New Video Provides Extensive Hands-on Look at New 16-inch MacBook Pro [Updated]

[DeepIn2U]

And yet it's only slightly thicker (like 0.02mm or something) and slightly heavier (20 grams).

It just looks thicker because the taper on the bottom has been brought closer to the edge than in the MacBook Pro's we've become accustomed to that throttle if you so much as open a browser tab.

The laptops still are taking up the same physical space, they still sit the same height off a table when the lid is open, just look at a current 16" and the physical edge of the laptop sits so high off the table it could be 2x as thick but its an optical illusion due to the taper.

Yet it's the DEPTH that is significantly larger due to TouchBar being replaced by full Function keyboard keys and the 1" larger display.

I just hope the weight distribution is similar to the outgoing TB MBP 13/15" models as those were great in that department.

 

[DeepIn2U]

The design does look old-fashioned and bulky :-. I do not like the cheap look of the black keyboard and bulky design. The bulkiness has nothing to do with the actual height but with the round-edged design on the bottom which makes it look fat. Why they choose this design I don't know because it was not needed for the new ports: my 2015 MBP with HDMI and USB-C looks so much slimmer because it lacks the rounded design (see picture).

It's possible the need for better cooling, assuming to avoid battery powered tasks don't throttle the M1 Pro / Max is a guess. The larger rubber feet to raise the entire bottom further off the table top was an engineering enforced choice on that point. The older 2016-2020 MBPs were far too close to the table top that venting heat came out the LCD hinge which causes me to cringe what possible long term damage to the screen could occur.

 

[stwentyplus]

It is a tad thicker but by only .03”.

That’s a 15” MBP compared to a 16”.

Regardless, comparing to 15", does it look like 0.05" difference?

https://forums.macrumors.com/attachments/screen-shot-2021-10-23-at-7-39-17-am-png.1875634/

 

[DeepIn2U]

mirror

THANK You for reposting the video.

My GOD ... here some of us, including me, are disliking, other complaining about the notch or size of the laptop and watching half this video all I could think about is WHY is this guys' thumbs look like BIG TOES! Creeps me out, not his fault just my poor perception, and terrible memory of someone whom had thumbs that unmistakenly without any pre-thought to anyone would also state looks like big toes!!

The size, thickness on table is considerable due to the larger feet and rise off the table for cooling and venting on the new M1 Pro/Max MBP's vs the outgoing models. Now I'm curious if on-device typing would be comfortable enough or if the slight raise off the table is enough to change comfort, speed and accuracy of typing for anyone?!

 

[MacGekko]

Understood. I’ve been on this forum for years and years and that wasn’t the song and dance people were singing just a few short years ago when ports went missing and keyboards were being made thinner.

People were shouting from the rooftop to make a “Pro” computer that is actually able to be a “Pro” computer and to stop making thinner computers at the sake of usability.

Now we have people comparing those crap thin machines against a true “Pro” machine, so it doesn’t surprise me that now people want illusions instead.

How do you know they are the same people, think for yourself, you like it, they don't like it, why in God's name does anyone care if someone dislikes a notch, if you love it, great, one question though, is weight an illusion?

 

[CosmoPilot]

How do you know they are the same people, think for yourself, you like it, they don't like it, why in God's name does anyone care if someone dislikes a notch, if you love it, great, one question though, is weight an illusion?

You’re absolutely right! I don’t like PCs….I don’t go to their forums and complain about them. I also don’t like Chevys…same thing. I just move on.

However, here….people complain about the most insignificant things when talking about a laptop. A beast of a laptop at that.

Taking away ports and making bad keyboards. Those are legit gripes! If portability is an issue, Apple has you covered. You can get a MBA….you can get a 13” MBP….heck, you can even get a 14” MBP that’s lighter than the 16”….and significantly lighter than laptops of 7/8 years ago!

Everyone can choose for themselves if they want to shell out money for a high end laptop. It’s just perplexing to me the amount of people that are so turned off by 0.02” increase in height and .5lbs in weight for the amount of shear computing power they would get for that tiny increase in size. It’s almost like they only want to buy a laptop as a status symbol. if 0.02” in height and 1/2 pound is too much…keep your old MBP and be happy. BTW, that’s okay! By all means…but why on earth come on here and complain about these insignificant increases in size?

We’re talking minuscule growth in height and weight for a 16” Pro machine that has the entire PC market on notice for its shear computing power. Yes, the 16” did get a 1/2 pound heavier. But if you were happy lugging a previous 16” MBP around prior to the 2021 models I suspect you’ll be fine with these new ones too. If not….Apple has a 14” model for you. It’s just as powerful but thinner and lighter. Win/win.

I guess I look at it like any other tool I use. If the tool does an amazing job I don’t care what it looks like. I guess others are different. They want their tools to be fashionable in order to impress people that don’t care.

 

[Quu]

Understood. I’ve been on this forum for years and years and that wasn’t the song and dance people were singing just a few short years ago when ports went missing and keyboards were being made thinner.

People were shouting from the rooftop to make a “Pro” computer that is actually able to be a “Pro” computer and to stop making thinner computers at the sake of usability.

Now we have people comparing those crap thin machines against a true “Pro” machine, so it doesn’t surprise me that now people want illusions instead.

Trust me it's not the same people, 1% crossover at most.

I've been going on about it for years on here how I want them to do a full Pro machine, I've wanted form over function, a proper keyboard, no more touch bar, more useful ports etc

They finally did it and of course I ordered it as soon as possible and I can't wait to receive it. They've hit not just every need I have but every want too. Things like the HDR 120Hz display are wants for me that just were the cherry on top.

Those who want form over function are not the same people who banged on about the issues with the previous machines and I suspect a lot of them (not all but a lot) just don't use those machines in any kind of professional setting where work has to get done efficiently.

I love my 16" Intel but it has things about it I'd change. The constant fan noise when plugged into a 4K external monitor, the fan noise in general soon as you open even a single-layer photoshop document. How hot it gets, the touch bar etc - I feel like finally they solved all that and I am not at all complaining.

I've seen a lot of people complaining about the looks calling it chunky and so forth. I do feel that some of those people are just envious and are projecting some false hate to make the machine less desirable for themselves because they likely have a previous model and don't want to spend the money right now which is understandable as these are not cheaply priced machines but they are good value if you make use of the features they offer for your professional workflow.

And by that I mean these are not Reddit, Discord and Facebook terminals they are properly configured high-grade professional workstation replacements for getting work done and they command a competitive price for those usage scenarios.

The last thing to mention really is the notch. Would I prefer it had no notch at all? yes. Would I prefer it didn't even have a webcam? yes. But I know a great webcam is something many other professionals crave and require so it has to be there.

I think they integrated the notch in the best way possible. The menubar moved up and around the camera instead of the Notch eating into our pre-existing screen real-estate. We gained screen, we didn't give up or lose any screen. Of all the scenarios where a notch has to exist I think they picked the right one. Maybe in a future revision it'll become a hole punch to further improve the aesthetic but that's really a minor substitution in my eyes, there's so much to love about these machines.

 

[gene731]

I am sorry. That's just my personal opinion. But I really don't find it good looking. In fact I find Apple really lazy. Now I am not saying: oh change the design every two years like some cheap Windows laptop. But geez. My Powerbook G4 looked exactly the same (except for the keyboard). And that was 15+ years ago. It's also gotten quite thick and big. Irrelevant when used as a pseudo-desktop. But for people who actually take it out every day, I honestly find it too big and too thick compared the 15 and 16"ers of yesteryear.

You are perfectly free to keep on the Intel based MacBook pros while you can just remember though Intel laptops will not have access to all of the features on Monteray. Ive is gone now and thank goodness the “thin is in” time frame is falling further behind and out of our minds and thoughts.

 

[gene731]

I cannot wait to get this. Notch or not, I’m looking forward to it.

It was funny I can’t remember but either MR ApplerInsider or 9to5mac a week to 2 weeks ago posted something to this effect: unreliable rumor poster with a terrible record said there would be a notch. I guess the unreliable leaker is having the last laugh now, lol. Fwiw I was skeptical as well because of that coming so close to launch day.

 

[TrueBlou]

Most of the ones I’ve been in for the past few years (well not this PAST year of course connect wirelessly, no cables at all.

It’s nice when they do, and as techies we’ve probably come to expect such things. But it wouldn’t be the first time I’ve turned up, only to discover the only connection available is VGA, or Component. A couple of times, even composite.

Of course I always say it’s no problem, I’ll sort something out. As I walk away, muttering under my breath about the dark ages

 

[TrueBlou]

I am very excited to get this new MBP!! I sold my m1 13" in the summer in anticipation. The cost jump is rather significant and a little hard to swallow. That is about my only complaint. I have been wanting a more powerful smaller Macbook. I always felt the 13.3" was too small but 15.6 or larger becomes too bulky. The 14" with slim bezels seems to be a big improvement in terms of screen real estate. I was on the fence though because bigger screen is better and cost is almost the same between the 14 and 16 inch models depending on configuration. I always hated Apple thermal cooling systems in laptops as I felt they were very inadequate. This is the first time I am excited by the overwhelming raw power advantage to Apple silicon in many, many years going all the way back to power pc. Back then Intel had a pretty big advantage and is why eventually Apple gave in and went with Intel of Power PC. Now Apple silicon is unquestionably better than the competition and this is a true first gen device as last years 13.3 m1 was not a true redesign but a stop gap. From leaked geekbench results the m1 pro scores about the same as the m1 on single core which makes sense although I thought the M1 pro was slightly higher clocked than the M1? The multi core scores are in the M1 pro are in the 12000 range where as the M1 had a respectable 7500. Apple measured performance against a MSI gaming rig and it was not close. Obviously GPU performance is the real question. Leaked GPU benchmarks have not been that impressive but comparing to integrated Intel GPU a big step up but compared to Nvidia 3080rtx 8gb the M1x with 32 GPU cores may get close but won't beat Nvidia. However, when you compare thermal profiles and wattage consumption Apple silicon destroys Nvidia and Intel by using about half the power under load. I imagine that because of the thermal advantages to Apple silicon and a completely integrated system that there will be little throttling which may make the differences at the high end mute since the Intel/Nvidia solution under load will get very hot and possibly throttle even with decent cooling. It is going to be very interesting to see how the new Macs perform in the real world.

I am so happy Apple has changed it's design philosophy. My iPhone 13 pro max is huge and has a huge battery and lasts a long time. The new Macbook Pro's are bigger and thank God!! The idea that all devices have to be as small as possible is a bad design philosophy. When you are talking pro devices you are usually talking about power users who want as much possible performance and prioritize performance over size. This is not to say we want an ugly huge device but rather if you need an extra millimetre or two here or there to vastly improve heat dissipation or increased performance or features we are happy to add the extra size. It finally seems that Apple is getting this concept. We want a pretty device but we also want one that can kick ass and kick ass is more important to power users. If you want small and slim then the new Air Macbook should be perfect. I don't even mind the notch although I would have really liked to see face ID.

Very sensible indeed.
One of the most exciting aspects of the Apple Silicon family for me, has without doubt been the performance they’ve squeezing out of it with such a low TDP. It really does put every Intel MacBook I’ve owned to shame.

I’ve been surprised at just how capable the MacBook Air M1 has proven to be this past year. Sure, it’s no pro system and I will be upgrading to a 16” M1 Max. But it actually replaced my 27” iMac (which was no slouch)… A MacBook Air for gods sake??

I’ve been so impressed that I purchased a Mac Mini M1, to serve as my secondary server - the one which only myself and my wife use. My WinTel server is now just for extended family, and other uses.

I really can’t wait until embargoes are lifted and we finally get to see what these new MacBooks are actually capable of. Considering I have been blown away with the Air, and the new machines have double the high performance CPU cores, and up to four times as many GPU cores, I expect to be impressed.

 

[TrueBlou]

Odd opinion. I was wondering if it would fit in a case I got long ago for a 2012 Retina 15” MBP (the case is a Tom Bihn Brain Cell, no longer made), and it turns out the sizes of the two machines, 2012 and 2021 are within an eighth of an inch in all three dimensions (HxWxD), so it’ll fit in the case just fine. And that’s definitely a 15” MBP of yesteryear. What application do you have where you cannot possibly tolerate the less than 1/8” difference?

If size is that much more important than capacities and ports, the M1 MB Air is probably the machine for you. If not, there will probably be a lot of those acceptably thin 15 and 16”ers or yesteryear all going up for sale shortly.

What amuses me is that people are complaining about the size of the 16”, after, as you rightly point out, years of complaining they were too thin and needed bigger batteries, more ports, more everything.

Well, we’ve got that now, it’s barely any bigger or heavier really. The case couldn’t have been smaller, to accommodate the screen size, we even have a notch to keep the size down. And thickness, well, it’s really not that bad when you take into account the battery life.

Maybe it’s just because I can remember owning an Alienware, which was heavier the (old) 27” iMac, and the battery life was shocking. To me, these things are still thin and light for the power and battery life they deliver.

But y’know, each to their own I suppose. I’m not going to be put off by an extra couple of mm here and there, this is the MacBook Pro I’ve been waiting a long time for.

For the record, I AM one of the people who’s complained for years that Apple were paying too much attention to form over function. Losing essential ports, that bloody Touch Bar taking away my beloved physical keys, ditching the best power connector ever, making laptops too thin and sacrificing power and battery life, for the sake of a tiny wafer thin mint - sorry, computer, went all Monty Python there

Now that they have hit the brakes and sped into reverse gear, am I complaining now? Am I heck as like. I love the new MBP and I’ll be getting a 16” asap……

….. Actually, I’ll complain just a teeny, tiny bit. HDMI 2.0 and an out of date, slow SD interface. Why Apple, why? - beyond them being improvements to next years model. But I can live with them.

 

[CosmoPilot]

I really can’t wait until embargoes are lifted and we finally get to see what these new MacBooks are actually capable of.

…just a few more hours!!!!

 

[TrueBlou]

…just a few more hours!!!!

Long, long hours

 

[Squozen]

I heard that the later Radeon 5600M configuration runs much better than the other options. Is that really the case?

The fans came on regardless of whether the Radeon was being used. This was all CPU heat triggering the fans on my machine.

 

[me22]

These new real world pics/vids are worrying me a little.

The new laptops look THICK. Maybe I should have waited for the 2022 MacBook Airs? (upgrading from the 2020 13" i7)

That's my thinking as well, but I doubt they will get the Pro or Max, and stick with the M1.

 

[coso]

That's my thinking as well, but I doubt they will get the Pro or Max, and stick with the M1.

Or maybe they'll introduce the M2, for the 24" iMac too, around may 2022. A new entry level chip, faster than the M1 but not as fast as the M1 Pro and Max

 

[DEMinSoCAL]

No CD drive and no Floppy Drive either. It’s BARELY a computer at this rate, better keep those externals!

You really think no one uses USB-A devices? Name an external wireless mouse/keyboard (non-Apple) that comes with a USB-C wireless receiver? Show me a decent, name-brand USB-C flash drive (there is ONE that I know of)? How many off-the-shelf external portable drives come with USB-C cable? How many people buy USB-C hubs so that they have USB-A ports? LOTS.

Spare me the ridiculous analogies.

 

[Squozen]

You really think no one uses USB-A devices? Name an external wireless mouse/keyboard (non-Apple) that comes with a USB-C wireless receiver? Show me a decent, name-brand USB-C flash drive (there is ONE that I know of)? How many off-the-shelf external portable drives come with USB-C cable? How many people buy USB-C hubs so that they have USB-A ports? LOTS.

Spare me the ridiculous analogies.

Samsung’s external SSDs come with a USB-C cable. And wouldn’t you buy Bluetooth mice/keyboards for a Mac?

I agree though, I would have liked a couple of USB A ports for those who still have USB A devices.

 

[svish]

Looks good. Looks thicker!

 

[DEMinSoCAL]

Samsung’s external SSDs come with a USB-C cable. And wouldn’t you buy Bluetooth mice/keyboards for a Mac?

I agree though, I would have liked a couple of USB A ports for those who still have USB A devices.

There are choices. Slim numbers of choices. USB-C has in no way replaced USB-A, which was my point to the person who compared USB-A ports to floppy drive and CDROM (which no one uses). In as much as there are ways to use the existing USB-C ports for HDMI and SD-card readers, Apple felt those were important enough to include. To be honest, I'll use a USB-A device on a MacBook magnitudes more often than a HDMI monitor. But that's just me.

 

[Unregistered 4U]

You really think no one uses USB-A devices? Name an external wireless mouse/keyboard (non-Apple) that comes with a USB-C wireless receiver? Show me a decent, name-brand USB-C flash drive (there is ONE that I know of)? How many off-the-shelf external portable drives come with USB-C cable? How many people buy USB-C hubs so that they have USB-A ports? LOTS.

Spare me the ridiculous analogies.

You really think no one uses CD/DVD and Floppy Discs anymore? Well, then I don’t know why Amazon and WalMart are still selling them. Maybe someone just had some extra plastic/aluminum lying around the factory and didn’t know what to do with it?

Anyone still working with certain old tech is doing so likely because they have to. For those people, Macs have NOT been a suitable solution for a number of years now. And, those people that have a Mac and STILL want USB-A, well, they’ve either bought a system WITH USB-A or they’ve since bought a device that enables that (just like folks that need to still burn discs and access content on floppies). And this means… if they buy a NEW Mac… with no USB-A ports, they’ve ALREADY got a solution that works for them.

Now, I would imagine there ARE those that really LIKE USB-A devices. If they own a computer with no USB-A ports and yet purchase a flash drive that’s USB-A only… I mean, everyone’s free to do what makes them happy I guess. Just like if someone has a system with perfectly capable bluetooth connectivity but they REALLY want to use a proprietary wireless receiver? No one can force them not to.

 

[me22]

Or maybe they'll introduce the M2, for the 24" iMac too, around may 2022. A new entry level chip, faster than the M1 but not as fast as the M1 Pro and Max

It's certainly possible, but my bet is M2 comes out in all three varieties simultaneously at the end of their "two-year transition" next fall.

 

[coso]

It's certainly possible, but my bet is M2 comes out in all three varieties simultaneously at the end of their "two-year transition" next fall.

But they wouldn't release a new Air with an M1 just 6 months before. My guess is that we'll see the new air in November 2021 then

 

[Lancer]

Wow, these MacBooks certainly have not been put on a diet. They've piled on some considerable weight & fatness since the last generation! Weren't the M1 series of chips supposed to enable smaller and lighter designs? Or at least, better battery life and thermals within the existing ones?

Aren't they like only 1mm thicker?