Review of MacBook Pro M1 13": After 6 years of "planning", is there a need to upgrade to M4/M5?

This is a model that was born at a time when Apple changed the game: self-developed the M1 chip according to the brand new ARM structure, decided to abandon Intel after a long time of being stuck with performance and temperature problems, and killed the "oops" butterfly keyboard cluster. I personally work in the field of content creation, advertising, content writing and "consuming" media on social networking platforms. My personal needs in particular and accounting for a large part of the daily activities of many people in general will be the "intestinal" customer base that the MacBook Pro M1 13" model (I will abbreviate as M1) is aimed at.

Reason for buying the device: Looking for free movement

In 2020, the situation of being on the go and always having to find a place to charge your laptop is obvious. Besides, I am using the Apple ecosystem (iPhone, iPad, AirPods) and want to change the workflow experience between the two platforms Windows - macOS. If you are too, congratulations, we have the same reason to buy this game-changing model once in our lives!

The version I use is the Base version (8GB RAM, 256GB SSD). In 2020, this configuration is already a bit remote; By 2026, if you ask me to spend money to buy this version, I'm sure... that's a scam. But just keep reading the review and you will understand why you haven't upgraded to M4/M5 yet and still choose to continue using this machine.

The characteristic keyboard shadow after long periods of use is still there; I fixed it by pasting the skin and using it, it was ok and never had this problem again. Touch Bar: This is the last MacBook model to have this often called useless touch bar. I don't use the Touch Bar's functions too deeply because I'm used to using keyboard shortcuts. I mainly use it to fast forward videos, switch web tabs, and customize quick features.

However, it is still there as a change in daily operations, and never makes a mistake. For me, this is a nice-to-have feature.

Trackpad: Swiping, app switching, and page scrolling tasks are extremely well optimized by macOS. Combined with solid, high-end build quality, experience and you will understand why people "divine" the Mac trackpad so much. However, tasks that require high precision such as video editing or complex spreadsheet processing in Excel still require a separate mouse. Trying to use the trackpad for those specific tasks will feel a bit tiring.

Screen & Connection: Beautiful but starting to feel "cramped"

The screen is still very sharp and bright enough for anywhere I take the device. I have never used the device outside in the hot sun at 12 noon, mostly in the house, cafe, co-working space or office. The mirror screen display is very eye-catching, but the ambient light shining in is sometimes quite annoying, you need to choose a reasonable opening angle and sitting direction.

That's it for the reflective mirror screen! Up to now, the 13" size is no longer enough as devices increasingly have larger screens. When I return to the office or at home, I often connect an additional 27" 4K expansion screen to resolve the display space. Just need a Type-C cable to support image output and reverse charging for the M1, it's really convenient (even though many Windows machines can do it now).

In terms of connectivity, this Base version is quite limited with only 2 Type-C ports. Because I still use many USB-A standard peripherals, I always have to rely on the expansion Hub. This makes displaying and cleaning up Each time the furniture is moved, it is cumbersome and not very neat.

Two Type-C ports will be lacking if many peripherals are used.

Expansion Hub - A close friend to Macbook fans!

Performance & Temperature: Hands-on experience on macOS 26 (Tahoe)

With the nature of my work, daily tasks will revolve around: typing text continuously, opening 8-15 browser tabs, storing/transferring files between devices, turning on chat apps (Zalo, Telegram...) and quickly editing videos/photos on CapCut, Premiere Pro, Lightroom. Up to the current version of macOS 26 (If I like it, I'll just upgrade it), heavy tasks such as video editing have started to lag on this 6-year-old machine. Because I have switched to doing heavy tasks on PC, in general the M1's performance still meets about 80% of my workload well. Lately, when running hard, I've heard the fan make noise - a sign that it's time to take the machine to the cleaners, because over the past few years I've rarely felt the fan running (partly because I rarely force the machine to work in harsh environments).

Entertainment & Battery Life

Entertainment: Luckily, some fun card or puzzle games on Steam (with Mac support) still work well to pass the time. As for AAA games, I will definitely return to PC and not expect anything from a Mac M1 Base version. External speaker: The big plus point is that the M1's speaker is still extremely impressive, not at all "fireproof" or "instant noodle" taste. Vocals are clear, bass is strong, and feedback is good. No Windows laptop I have ever experienced has provided such reassuring speaker quality (including the MacBook Air line, and of course not compared to the M2 and above models with new designs).

The speaker area is not as large as the 14.16" version but still meets the needs. Battery life: After 6 years of service, current battery capacity is 86%. It's no longer enough for a full day of continuous try-hard work, but it still balances out well between morning and afternoon sessions. In fact, whenever I have free time or when I rest, I plug in the charger, so it will probably be another year before I consider replacing the battery... or changing the device!

Some side experiences (Desserts)

Webcam: Fireproof level, does not have beauty or super sharp features but fulfills the role of making clear video calls. Now you can even use your iPhone as a very convenient webcam.

Touch ID: Super convenient and sensitive. It simplifies password management from opening the device, entering an account to making online payments. No need for Face ID (but it's fine to have) Weight & Finish: Comfortable, sturdy grip. If you want something lighter, you can choose the MacBook Air or the newly launched Neo series. The metal case is very cool and smooth to the touch, but extremely afraid of dents upon impact. If possible, you should apply skin or use a transparent case to protect it.

Aluminum feels really nice to the touch, but if you're not careful, it can easily dent/crumb.

Summary

In general, if your needs are similar to mine, or just revolve around light office, study and entertainment tasks, MacBook is still a very reasonable choice to invest in for the next 3-5 years. I myself have "larger" devices for specific tasks, so the M1 simply supports and complements the workflow. If I change to a newer version, my current M1 must be seriously damaged to have an "excuse" to change to the 14" model. At the present time, unless you receive a gift from a relative or friend or get a very good price, choose M1. More peace of mind right now is the versions using M3 Chip or higher with 16GB RAM and 512GB SSD starting from now. That will ensure long-term compatibility with future OS updates as well as future upgrades. #reviewmacbook