Terrible experience with the MBP16 2019

[JChristian]

My experience so far with the new MBP16 is terrible, a bunch of minor, but very annoying, issues:

1. 96W charger makes some static/buzzing noise while charging the notebook (idk if it's just mine or it's "by design", anyway it's ridiculous for an expensive notebook)
2. Ghosting (reports from many users proving it)
3. Sound popping from the right speaker (reports from many users proving it)
4. Battery, mine says full charge capacity is 8610mAh, while design capacity is 8790mAh (way below what I'm seeing from other's reports). Source: coconutBattery

Anyone else feeling disappointed with the new MBP16?

Macbook Pro 16"
macOS 10.15.2
Space Gray
i9 2.4Ghz
AMD 5500M 8GB
32GB RAM
512GB SSD
US keyboard

LAST UPDATE: I returned the MBP16 some weeks ago and got my money back. At least the return process is easy and simple.

 

[Nacho98]

Not me, love mine and won the Apple QC lottery and have no issues to speak of whatsoever.

exchange until you are happy.

 

[JChristian]

Not me, love mine and won the Apple QC lottery and have no issues to speak of whatsoever.

exchange until you are happy.

I didn't pay 3K to play lottery. All computers must leave the factory flawlessly. This is ridiculous!

 

[texasmac76]

I came from an early 2013 15" and would have kept using it but it had only 8 gb ram and I was definitely needing more. I have had the 16" now for a few days and been using it for most of every day and so far it is a great machine. No regrets here. I am having to adjust the way I handle connecting to this computer but that has always been an ongoing change in the computer world anyway.

 

[JChristian]

I came from an early 2013 15" and would have kept using it but it had only 8 gb ram and I was definitely needing more. I have had the 16" now for a few days and been using it for most of every day and so far it is a great machine. No regrets here. I am having to adjust the way I handle connecting to this computer but that has always been an ongoing change in the computer world anyway.

Do you NOT experience any of the issues reported? Not even the sound popping that is quite common?

To test for sound popping you can go into the desktop, click somewhere to change the focus from any other software and keep pressing "Command + Q" at different pace (once per second, then multiple times per second).

 

[LoganT]

I didn't pay 3K to play lottery. All computers must leave the factory flawlessly. This is ridiculous!

It’s not a lottery. You paid for a product and got a 90% working product. I’m not saying it doesn’t suck and sure hold them to a higher standard but I’ve had issues with products that cost $5-$5000, things happen. All I ask for is that the company makes it hassle-free to get the issue rectified and Apple is that type of company. Every product has issues and a lot of the time it‘s a huge PITA being bounced around different customer service representatives to get it fixed.

 

[agaskew]

It’s not a lottery. You paid for a product and got a 90% working product. I’m not saying it doesn’t suck and sure hold them to a higher standard but I’ve had issues with products that cost $5-$5000, things happen. All I ask for is that the company makes it hassle-free to get the issue rectified and Apple is that type of company. Every product has issues and a lot of the time it‘s a huge PITA being bounced around different customer service representatives to get it fixed.

I really don't understand this strange acceptance that "nearly OK" is good enough. It isn't. Plus I'd rate the OP's experience at well under 90%, just my opinion.

 

[jerryk]

Do you NOT experience any of the issues reported? Not even the sound popping that is quite common?

To test for sound popping you can go into the desktop, click somewhere to change the focus from any other software and keep pressing "Command + Q" at different pace (once per second, then multiple times per second).

Popping sounds has been fixed in most cases with latest version of Catalina. It also occurs and on pre-16" MBPs, so is a software/T2 chip issue.

 

[JChristian]

Popping sounds has been fixed in most cases with latest version of Catalina. It also occurs and on pre-16" MBPs, so is a software/T2 chip issue.

It fixed for some, but there are still lots of cases where the popping is still there, but lower. I've seen some people say their popping was fixed until they did the test I said on #5 and put their ear near the right speaker...

If it's a T2 chip issue as some say, it's a hardware issue and it would require people to send their MBPs back to fix, just a nightmare.

 

[Tomcaster]

I have pretty much the same amount of ghosting as on my 2019 iPad, no more popping after update to Catalina 10.15.2 (and I wouldn't have noticed if not reading this forum...), battery is like a tank. No buzzing from charger.

 

[jerryk]

My experience so far with the new MBP16 is terrible, a bunch of minor, but very annoying, issues:

1. 96W charger makes some static/buzzing noise while charging the notebook (idk if it's just mine or it's "by design", anyway it's ridiculous for an expensive notebook)
2. Ghosting (reports from many users proving it)
3. Sound popping from the right speaker (reports from many users proving it)
4. Battery, mine says full charge capacity is 8610mAh, while design capacity is 8790mAh (way below what I'm seeing from other's reports). Source: coconutBattery

1. I have no buzzing in mine. Make sure your wall receptical is wired property and producing proper voltage, amps, and frequency. You may also want to try a grounded plug.

2. Ghosting is about the same as I get on my other laptops, XPS 15 and Lenovo.

3. Popping occurs on non-16" MBPs and has partially been addressed with latest version of Catalina. Seems to be a function T2 chip used in 2016 and later MBPs.

4. Batteries float and may take a while to reach, or never reach design capacity. Battery charge is not easy to measure and is reading is an estimate and subject to variation. See https://www.hindawi.com/journals/isrn/2013/953792/ and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_of_charge. I take State Of Charge(SOC) readings on computers and cars with a big grain of salt.

 

[49erRedGold]

I didn't pay 3K to play lottery. All computers must leave the factory flawlessly. This is ridiculous!

Ah, that's the reality we as consumers would like with any product we buy, but that's just not a reality. And please, let the amount of money you spent go. The cost of a product doesn't dictate perfection from factories. Something super cheap should also work "perfectly" out of the box as well.

 

[jerryk]

Ah, that's the reality we as consumers would like with any product we buy, but that's just not a reality. And please, let the amount of money you spent go. The cost of a product doesn't dictate perfection from factories. Something super cheap should also work "perfectly" out of the box as well.

Wise words. A $185,000 Porsche Taycan EV just got an EPA range rating of 201 miles. A Tesla $50,000 model 3 Performance has an EPA rating of 310 miles, similar acceleration, and 155 mph top speed.

 

[JChristian]

Ah, that's the reality we as consumers would like with any product we buy, but that's just not a reality. And please, let the amount of money you spent go. The cost of a product doesn't dictate perfection from factories. Something super cheap should also work "perfectly" out of the box as well.

It's amazing how people in these forums try to defend Apple no matter what.

The amount of money invested DOES dictate the expectations. I'm not buying a $300 laptop from a chinese store with no QC and no marketing. I'm buying from Apple, a trillion dollar company who has aggressive marketing saying how reliable and perfect their products are and how amazing their QC is, but in the end that's just BS...

 

[49erRedGold]

Do you NOT experience any of the issues reported? Not even the sound popping that is quite common?

I was understood that Apple's recent software update got rid of the popping sound. Seems as the majority here with 16" MBP's have confirmed this. Did you perform the latest update released a few days ago?

To test for sound popping you can go into the desktop, click somewhere to change the focus from any other software and keep pressing "Command + Q" at different pace (once per second, then multiple times per second).

Honestly that's ridiculous. That's way too much to do to replicate an issue. That would not fall into to normal use of the MacBook. I can understand it shouldn't happen at all but that's quite a stretch and a normal user wouldn't be doing this.

 

[JChristian]

Wise words. A $185,000 Porsche Taycan EV just got an EPA range rating of 201 miles. A Tesla $50,000 model 3 Performance has an EPA rating of 310 miles, similar acceleration, and 155 mph top speed.

You are comparing oranges to apples, I'm not talking about performance of the MBP, just issues. You are saying that a 50K car has better EPA than a 185K car, but they are different brands. I could also say that a 3K laptop from Asus, Dell, MSI are WAY more powerful than my MBP16, but that's irrelevant, I'm talking about issues, not performance vs price.

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I was understood that Apple's recent software update got rid of the popping sound. Seems as the majority here with 16" MBP's have confirmed this. Did you perform the latest update released a few days ago?



Honestly that's ridiculous. That's way too much to do to replicate an issue. That would not fall into to normal use of the MacBook. I can understand it shouldn't happen at all but that's quite a stretch and a normal user wouldn't be doing this.

Read the first post... it's in there: macOS 10.15.2. The first thing I did was update as soon as I got the laptop.

I did not come here to get people on my side, I just wanted to post my experience. I know Apple forums (be it macrumors, reddit etc.) are filled with fanboys from both sides.

It's nothing ridiculous, this is a very simple way to replicate the issue (basically clicking buttons while in the desktop, it doesn't get much easier than that), do not use the "you are holding it wrong" move from Apple, please.

This test is just to force a system sound and is very consistent in the results, the issue also appears sometimes when I close a Youtube video or when I open Apple Store with an autoplay video etc, that's not the only way to produce the popping sound, but it's one that works every time and does not depend on any external factor.

 

[MacDonaldTrump]

Do you NOT experience any of the issues reported? Not even the sound popping that is quite common?

To test for sound popping you can go into the desktop, click somewhere to change the focus from any other software and keep pressing "Command + Q" at different pace (once per second, then multiple times per second).

 

[junkw]

you can go into the desktop, click somewhere to change the focus from any other software and keep pressing "Command + Q" at different pace (once per second, then multiple times per second).

is it the only time you hear it? or it happens in real-life situations?
[automerge]1576436873[/automerge]

8610mAh, while design capacity is 8790mAh

2% is a big deal?

 

[JChristian]

is it the only time you hear it? or it happens in real-life situations?

As I said in post #16, it is not the only way to trigger the popping. It does appear in real life situations like when opening Apple Store with an auto play video, when skipping a video on Youtube, when closing a Youtube chrome tab while playing a video etc.

The thing is that the test must be very simple and consistent and should not depend on any external factor (like Chrome/Youtube) or else people might say it's Chrome/Youtube fault or they might not be able to reproduce it.

 

[psingh01]

I had the buzzing thing on an older MBP. Changing to the three pronged grounded plug fixed it. Unfortunately Apple no longer includes this with MBPs.

 

[Nacho98]

People need to stop assuming 10.15.2 was ever intended to fix the popping issue.

Apple said it acknowledged the popping as a software issue to be addressed in a future update, and they said that like 3-4 days before 10.15.2 was released so that probably wasn't ever intended to be that software update. Sure it fixed or improved it for some people, but that could be a secondary effect of other updates in 10.15.2.

 

[JChristian]

People need to stop assuming 10.15.2 was ever intended to fix the popping issue.

Apple said it acknowledged the popping as a software issue to be addressed in a future update, and they said that like 3-4 days before 10.15.2 was released so that probably wasn't ever intended to be that software update. Sure it fixed or improved it for some people, but that could be a secondary effect of other updates in 10.15.2.

Indeed, I never thought about that. The release notes for 10.15.2 don't even mention the popping issue: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT210642

 

[morze]

It's good for people to expect a premium quality from Apple. After all, they charge a premium price. If people accept it's good enough, that's when you'll see the standard drop. Good thing people spoke up about those keyboards.

JChristian, that buzzing noise is not normal so I'd drop by Apple to check. I hope the popping issue is addressed completely with a future update.

 

[Plutonius]

Anyone else feeling disappointed with the new MBP16?

Buying products when they first come out is risky.

All the issues with the 16" will most likely be resolved fairly quickly but it just goes to show why people should wait on buying a newly released product.

It seems like all companies now use early adopters of new designs as beta testers.

 

[49erRedGold]

JChristian, that buzzing noise is not normal so I'd drop by Apple to check. I hope the popping issue is addressed completely with a future update.

Actually it is normal. It's a hum from the charger not being grounded. The effect also happens on the MacBooks. You will feel some electrical charge when touching the MacBook. Apple no longer includes the extension cable that grounds the charger. Sadly it's an additional $19 but that's what gets rid of the buzzing and hum.