Hands-On With Apple's New 16-Inch MacBook Pro

[bollman]

What I object to the most is the lack of options Apple gives its users.

OK, so I really like screen real estate. I don't do anything that needs processing power, heck at work I still use an old 2013 iMac, but with 2 big external monitors to get the most real estate.
So, for me, I'd like the 16" but with i5, tops, maybe even an m5 to get more battery life. It just needs to be able to drive the screen at reasonable framerate, watching the occasional video, no need for 4K, 1080 is good enough.
8GB RAM is enough, but please let me add more in the future should I need it. No need for 500GB disk, 256 is enough.
Sure, I can get what I ask for.... in an MBA with 13" screen.

This is the same stupid idea that plagues the iPhones: to get the biggest you need to get the best, and vice versa.
I work on my computer, and while on the road, screen real estate is really useful, but my 15" barely leave idle, I seldom use more than 4GB RAM, there's no need for all the power, but I had to pay for it to get the 15" screen. Likewise, I want a phone with a good screen, a good camera and enough storage, but since I already lug around a 15", I don't want a small iPad in my pocket.

 

[PickUrPoison]

You're WAY off base. The MacBook Pro is targeted towards pro photographers and filmmakers. SD cards are not going away ANY time soon in that space. It's the standard media for image acquisition for pro photography and prosumer video, and it's not going away anytime soon.

MBP is targeted to a lot of different pro users. I’d be very surprised if pro photogs/filmmakers comprised even 10% of the MBP customer base.

Not only that, SD cards are not the only format pros use. As has been mentioned many times—but you ignore it—Compact Flash, CFast, CFexpress, XQD and several other formats are used by pros.

Including only SD format helps only some pros, since many need other formats; SD only covers a subset of what they need, so they are already carrying the adapters they need.

Sure, you want an SD card. We get it. But a single-digit percentage of the userbase doesn’t drive the feature set for the other 90%. You’re not entitled to an SD card reader. You can bitch for the next five, ten or fifteen years but don’t be surprised when people tell you you’re being ridiculous.

 

[LeeW]

since most that buy the 15" aren't doing it for the added processing power, they're doing it for the larger screen.

The new keyboard will be ahead of the marginally larger screen for reasons to upgrade/replace.

 

[tevion5]

Apple could have made us all happy with...

New to this site are you?

 

[displaced]

I have one small box, about the size of a deck of cards which, when plugged in to a single USB-C port provides:

* VGA and DVI
* HDMI
* Gigabit Ethernet
* SD Card Reader
* USB-A port

Throughout nearly 20 years of owning a laptop of some description (often two, a personal and a work-provided machine), I've always had to carry some set of dongles of one type or another.

When DVI was popular on laptops, I'd need a DVI-to-VGA adapter. When built-in WiFi wasn't common, I'd have a PCMCIA card or USB dongle for that. When HDMI started cropping up on projectors, I'd need a DVI-to-HDMI adapter just in case. I haven't always had machines with built-in SD readers, so I'd need one of those too.

(in fact, if you're visiting businesses, video and audio is usually the killer. You'll never know what kind of connector - VGA, DVI, HDMI - they'd have wired-up. And will the audio be a 3.5mm jack or would I need a 3.5-to-RCA cable?).

With my 13" 2017 MBP, I just need the one USB-C multiport adapter and I'm covered. I carry fewer dongles around with me now.

All the stuff I personally use day-to-day is now USB-C. I've got a tiny (physically) flash drive with both C and A connectors and a set of C-to-C/Lightning/Mini-A/Micro-A/B cables and stuck the old A-only cables in a drawer. I do use a USB-C SD card reader that's about the size of a pack of gum. I keep it in the case that holds all my SD cards, which I'm carrying anyway. It weighs 18 grams.


[EDIT] Man, I'd forgotten about the joys of mini-DVI and mini-DisplayPort ports. Mini-DVI to VGA, Mini-DVI to full DVI... same for DisplayPort. I'm absolutely, unequivocally better off with USB-C!

 

[MBPro17]

This looks like an amazing machine. Finally something I can replace my late-2011 17" with.

I can't believe all of the whining and nitpicking going on here. Some people will never be satisfied.

I need this port, I need that card, it's too heavy. Are you all working in Starbucks?

They even kept the price down. If you go back to the 16" predicted price thread from a few weeks ago many people thought it was going to price at a premium to the last 15". But no, it's even fairly priced!

Sheesh

 

[theorist9]

The new keyboard will be ahead of the marginally larger screen for reasons to upgrade/replace.

The post you quoted concerned a discussion of the reason people historically purchased the 15.4" vs. the 13.3", not why people might want to go from 15.4" to a 16.0".

 

[kemal]

Yeah!! Navi GPU! This means Apple won't pull Navi support from the OS. They could, of course, only support the 5700 if it is connected to PCIe3.0 4x.

 

[chrono1081]

I'm so excited for mine. I wasn't going to buy and instead build a linux desktop (since I can't afford the new Mac Pro) but I need a Mac for work and it made sense to get this machine vs use my current laptop for work and a separate desktop for my 3D stuff. The 8gb of vram and 64 gigs of ram + a nearly $1000 trade in was what pushed me over the edge.

I'm also glad they didn't get rid of the touch bar, its a huge time saver when you have apps that utilize it. Xcode does, it's great not having to memorize those awful simulator shortcuts. Final Cut and Logic do, and having a time slider on the keyboard is just phenomenal. I still have some programs that use the F keys (Modo) but it's a literal non-issue, I can still touch type them I just don't get feedback.

 

[Oculus Mentis]

I'm not really sure of this laptop especially in its maxed out configuration. I would rather buy a medium specced iMac together with a low specced Macbook Pro or Air for those tasks I need to do from the sofa or when on the move...

 

[drober30]

I need to pull the trigger on a new computer within a month. Honestly the 16” is overkill for my use case and a 13” MBP would suffice for now. But I can’t justify spending money on the 13” with the keyboard issues when the reason I need a new computer is because I’ll need to type a lot the coming months. The upside with the 16” is that I’ll be able to keep it longer than the 13” I suppose, even though the cost is higher. Decisions, decisions.

If you were interested in a bigger screen, then everything else that comes in the base model would just be a bonus and the additional expense going from a from a 13" to 16" would be justified by the bigger screen.

If your not really motivated to move to a bigger screen, then I would try and hold off until the 13" is revised. I would think the 13" would be revised fairly soon? I know there is data out there that shows Apples trends with timelines on these things.

 

[gnasher729]

I can't imagine using a laptop without wifi 6 in 2026.

Please explain to us the differences between using a laptop with wifi6 in 2026 and using a laptop without out.

If you buy the new MacBook Pro today and it runs in 2026 without WiFi 6 then you've had a laptop that you used for over six years. That would be an excellent investment.
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Should I get the i7 or i9. My poweruser case would be Lightroom/Photoshop, with occasional iMovie.

Compare the i7 and i9 with the same disk space and the same graphics card. Once you do that, the difference is not $400, but much much less. So I would say >80% go for the i9.
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What are you going to use on your lap or in an aeroplane that needs to be plugged in but having to use a dongle will cause you anxiety? If a dongle negates portability then surely anything you need to plug in will do the same?

It's the same anxiety that is caused by the "lack of Wifi 6" which nobody ever heard of until the new MacBook didn't have it. Never mind that if you need speed, it has gigabit ethernet.
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I'm not really sure of this laptop especially in its maxed out configuration. I would rather buy a medium specced iMac together with a low specced Macbook Pro or Air for those tasks I need to do from the sofa or when on the move...

The new MacBook Pro is more powerful than a medium specced iMac. You need to go at least to iMac Pro to beat it.
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Sure, you want an SD card. We get it. But a single-digit percentage of the userbase doesn’t drive the feature set for the other 90%. You’re not entitled to an SD card reader. You can bitch for the next five, ten or fifteen years but don’t be surprised when people tell you you’re being ridiculous.

I use the SD card reader on my MBP 15". There's a 128 GB SD Card permanently plugged in, and it's used for Time Machine backup. Card only pops out about 3mm, any USB stick would be much bigger, and I have all the USB ports free. I'd like some USB-C memory stick in the future that you can also just plug in and it almost disappears in the computer.

 

[heretiq]

Your first sentence:



...completely dismisses the opinions of anybody who wants these things, and the only justification you provided was that you didn't want them. You might as well have said "Nobody".

Dude, that is a very long stretch. I said “*I* am baffled” — which means *I* don’t understand. It does not dismiss anyone. If I wanted to say nobody needs SD cards, I would have said that. In fact if you read the entire comment you would have seen that I recognized there are people who need it. However, it seems you were looking for something to disagree with so you picked a sentence fragment then distorted the interpretation to justify attacking someone. Sad.

 

[gnasher729]

Only the foolish buy "extremely expensive" USB cables for audio. USB is digital, not analog. Whether it's a $5 USB/HDMI cable, or a $500 USB/HDMI cable, the identical digital signal (0s and 1s) is traveling over a digital USB cable.

You spend more than $5 - but not $500 - if you need _very_ long cables. The digital signal _does_ lose strength over every meter of cable, but unlike analog, it either works or it doesn't work, it doesn't degrade, it just stops working if you lose to much. If you need a 50 meter HDMI cable, then the cheap cable _will not work_. Most people don't need 50 meter HDMI cables.
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People who need nothing but USB-C are definitely in the minority, but that hasn't stopped Apple from accommodating only them.

Anker 5-in-1 USB C hub has three USB-3.0 connectors, SD card reader and I forgot one thing, for £26.00.
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One dongle for a card reader. Another for an HDMI connector that may or may not work with a particular projector when giving a presentation. So you always bring two different ones. Plus a DisplayPort adapter because projectors are starting to go that way now. A third dongle for a Logitech USB mouse because all Bluetooth mice are either way to small or large for real graphics work. By the time you’ve added a 4th to read legacy USB drives, you have to decide between using a device or the power cord.

For that, you don't buy four dongles, you buy one USB-C hub and have eight unused ports on your hub, and three unused USB-C ports.

 

[K. Bayquoi]

I would buy this in a heartbeat if it had no Touch Bar at all, and had an SD card slot.

"From your mouth to God's ears!!!" I could not agree with you, more. I saw that as a total and useless gimmick when it first came out and swore I would NEVER buy another MacBook Pro while having to pay extra for that poor substitute for a touch screen. Used to buy a new MacBook every time a new one would come out. But the MacBook I am typing on now, is a Mid 2014. I refuse to get one with a useless Touch Bar.

But wait...da&m you Phil Schiller! You finally waited me out. I gave up. Just got an email that my new 16" MacBook Pro(i9, 64G memory, 8G video card, 1 TB HD) will be here, on Nov 25. Darn it, Phil...UGH!...you win, again! (Can I just put tape over the Touch Bar, so I don't have to look at that obnoxious thing")

P.S. I also just had to order my FIRST overpriced dongle. Thunderbolt to TB3! I won't get started here, on my dongle anger!! (I suspect I will be adding more dongles in my near future, too)

 

[foreteller]

If you can't afford the upgrades buy a non-Pro level machine with a non-Pro level price, like a Lenovo ThinkPad ;-)

 

[andiwm2003]

..................................

Compare the i7 and i9 with the same disk space and the same graphics card. Once you do that, the difference is not $400, but much much less. So I would say >80% go for the i9.
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.....................................

ah, thanks. i also completely overlooked that option. I wanted a 1TB/5500M configuration and didn't realize that the i9 already fits the bill. Yes, it seems that Apple has gotten much better in offering a standard configuration that is attractive to many users. While I also would miss the SD card slot I don't think it's a deal breaker for me. Currently I'm thinking of trading in my 2015 model and getting this one with new apple care. Would be 3200 minus 880 trade in. The Apple care of the 2015 MacBook pro is expired and who knows how long it will last.

 

[bobtem]

So the comments are all “I just ordered mine...”, or “I’m going to order mine...”, or “going down to pick one up now...”

Really? And we care because?

 

[citysnaps]

So the comments are all “I just ordered mine...”, or “I’m going to order mine...”, or “going down to pick one up now...”

Really? And we care because?

Really? All of the comments?

I see nothing wrong with some members expressing a bit of happiness purchasing a laptop that meets their needs. It doesn't anger me in the slightest.

 

[bsolar]

Please explain to us the differences between using a laptop with wifi6 in 2026 and using a laptop without out.

If you buy the new MacBook Pro today and it runs in 2026 without WiFi 6 then you've had a laptop that you used for over six years. That would be an excellent investment.

I think what the poster meant is that he plans to use the new MacBook Pro for at least 6 years and wants it to have WiFi 6 already since it's the standard that will be most relevant during the lifetime of the new machine.

I'm also postponing my purchase to next year, when the upgraded MacBook Pro model will very likely have WiFi 6. My ISP can upgrade my router to a WiFi 6 model already so it would be IMHO unfortunate to be stuck with WiFi 5 for the next years by buying the current model and not being able to enjoy the best WiFi the router can offer.

 

[ImaxGuy]

The only benefit of upgrading your own RAM is saving money buying third-party RAM. But people who can afford a $3k+ computer are unlikely to want to tear open their own computer to save maybe 5% of the purchase cost. On the other hand, those same people place a premium on the slimmest, lightest laptop possible, which is precisely what soldering RAM allows.

I bought the previous gen i9 loaded except for the SSD - only went 512GB. This is a business expense, but STILL prefer to buy cheaper RAM/SSD and install myself. The money saved could have gone towards other equipment upgrades. Make no mistake I could drop $5000.00 CDN cash on the machine without blinking, but if I could get it for less, I would. For me, user upgradability is always preferable. My 2016 15" MBP has an issue with the SSD - I can't install on OS on it. Replacing the SSD means a motherboard swap... $$$$ as opposed to $$$.

 

[Schizoid]

Mmm sausages...

 

[ImaxGuy]

I think what the poster meant is that he plans to use the new MacBook Pro for at least 6 years and wants it to have WiFi 6 already since it's the standard that will be most relevant during the lifetime of the new machine.

I'm also postponing my purchase to next year, when the upgraded MacBook Pro model will very likely have WiFi 6. My ISP can upgrade my router to a WiFi 6 model already so it would be IMHO unfortunate to be stuck with WiFi 5 for the next years by buying the current model and not being able to enjoy the best WiFi the router can offer.

Also, next the model will have a newer gen Intel processor not the same one from earlier this year.
I just picked up an 8 core I9 in June and am pleased to see Apple addressed the thermals with the 16" model. I will have a look at how the 16" fares and what next year brings in terms of enhancements... perhaps I will upgrade early.

 

[0x0x0x0]

In which version of the English language does:



== (Equates to):



???

You are obviously so hyper-focused on being argumentative that you’re blind to what is plainly before your eyes.

I deliberately emphasized *I* because I was stating my experience concerning one use case for Apple gear, and neither claiming this to be true for all people, nor stating it as the only or “biggest” thing I do with Apple gear.

I also explicitly recognized the use case for professional photographers as an exception to my experience:



These common methods of qualification work for most people, but apparently not for you. I’ve done my part to respectfully state my opinion and the reasons I hold that opinion. Your inability to interpret standard English grammar is your problem to solve.

Peace.

In your post you expressly state that the benefit of your switching to Apple's ecosystem was that instead of carrying a ton of gear you use iphone, verbatim: "*I* don’t need to spend thousands of dollars for bulky gear that I have to lug around allow to occasionally take a better photo than I can with my iPhone." Now tell me what is one to infer other than "I used to take photos with different lenses and expensive camera, and now I use iPhone"??? You're taking my words out of context and trying to spin them now that you've shown to be for what you are. The best way to counter what I said was to say what else you do with your "Pro"-geared Apple gear, to date, you utterly fail to do so---all you're capable of is twisting my words.
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If you can't afford the upgrades buy a non-Pro level machine with a non-Pro level price, like a Lenovo ThinkPad ;-)

The "non-pro machine" like the P73 that comes with a Xeon chip, user-upgradable 128GB RAM, two user-upgradable NVMe slots, and a regular 2.5" slot, those "non-pro machines"??? 🤔 🤣

 

[Vjosullivan]

If Apple’s cables suck, buy any of the countless other perfectly good cables from other companies.

Your negation is negated.

There's something very wrong when it's not possible to connect an Apple computer to anything else in the world with Apple's own cables and the proposed solution is to start replacing Apple components with third party ones. It's a short step from there to replacing the computer itself with a third party one.

I negate your negated negation.
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What people forget that not everyone is computer literate and they don't understand that if you have a Mac and you are running OS X 10.9 you might want to at least come up to 10.14. You would think people would upgrade the OS that fixes problems with systems. I am still part of a old original mac user group which was a originally a Apple II user group that started in 1978. And i have people come in and they have a machine that has not been upgraded from OS X 10.8 Or i have a person who all they needed to do was a firmware update on the hardware to fix the problem. So it could not be the Mac hardware is the problem but the software is old or never has been upgraded. Hmmm why does Windows release an update every other month

You might be right. There might be perfectly valid reasons why Apple cables have such a bad reputation.