The display was one of the most controversial changes Apple made to the MacBook’s design in 2021. Its contiguity was disrupted by the same unsightly notch that Apple introduced on every flagship smartphone since the iPhone X. It made sense there, considering the advanced optics needed to facilitate its revolutionary Face ID tech.
But many are still finding it hard to justify its presence on these MacBooks, especially as the webcams are only slightly improved, and still don’t support Face ID. To its credit, the notch helps Apple stretch the screen-to-bezel ratio even further, but it wasn’t necessarily bad before. Functionally, it can still detract from the overall experience in edge cases.
“By now, most of the handful of apps that had some issues around this design have been updated, but there are still outliers here and there,” says ArsTechnica’s Samuel Axon. “Those are the exception rather than the rule, though, so I believe most people will get used to the notch quickly.”
Other design changes made to the previous lineup persist here, including the return of MagSafe and the unceremonious dismissal of the Touch Bar — some folks liked it, some didn’t. Judging by its absence, its detractors are clearly a sizable majority.
