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Apple Mac mini (M1, 2020) vs. MacBook Pro 16” (2021) - Specs Comparison

Here is a comparison between the specifications of the Apple Mac mini (M1, 2020) and MacBook Pro 16” (2021), including differences in the chip, memory, storage, display, battery, ports, and more.

By Conor Banett

September 18, 2023 05:04 am

Apple Mac mini (M1, 2020) vs. MacBook Pro 16” (2021)

The Apple Mac mini (M1, 2020) features the 10W Apple M-Series ARM 64-bit 8-core Apple M1 with a clock speed of 3.20 GHz. While the MacBook Pro 16” (2021) features the Apple M-Series ARM 64-bit 10-core Apple M1 Pro (10C, 16G) up to 10-core Apple M1 Max (10C, 32G) with a clock speed of 0.00 GHz.

If you are in the market looking for a laptop and don't know what's the difference between the Apple Mac mini (M1, 2020) and the 16.2″ MacBook Pro 16” (2021) , we have a detailed tech specs comparison between both devices for you to check out here.

Apple Mac mini (M1, 2020) vs. MacBook Pro 16” (2021): Specs Comparison

	Compare With Please enter device name or part of it Apple Mac mini (M1, 2020)	Compare With Please enter device name or part of it MacBook Pro 16” (2021)
Key Features
What's new		All-New MacBook Pro Design - the new design focus on functionality and performance. It has a larger chassis that provides more room for an advanced thermal system that can move 50 percent more air than the previous generation. New M1 Pro and M1 Max Chip - The new 16” MacBook Pro features the new M1 Pro, and M1 Max applies a system-on-a-chip (SoC) architecture. Both processors feature fast unified memory and increased memory bandwidth up to 400GB/s, 8-core CPU, 32-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine, and with best-in-class performance per watt and industry-leading power efficiency. New Liquid Retina XDR with ProMotion Display - featuring mini-LED technology used in iPad Pro, the Liquid Retina XDR display delivers up to 1,000 nits of sustained, full-screen brightness, an incredible 1,600 nits of peak brightness, and a 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio. Better Battery Life - It delivers up to 21 hours of video playback, which is seven additional hours compared to the previous-generation MacBook Pro.

Availability	Apple Mac mini (M1, 2020)	MacBook Pro 16” (2021)
Released	2020	2021
Release Info	Announced on November 10th, 2020	Announced on October 18, 2021. Available on October 26, 2021.
Pricing	$699 Apple M1 Chip \| 8GB RAM \| 256GB SSD $899 Apple M1 Chip \| 8GB RAM \| 512GB SSD	$2,499 M1 Pro 10-Core CPU 16-Core GPU 16GB 512GB $2,699 M1 Pro 10-Core CPU 16-Core GPU 16GB 1TB $3,499 M1 Max 10-Core CPU 32-Core GPU 32GB 1TB $3,899 M1 Max 10-Core CPU 32-Core GPU 64GB 1TB $4,299 M1 Max 10-Core CPU 32-Core GPU 64GB 2TB $4,899 M1 Max 10-Core CPU 32-Core GPU 64GB 4TB $6,099 M1 Max 10-Core CPU 32-Core GPU 64GB 8TB

Display	Apple Mac mini (M1, 2020)	MacBook Pro 16” (2021)
Size		16.2 Inches
Info		Liquid Retina XDR display 16.2-inch (diagonal) Liquid Retina XDR display;10 3456-by-2234 native resolution at 254 pixels per inch XDR (Extreme Dynamic Range) Up to 1000 nits sustained (full-screen) brightness, 1600 nits peak brightness 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio Color 1 billion colors Wide color (P3) True Tone technology Refresh rates ProMotion technology for adaptive refresh rates up to 120Hz Fixed refresh rates: 47.95Hz, 48.00Hz, 50.00Hz, 59.94Hz, 60.00Hz

Exterior	Apple Mac mini (M1, 2020)	MacBook Pro 16” (2021)
Size Comparison
Dimensions	7.7” x 7.7” x 1.4” (197 mm x 197 mm x 36 mm)	Height: 0.66 inch (1.68 cm) Width: 14.01 inches (35.57 cm) Depth: 9.77 inches (24.81 cm)
Weight	2.6 lb (1.2 kg)	4.7 pounds (2.1 kg) M1 Pro models. 4.8 pounds (2.2 kg) M1 Max models.
Colors	Silver	Space GraySilver
Keyboard and Trackpad		Backlit Magic Keyboard with: 78 (U.S.) or 79 (ISO) keys including 12 full-height function keys and 4 arrow keys in an inverted-T arrangement Touch ID Ambient light sensor Force Touch trackpad for precise cursor control and pressure-sensing capabilities; enables Force clicks, accelerators, pressure-sensitive drawing, and Multi-Touch gestures
Ports	Two Thunderbolt / USB 4 ports with support for: DisplayPort Thunderbolt 3 (up to 40Gb/s) USB 3.1 Gen 2 (up to 10Gb/s) Thunderbolt 2, HDMI, DVI, and VGA supported using adapters (sold separately) 2 x USB Type-A ports Supports data transfers up to 5 Gbps. 1 x Gigabit Ethernet port 1 x HDMI 2.0 1 x 3.5 mm headphone jack	Left 2 x Thunderbolt™️ 4 Supports USB 4 (up to 40Gb/s), DisplayPort, and charging. 1 x MagSafe 3 1 x Headphone jack Right 1 x Thunderbolt™️ 4 Supports USB 4 (up to 40Gb/s), DisplayPort, and charging. 1 x SDXC card slot 1 x HDMI port

Internal Specs	Apple Mac mini (M1, 2020)	MacBook Pro 16” (2021)
Processor	Apple M1 8 cores, 8 threads, 3.20 GHz, 10W	Apple M1 Pro (10C, 16G) 10 cores, 10 threads, 0.00 GHz, Apple M1 Max (10C, 32G) 10 cores, 10 threads, 0.00 GHz,
Integrated Graphics	Apple M1 Apple M1 iGPU 8 Graphics Cores, 1280 MHz	Apple M1 Pro (10C, 16G) Apple M1 Pro iGPU 16 GPU Cores, 16 Neural Engine Cores, Apple M1 Max (10C, 32G) Apple M1 Max iGPU 32 GPU Cores, 16 Neural Engine Cores,
Memory	8GB 4266 MHz LPDDR4X onboard memory Configurable to 16GB	16GB 32GB 64GB Unified Memory
Storage	256GB512GB SSD Configurable to 1TB or 2TB	512GB1TB2TB4TB8TB SSD

Connectivity	Apple Mac mini (M1, 2020)	MacBook Pro 16” (2021)
Wi-Fi	802.11ax Wi‑Fi 6 wireless networking IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac compatible	802.11ax Wi-Fi 6 wireless networking IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac compatible
Bluetooth	Bluetooth 5.0 wireless technology	Bluetooth 5.0 wireless technology
Ethernet	10/100/1000 BASE-T Gigabit Ethernet (RJ-45 connector)

Battery	Apple Mac mini (M1, 2020)	MacBook Pro 16” (2021)
Size		100 Wh lithium‑polymer battery
Battery Life		Up to 14 hours wireless web Up to 21 hours of Apple TV app movie playback
Power Supply	150W built-in power supply	140W USB‑C Power Adapter Charging up to 50 percent in just 30 minutes with included USB-C to MagSafe 3 Cable.

Software	Apple Mac mini (M1, 2020)	MacBook Pro 16” (2021)
OS	Shipped with macOS Catalina	Shipped with macOS Monterey
Built-in Apps	PhotosiMovieGarageBandPagesNumbersKeynoteSiriSafariMailFaceTimeMessagesMapsNewsStocksHomeVoice MemosNotesCalendarContactsRemindersPhoto BoothPreviewMusicPodcastsTVBooksApp StoreTime MachineFind MyQuickTime Player	PhotosiMovieGarageBandPagesNumbersKeynoteSiriSafariMailFaceTimeMessagesMapsNewsStocksHomeVoice MemosNotesCalendarContactsRemindersPhoto BoothPreviewMusicPodcastsTVBooksApp StoreTime MachineFind MyQuickTime Player

Camera & Audio	Apple Mac mini (M1, 2020)	MacBook Pro 16” (2021)
Camera		1080p FaceTime HD camera Advanced image signal processor with computational video.
Audio	Built-in speaker 3.5mm headphone jack HDMI 2.0 port supports multichannel audio output	High-fidelity six-speaker sound system with force-canceling woofers Wide stereo sound Support for spatial audio when playing music or video with Dolby Atmos on built-in speakers Spatial audio with dynamic head tracking when using AirPods (3rd generation), AirPods Pro, and AirPods Max Studio-quality three-mic array with high signal-to-noise ratio and directional beamforming 3.5 mm headphone jack with advanced support for high-impedance headphones

Misc	Apple Mac mini (M1, 2020)	MacBook Pro 16” (2021)
Sensors		Touch ID sensor
Security		Touch ID sensor Apple T2 Security Chip
In the box	Mac mini Power cord	16‑inch MacBook Pro 140W USB‑C Power Adapter USB-C to MagSafe 3 Cable (2 m)
Warranty	Your Mac mini comes with 90 days of complimentary technical support and a one-year limited warranty. Purchase AppleCare+ for Mac to extend your coverage to three years from your AppleCare+ purchase date and add up to two incidents of accidental damage coverage, each subject to a service fee of $99 for external enclosure damage, or $299 for other repairable damage, plus applicable tax.	Your MacBook Pro comes with 90 days of complimentary technical support and a one-year limited warranty. Purchase AppleCare+ for Mac to extend your coverage to three years from your AppleCare+ purchase date and add up to two incidents of accidental damage coverage every 12 months, each subject to a service fee of $99 for screen damage or external enclosure damage, or $299 for other repairable damage, plus applicable tax.
More	Video Support Simultaneously supports up to two displays: One display with up to 6K resolution at 60Hz connected via Thunderbolt and one display with up to 4K resolution at 60Hz connected via HDMI 2.0 Thunderbolt 3 digital video output supports Native DisplayPort output over USB‑C Thunderbolt 2, DVI, and VGA output supported using adapters (sold separately) HDMI 2.0 display video output Support for one display with up to 4K resolution at 60Hz DVI output using HDMI to DVI Adapter (sold separately)	Simultaneously supports full native resolution on the built-in display at 1 billion colors and: Up to two external displays with up to 6K resolution at 60Hz at over a billion colors (M1 Pro) or Up to three external displays with up to 6K resolution and one external display with up to 4K resolution at 60Hz at over a billion colors (M1 Max) Thunderbolt 4 digital video output Native DisplayPort output over USB‑C VGA, HDMI, DVI, and Thunderbolt 2 output supported using adapters (sold separately) HDMI digital video output Support for one display with up to 4K resolution at 60Hz DVI output using HDMI to DVI Adapter (sold separately)