Apple just dropped a new MacBook Pro refresh, and the internet is doing its usual thing—half the replies are "shut up and take my money," and the other half are furiously typing "but does it still have the notch?" The short answer is yes, the notch lives on, undefeated, like a houseguest who never got the hint.
The new models get the M-series chip bump everyone expected, which means your 47 open Chrome tabs and that one frozen Zoom call will now render at speeds your Wi-Fi still can't keep up with.
Ports remain generous, which is Apple's way of quietly admitting the 2016 "dongle life" era was a mistake nobody wants to relive.
Apple keeps inching toward whatever it's calling the next big thing, and reviewers are already split on whether the upgrade is visible to the naked human eye or just measurable on a spreadsheet that costs more than the laptop.
Spoiler: if you have to squint, it's a spreadsheet feature.
Battery life is, once again, "all-day" according to the spec sheet, which in real life translates to "you'll make it to 4 p.m. if you don't do anything fun." Still, for road warriors and coffee shop warriors alike, it's a genuine selling point that Windows rivals keep pretending isn't a problem.
If you're on a 2019 Intel machine that sounds like a jet engine every time you open Photos, this is your moment.
If you bought an M1 or M2 and it still runs fine, congratulations—Apple would love your money, but you don't owe it to them.
At some point the base model will cost the same as a used sedan and we'll all nod and call it "a professional tool." The storage tiers remain a masterclass in psychological warfare—$200 more for a few hundred gigabytes that cost Apple roughly the price of a sandwich.
The real question is whether this refresh moves the needle or just resets the clock.
For most people, it's a solid, boring, competent update—the tech equivalent of a Toyota Camry with a nicer screen.
Boring and reliable is exactly what a $2,000 work machine should be. **The Verdict:** If your current laptop makes you rage-quit every Monday, this is a genuinely great upgrade and you'll be happy for years.
If you're just chasing the dopamine of a new gadget, maybe close the Apple Store tab and go for a walk.
Final Thoughts
Your wallet will thank you, and the notch isn't going anywhere anyway.