Apple announced its long-awaited, next generation MacBook Pro today. The new 16″ MacBook Pro replaces the 15″ version and comes with very impressive specifications, making it the most powerful laptop Apple has ever released. Sporting 16 GB of RAM, 9th Gen Intel Core i7 CPU and 512 GB of storage for a base model, the new MacBook Pro can be configured to the teeth with up to 64 GB of RAM, up to 8-core Intel Core i9 CPU and up to 8 TB of fast storage. Pricing will start at $2,399 for the base model, with the most capable configuration going for $6,099.
Below are the technical specifications of the new Apple 16″ MacBook Pro:
- RAM: 16 GB 2666 Mhz DDR4, Configurable to 64 GB
- Storage: 512 GB SSD, Configurable to 8 TB SSD
- CPU: 2.6Ghz 6-Core Intel Core i7, Configurable to 2.4 Ghz 8-Core Intel Core i9
- GPU: AMD Radeon Pro 5300M with 4 GB of GDDR6, Configurable to AMD Radeon Pro 5500M with 8 GB of GDDR6 Memory
- Display: 16″ diagonal, LED-backlit IPS screen, 500 nits brightness
- Display Technology and Color Gamut: True Tone Technology, Wide Color (P3)
- Display Resolution: 3072×1920 (226 ppi)
- Ports: 4x Thunderbolt 3, USB Type-C
- Keyboard: Full-size backlit Magic Keyboard
- WiFi and Bluetooth: 802.11ac, IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n compatible, Bluetooth 5.0
- Camera: 720p FaceTime HD Camera
- Audio: High-fidelity six-speaker system with force-cancelling woofers, Dolby Atmos support, 3.5mm Headphone Jack
- Battery: Up to 11 Hours (100Wh lithium-polymer battery)
- Power: 96W USB-C Power Adapter
- Finish: Silver, Space Gray
- Size and Weight: 1.62 x 35.79 x 24.59 cm, 2.0 kg
- Starting Price: $2,399, Up to $6099 for the top model
As you can see, the specifications are indeed very impressive. The 16″ MacBook Pro is the only laptop on the market today that can deliver 8 TB of fast SSD storage, which is insane.
The big question is, did Apple address the issues that plagued its previous-generation 15″ MacBook Pro models when it comes to heat management and keyboard issues? Apple says that it did – the new 16″ MacBook Pro now comes with a brand new keyboard that Apple calls “the new Magic Keyboard”. Unlike the older butterfly mechanism, the new keyboard uses a refined scissor mechanism with 1mm travel, which is supposed to deliver superior typing experience. Apple did not move away from the Touch Bar on the new MacBook Pro, but it did bring back a physical “Esc” key, and inverted-T arrow keys. The Touch ID is now a physical button as well, which also works as a power on/off button.
Apple claims that the new MacBook Pro has a more advanced thermal architecture that should provide 28% increased airflow. The CPU also has a 35% larger heat sink.
This new architecture should suffice in keeping the 8-Core Intel Core i9 cool enough to prevent it from thermal throttling during high CPU utilization workloads.
Apple also put a huge 100Wh lithium-polymer battery into the MacBook Pro, which should provide up to 11 hours of browsing / playback time on a full charge.
Below is a promo video from Apple for the 16″ MacBook Pro:
What do you think about this beast? If you are an Apple user, are you planning to upgrade to the 16″ MacBook Pro? Let us know in the comments section below!
Nasim,
I just got the new 16 inch Mac Book Pro, and am only getting around 2.5 hours on a full charge. I use Lightroom for my editing. This is far below the stated 11 hrs by Apple. Is this normal?
I am currently running a quad-core 2013 rMBP and this Mac we’re talking about here is the first one in that intervening time that I have liked even slightly. I used to always buy optioned-to-the-max Macs, simply because they are so easy to on-sell when changeover time comes—but not for the last six years. As well, I am not a fan of USB-C-only ports, nor the Touch Bar. I will have to get cables and perhaps a dock to use my current (Thunderbolt 2) RAIDs and other peripherals.
One reason I have been able to hold off for so long is that we now shoot four video cameras in the studio and use the current MBP to mix live-to-disk (this process included compression, too, IIRC), so the need for a really powerful laptop has decreased in our situation. I will be getting probably the bottom of the line 16″ MBP, with a one step upgrade on the graphic card. I use RAIDs for external storage, so the huge internal drives are not important to me.
Yes to the new 16″ MBP from me.
youtu.be/FGOqkc2K9wc
Hot off the presses
Seems great according to Lisa with some high-level graphics card options, and apparently you can run two 6k monitors out of it, which will be nice for editing. But for that kind of money, would a workstation laptop with future expandability options be better I wonder. Biggest improvement, getting rid of the short travel keyboard for a more normal version.
Let’s see what the High-Priestess of Computing, (Lisa Gade at MobileTechReview), says, and then we’ll know if it’s worth an upgrade.
It is unlikely that I will buy this laptop. As long as Apple keeps making computers that are not user-upgradable I will not buy. I’ll just keep using my legacy machines. They get the work done—just not at the speed of a modern computer.
Their pricing is ridiculous. I got rid of my MBP because it just didn’t have the juice to keep up with the larger camera files. I purchased a custom built laptop from Falcon Northwest that is many times faster than the MBP (i7; 16 RAM; SSD) for about $2,500. Similar MBP specs would probably be closer to $5,000 if I’m reading this properly.
I’ve been holding on to my personal 2013 retina MBP for 6 years waiting for a suitable replacement.
This one isn’t *perfect*, but like marco.org many of my complaints have gotten less relevant as the years have passed.
I still don’t like the touch bar, but they’ve moved it further away which should reduce phantom touches. I am thrilled to have the esc- key back, though I’ve remapped caps-lock to esc on my work laptop and that is acceptable, though annoying. The ports, well that’s still annoying. I don’t have any USB-C devices but I’ve got a ton of USB-A, and inexplicably many USB-C -> USB-A converters cause the wifi on my work MBP to stop working.
I still miss mag-safe, but longer battery life means that I frequently only have to charge at night where my laptop isn’t likely to be jerked by its power tether.
I have come awfully close to buying an LG Gram 17 over the last year, but the reality is I have *never* had a Windows laptop that ran well after 2-3 years, while I’ve just been able to get a ~6-7 year service life out of my retina MBP, and it’s still got a pretty decent resale value (though I suspect that will drop significantly now that the MBP 16 is out)
That’s a weird thing to say that you never had a Windows laptop that ran well after 2-3 years.
Was it Windows that you think bogged down? You could do a reinstall, and try to keep the install clean of any bloatware.
Or was it the hardware? Lots of Thinkpad users use theirs for a decade or more with very few hardware issues, and easily replaceable parts in the event something does go wrong.
Hell, I just booted up my T420, which came out in 2011 and looks and runs like new. Same with the x201 that came out at the start of 2010. And I’ve used my 2007 T61 for light browsing as recently as earlier this year, but the CPU was having a tough time with all the heavy web sites these days, which can be expected for a 12 year old system. But stuff like the old reddit design was perfectly fine.
At last – screen estate!
I stll use a MacPro 17 (early 2009) – I prefer the screen size.
This looks the business, especially for tethering.
I have a 2013 MBP, so I was planning to. But, as you can see, I keep my laptops for quite a while, and this doesn’t have WiFi 6. So I’ll be waiting a while longer.
It’s about a half an inch longer than the 15 inch model. It should fit into any bag designed for a 15 inch laptop.
As a long time Mac user – since February 1984 – this is compelling. I have a late 2018 model and it’s great except for two things: the keyboard, which is awful, and the thermal throttling. This new one seems to address both issues. I have two friends in the graphic arts business who immediately ordered theirs this morning. i’ll wait till the reviews come out.
Michael, I have the 2016 MacBook Pro model and it is the machine I regret buying – the keyboard on my iPad Folio is a thousand times better! Hope the new keyboard is worth it, as I really don’t like the butterfly keyboard on the older MacBook Pro models.