New Apple MacBook Pro (16-inch, 16GB RAM, 512GB Storage) – Space Gray
Ninth-generation 6-Core Intel Core i7 Processor
Stunning 16-inch Retina Display with True Tone technology
Touch Bar and Touch ID
Amd Radeon Pro 5300M Graphics with GDDR6 memory
Ultrafast SSD
Intel UHD Graphics 630
Six-speaker system with force-cancelling woofers
November 17, 2019
So, let’s get right to the details. The new 16-inch MacBook Pro looks even cooler than its predecessor. It is also truly different.
The display features a 16-inch display. The new MacBook Pro is now a tiny bit thicker: up from 0.61 inch to 0.64 inch. And it’s also a tiny bit heavier: From exactly 4 pounds it went up to 4.3 pounds!
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Connectivity
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The new MacBook Pro 16 inch comes with four Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) sockets and a headphone jack. The Touch ID fingerprint sensor is still in the upper-right corner.
The resolution of the screen is nothing short of awesome: 3,072 x 1,920 pixel with 500 nits of brightness and 226 ppi. It gives you the P3 color gamut you learned to love.
However, it wouldn’t be Apple if the Cupertino-based company hadnât gone above and beyond of what itâs competitors are up to. Yeah, with Apple’s True Tone technology the display automagically adjusts the color temperature depending on the light properties of your surroundings.
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New keyboard: scissor design replaces butterfly design
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I love the new keyboard, which might also finally spell the end of the usually much-hated Butterfly keyboard! So, Apple finally ceased some ground and took notice of what we donât want. We don’t want the Butterfly keyboard!
Awesome, I am so relieved about the new keyboard with its lovable scissor design. Typing on it is truly awesome. So, the wait is over.
As far as the SD card reader is concerned…. the wait is still on!
Apple is about total attention to the very tiniest of details. I noticed on the keyboard an “inverted-T”. What does it even mean, “inverted-T”? The left and right arrow keys are slightly shorter and a little bit smaller than the vertical ones. This way you can feel your way on the keyboard on your new dream machine.
The MacBook Pro comes in two flavors: with six- and eight-core Intel Core processors. As far as the video cards are concerned you can choose between an AMD Radeon Pro 5300M 4GB or a 5500M 4GB GPU (the upgrade to 8GB is optional).
The memory goes up to 64 GB. However, I am already happy with the 16 GB. I want to keep it affordable (I donât want to have to hire a bodyguard, LOL!).
On the storage side you can max it out with an 8TB SSD.
It’s far beyond my current needs, so I’ll pass on that one for now.
As a frequent flyer I am happy to say that the battery went up from 84 Wh to 100 Wh. A brilliant choice of Appleâs! Bigger, meaning beyond 100 Wh wouldn’t be exactly better, b/c it would be more than the Federal Aviation Administration allows on board of a plane. Yeah, we have got to play by the rules.
If you also happen to fly long-distance, you’ll be excited to know that the battery is now rated for 11 hours instead of 10 hours in the 15-inch MacBook Pro.
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The Verdict is In
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The new MacBook Pro 16 inch was worth the wait! Itâs way faster and a joy to work with!
That’s it for now.
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November 18, 2019
The good.
– Keyboard. It’s fantastic. The key travel has been extended to 1mm, which is about half of the original keyboard found on the 2015 and prior model years. It feels just as good to type on because apple improved the tactile feedback. The keys sort of spring back. The keyboard is quiet and very comfortable to type on. The keys are slightly smaller but do not make typing on them any more difficult. The directional arrows are now properly setup and the physical Esc key is back, making it a breeze to flip through open applications.
– Screen. The difference in size is subtle but noticeable. It’s technically even more dense, but just barely. You won’t notice much difference from recent MacBook Pros but true to Apple, the display is absolutely gorgeous. The 0.6 inch difference in size retains the same logical resolution, so everything should look just slightly bigger which I welcome.
– Processor. The base model has the same chipset as the 2019 15.4″ model. The performance, however, is about 10% better due to significantly improved airflow and larger heatsinks. The issue of heat related throttling has been largely addressed. On the upper model, the machine now comes with 8 cores and serious performance bump. There is literally nothing you can throw at this MacBook that it won’t handle with breeze.
– Graphics. The traditional setup is still here. You have the onboard Intel chipset, which operates when the demand for visual performance is low. You also have a discrete AMD chip which delivers significant improvement over the previous generation. In fact, the base model delivers performance in excess of the upper spec Vega chipset from last year. The leap is extraordinary. As before, the system will automatically choose which graphics card to use depending on demand.
– Sound. In one world, amazing. Imagine Apple took a HomePod and flattened it to fit it in the housing of the MacBook Pro. That is essentially the experience. Bass is pronounced and crisp and treble is sharp. The sound is rich and room-filling. There are six speakers instead of two in the last generation.
-Microphone. Major improvements with three mics instead of one in the previous generation. I use the MacBook to make calls using an iPhone and the sound on the other end is clear and free from background noice. I’ve been told it sounds a lot better than before, but that is of course subjective. On paper, you’re getting better noise reduction and improved sound fidelity.
– Touch Bar. Controversial in the past, I think it may now be the “happy medium” between physical keys and the useful Touch Bar which adapts to the content on the screen. The Esc key is back and on the right hand side you’ll find Touch ID and power button.
– SSD. You’ll love the fact that now base starting size of the SSD has been doubled on both the entry model and the upper model with 512GB and 1TB respectively.
– Gaming. This has to be mentioned. The graphics card offers incredible leap in performance. Modern games that would get 14-16FPS on high setting now perform at 35-40FPS with ease. Same settings. Same games. Huge improvement. It’s now possible to play AAA games on the MacBook Pro with reasonable performance and high visual settings.
– Productivity. This machine is a beast. I use the full Affinity suite and do some limited video editing. In addition, I have multiple productivity programs open, over a dozen Safari tabs, two email clients, and dozens of other apps, such as CRM, task managers, notes, etc. Everything runs smoothly.
– Value. Yes, value. This expensive laptop brings the best value in the lineup of the 15.”4 (now 16″) offering to date. If you carefully look at the costs of truly compatible Windows offerings, you’ll find the MacBook Pro to be competitively priced.
The Bad
– Weight. The machine is slightly heavier but I welcome the added bulky. Finally Apple went with functionality over its obsession with thiner and lighter hardware, giving us a machine with proper thermal management, proper keyboard and more. But if you plan on taking it with you places, you’ll feel the extra bulk.
– BTO Updates. The cost of BTO options is still quite high, with the noted exception of the 8GB option on the GPU. You’re still paying a significant premium for each incremental upgrade over the base model.
To sum up — This is the best MacBook Pro in many years. It’s a well-rounded, powerful machine that brings about incredible performance and value. I would highly recommend it to any Pro.
If you’re upgrading from the 13″ model and wonder how much more real estate you can expect, see attached side-by-side comparison photo.