silicon Macs, it redefined what a high-performance, battery-efficient laptop could look like. And among those early flagships was the 2021 16-inch MacBook Pro with the M1 Pro chip—a machine that promised power, portability (sort of), and all-day battery life. I’ve used this very model as my daily driver since mid-2022, editing videos, traveling across countries, and producing countless hours of content.
Now that the M4 MacBook Pros are here in 2025, it’s finally time to ask—should you upgrade? Or is the M1 Pro model still holding its ground?
Let’s dive into this brutally honest, long-term review. Along the way, I’ll share personal insights, performance benchmarks, regrets, and whether I’d do anything differently.
🧳 Choosing Between the 14-inch and 16-inch: My First Big Mistake
Let’s start at the beginning—why did I go for the 16-inch MacBook Pro in 2021?
✈️ The Reason: Battery Life
I was coming off a miserable experience with a 2018 Intel MacBook Pro with the dreaded butterfly keyboard and abysmal battery. I wanted something that would last hours on planes and trains without the charger.
⚖️ The Reality: It’s a Tank
At 2.1 kg (4.6 lbs), this MacBook feels like lugging around a juvenile Virginia opossum. Sure, the battery life is phenomenal, but portability takes a hit.
If I were buying today, I’d 100% go with the 14-inch model. With Apple Silicon’s efficiency, even the smaller battery performs circles around most Intel machines.
🔋 Battery Health After 2.5 Years — Surprisingly Good
Despite frequent use, my battery is still at 97% capacity with only 83 charge cycles.
This is helped by:
- macOS’s built-in battery preservation, which holds charge at 80% when plugged in for long periods.
- My typical setup: plugged into an external monitor most of the time.
💡 Tip: If you’re mostly desk-bound, enable battery health management. It works.
⌨️ Build Quality & Wear and Tear
After daily use for nearly three years, how’s the hardware holding up?
👇 Keyboard
- Matte finish worn away on commonly used keys (typical finger grease).
- No double-press issues or ghosting.
- Still responsive and snappy—far better than the old butterfly keyboard.
🖥️ Screen & Speakers
- No speaker degradation or display yellowing.
- The Notch is still an odd choice—especially since Face ID still doesn’t exist on macOS.
- But you get used to it, especially when you’re plugged into an external monitor.
🧼 Overall
- Silver color helps hide scratches (much better than Space Gray).
- Screen coating has not degraded from keyboard oil transfer—a common issue in older MacBook models.
💾 Performance: M1 Pro in 2025 — Still Holding Up
⚙️ My Specs:
- 16GB RAM
- 512GB SSD
- M1 Pro 10-core CPU / 16-core GPU
While that might seem modest by 2025 standards, it’s been shockingly capable.
🎬 Workload:
- Heavy video editing in Premiere Pro
- 4K–6K source footage
- Multiple layers and nested sequences
🧠 Bottlenecks:
- RAM is the main limitation: macOS pages a lot when editing large timelines.
- Occasional slowdowns happen, but heat is minimal and fans rarely kick in.
- Rendering/exporting times are decent—even without touching M1 Max or M2/M3/M4 chips.
📝 If I could go back, I’d have picked 32GB RAM. It would’ve future-proofed me for at least 5–6 years instead of 3–4.
🔌 External Setup: The Monitor, Ports & Charging
I use a Huawei MateView 28.2″ monitor (3:2 ratio, 4K) that:
- Charges the MacBook via USB-C at 65W.
- Transmits display output via a single cable.
Even though the included Apple brick is 140W, the 65W from the monitor is enough—the battery has only dipped during massive 4K exports.
💡 I’ve never used the MagSafe or HDMI port—USB-C does it all.
🖱️ Trackpad Experience — Still Best-in-Class
The trackpad remains Apple’s secret weapon:
- Enormous surface area
- Haptic feedback that feels tactile
- Super smooth pinch-to-zoom and timeline scrolling
No Windows laptop (even premium ones) can compete. Editing on anything else makes me want to plug in a mouse immediately.
🧑💻 macOS Experience — Stable, If Not Exciting
macOS just works. I’m not a fanboy, but here’s the truth:
- Rarely gets in the way
- Clipboard continuity and AirDrop are handy but not critical
- Window snapping (finally added in 2024) was long overdue
- iPhone mirroring (via macOS Sequoia) is cool but niche
I still use an iPhone, but don’t feel locked into Apple’s ecosystem. Cross-platform tools like LocalSend make life easier.
🔁 Regrets and Upgrade Plans — What I’d Do Differently
So far, we’ve done a good job breaking down the pros and cons. But let’s talk about the regrets.
❌ Mistake #1: 16-inch Size
- Excellent battery life, but at the cost of portability.
❌ Mistake #2: 16GB RAM / 512GB Storage
- MacBooks are non-upgradable.
- Editing large projects forces me to offload older work often.
💡 In hindsight, the price bump to 32GB RAM and 1TB storage would’ve been worth it.
🔮 Is It Time to Upgrade to M4 Pro?
Here’s the honest answer:
- Yes, if you need extra RAM, GPU power, or local storage.
- No, if your M1 Pro is still handling your workflow fine (like mine mostly is).
The M4 chips are faster and more efficient, but the real-world benefit depends on your workload. I expect to upgrade next year when/if 32GB+ RAM becomes a hard requirement.
🧠 FAQs — Let’s Answer What You Might Be Thinking
❓ Is the M1 Pro still good for video editing in 2025?
Yes — even for 4K/6K projects in Premiere Pro, though RAM limitations may appear in complex timelines.
❓ How’s the battery after 2.5 years?
Still 97% health with just 83 cycles. macOS’s charging optimization is excellent.
❓ Is 512GB SSD enough?
Barely. If you handle video/audio, expect to rely on external storage frequently.
❓ Should I buy a used 16-inch M1 Pro MacBook in 2025?
Absolutely, if it’s in good condition and priced well. It’s still a great machine.
🧾 Final Verdict: Is the M1 Pro MacBook Still Worth It in 2025?
Yes—and no.
Yes, because:
- It still punches above its weight.
- Battery life is fantastic.
- Build quality and speakers/display are still industry-leading.
- macOS remains smooth and efficient.
No, because:
- 16GB RAM and 512GB storage are tight for pro work.
- Portability suffers with the 16-inch chassis.
- Apple’s locked-in specs mean you’re stuck with what you choose on Day 1.
But despite all that, this M1 Pro remains my favorite laptop ever. If you’re still using it—or planning to buy one second-hand—it will serve you well in 2025, especially with an external monitor and SSD.
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🔖 Hashtags:
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Disclaimer: This article is based on personal usage experience with the M1 Pro MacBook Pro 16-inch over a period of 2.5+ years. Actual performance, battery longevity, and feature compatibility may vary based on configuration, usage habits, and macOS updates. For detailed specs and support, visit Apple’s official page:
🔗 https://www.apple.com/macbook-pro-16/
