Summarized
The new large MacBook Pro has a 16" screen and improves the 15.4" model in a number of ways. The keyboard has more travel and therefore taps finer and the cooling has been improved, making the laptop less warm. The battery life was not bad, but it also got longer and we arrive at twelve and a half hours while browsing. The new video card is smoother than the previous slip-on. We still miss a card reader and for this money we would have expected a WiFi-6 card, instead of WiFi-5. While hardware upgrades have become cheaper, they are still anything but cheap. The price of the entry-level model has dropped by one hundred euros. That makes the MacBook Pro 16" still not a cheap laptop, but given all the improvements compared to its predecessor, it is a more interesting choice.
Pros
Good screen
Long battery life
Better cooling than predecessor
Smooth GPU
Cons
Card reader is missing
No wifi-6
High upgrade prices
If there is a laptop that can get things going, then it is Apple's MacBook Pro and in 2016 there was reason enough for discussion, because Apple had considerably modified the design of its most expensive laptop. The top row of keys was replaced by a touch-sensitive OLED screen, the touch bar, and almost all connections were replaced by USB-C ports. The keyboard was renewed and the touchpad was enlarged. Not everyone was happy with those changes, and the new keyboard in particular faced Apple with a lot of criticism, not least because the key mechanism was sensitive to dust and dirt, which allowed keys to stick.
Some of those changes have been reversed - and some have not. The new 16" model that the manufacturer recently announced has a new keyboard, with a different layout and, as the name implies, a larger 16" screen.
To start with, the housing has been 'renewed', which had to accommodate the 16" screen. You have to look closely to see the differences. The cooling slots on the sides are slightly longer and the part of the housing next to the keyboard is slightly wider, but otherwise the housing resembles that of the 15.4" model. That is not a problem, because that housing feels sturdy and is neatly finished. The hinge ensures that you can open the screen with a finger, but it does not wobble and the closing is nicely muted.
The size increases slightly, from 34.9x24.1cm from the previous MacBook Pro to 35.8x24.6cm from the 16" version. The screen edges have also become slightly thinner. The screen edges of the previous MacBook Pro were 3.34x1, 76cm, but that has reduced Apple to 3.05x1.76cm, so the screen has grown more than the case.
That housing also houses the connections and nothing has changed at that point. There are still four USB-C connections on the left and right, each of which has its own Thunderbolt controller. You can use all ports to charge the laptop and of course to connect USB devices with a maximum transfer rate of 10Gbit / s. On the right side there is a headphone connection and that means you have had it in terms of connections. There are no full-size USB or HDMI connections and you also miss an SD card reader. You will have to purchase adapter cables from USB-C to USB-A or HDMI separately, because they are not included in the box. So it's still a laptop that many users need dongles for.
Keyboard and touchpad
The 2016 model of the MacBook Pro introduced Apple's 'butterfly' keyboard. That butterfly refers to the shape of the nylon brackets that hold the keycap up and that are a lot less high than the usual 'scissor' switches. The switch itself is also a lot less high, which means that the 2016 keyboard takes up little space and the entire laptop could therefore be thinner. It also means that the keys have very little travel and the keys are not pleasant to us in our opinion. However, there are plenty of people who like the butterfly buds to work.
Whether or not you like typing, the new keyboard mechanism turned out to cause problems and went so far that users sued the manufacturer for easily getting dirt between the key and the case, leaving the keys stuck. In a later version of the keyboard, Apple added an extra plastic layer to protect it from dirt. This also made the keyboard tick quieter than the first generations.
The extra layer did not solve the problems and Apple apologized for the keyboard problems in 2019. Apple set up a repair program, which includes all butterfly keyboard MacBooks from 2015 to 2019. When the manufacturer released a MacBook Pro with a 15.4" screen six months ago, it was in the repair program from its release. That's neat, but also weird.
Time for something new, or rather something old, because with the 16" MacBook Pro the keyboard with scissor switches comes back. Apple, just like with the desktop, calls it a magic keyboard. That is a nice name for an ordinary one. laptop keyboard.
To begin with, Apple has slightly changed the layout and the escape key has been removed from the touch bar, but that has now become a separate key. That will appeal to many programmers who missed a physical escape test. In addition, the left and right arrow keys are again half-high based on user feedback, so that they are also easier to find blind. Finally, the on / off button, with built-in fingerprint scanner, is pulled away from the touch bar. These are all fine improvements.
The keys themselves have a subtle dimple, which allows your fingers to navigate the keyboard blindly. The touch feels similar to the MacBooks Apple made from 2013 to 2015, so the generation for the butterfly keyboard. You feel the test clearly going down and the feedback is quite clear.
It's a big difference from the butterfly keyboard, but don't expect that to mean the experience is 'magical'. Apple has not made the MacBook thicker, so it remains a thin keyboard with limited travel, as you will find in thin ultrabooks. Our measurements of the last four keyboard types that Apple used in its MacBooks also show that; the 2015 model had slightly more travel, while the first generation of unibody macbooks had a total travel of 1.4 millimeters. For comparison; a Lenovo ThinkPad E490 has a total keyboard travel of 2 millimeters. The fact that the travel is limited does not mean that the keyboard is in our opinion an improvement over its predecessor and thanks to the old familiar switches, the keyboard is probably less susceptible to problems. So an improvement on several fronts.
As much as there is to say about the new keyboard, so little to say about the touchpad. Apple still uses very large touchpads, which makes working with them very nice. In addition, the operating system picks up all the swipe gestures you make on it. While typing you can lean on the touchpad, but because of the excellent wrist detection, those touches are not registered as a click.
Hardware and benchmarks
Apple supplies the 16" MacBook Pro in two different basic versions. The entry-level model has a hexacore Core i7 processor, 16GB memory, a 512GB SSD and an AMD Radeon Pro 5300M video card. That entry-level model is a hundred euros cheaper than the previous generation MacBook Pro 15.4" , which Apple introduced in May 2019. That's not all that has gotten cheaper, as upgrade prices have also been lowered from the MacBook Pro we reviewed in 2018, and new upgrade options have been added.
The maximum working memory capacity is now 64GB and it can hold an SSD of up to 8TB. There are no separate SSDs with that capacity, but because Apple sticks the chips directly to the motherboard, the manufacturer achieves that capacity. Although a 4TB SSD now costs no more than 4080 euros, the prices are still hefty. For example, you already have a set of 64GB ddr4 memory for just over 300 euros and a smooth 2TB SSD for around 430 euros. However, all parts are soldered on, so it's a matter of choosing at the time of purchase and there's nothing to upgrade after that.
In addition to the entry-level model, Apple also offers an 'upgrade model' with i9-9880H processor, 16GB memory, a 1TB ssd, and AMD 5500M GPU with 4GB memory for 3199 euros. That is the version that Apple lent us to test for this review.
Apple MacBook Pro 16" (2019)
Processor: Intel Core i9-9880H
Cores / threads: 8/16
Clock frequency (turbo): 2.3GHz (4.8GHz)
Gpu: Intel UHD Graphics 630 & AMD Radeon Pro 5500M 4GB
RAM: 16GB DDR4-2666
SSD: Apple AP1024N
Wifi: Broadcom 802.11ac
Screen: 16" , 3072x1920 pixels, ips
Weight: 1955 grams
Battery: 99.8Wh
Operating system: MacOS 10.15
Except for the video card, the hardware is largely comparable to the 15.4" model that Apple introduced in May. The working memory now no longer taps at 2400, but at 2666MT / s and of course the video card is now an AMD Radeon Pro 5500M.
The processor has remained the same and the wireless network card has not yet been upgraded to 802.11ax. The latter is striking, because even the cheapest laptop in the Best Buy Guide of December already had an 802.11ax network card. This can be explained by the fact that the wireless network card is part of the platform for many Intel laptops and that Ice Lake 'belongs' an Intel AX201 network card. On the other hand, Apple does not use Intel, but wireless network cards from Broadcom and that manufacturer also sells an 802.11ax chipset, which Apple should have integrated in our opinion.
You can admire that hardware if you take the bottom plate off. It may be said: the laptop looks neat inside, but unfortunately there is nothing to upgrade yourself and replacing broken or worn parts is virtually impossible. Apple users now know this, but it remains a great pity.
Benchmarks
The 2018 model of the MacBook Pro, the first with an 8-core processor, suffered from throttling, something that Apple later largely remedied with a software update. To avoid such problems, the manufacturer has improved cooling by using multi-bladed fans, which should improve airflow by 28 percent. The heatsink has also been given a larger surface area, which is why the cooling can dissipate an additional 12 watts of heat. We run a number of benchmarks to see if that difference is reflected in that, starting with Cinebench.
In any case, the cooling seems to be working in Cinebench, because the 16" MacBook is faster than its 15.4" predecessor with the same CPU, in the singlecore and multicore benchmark.
We see nothing of that difference in Cinebench in Geekbench and the 'old' and the new MacBook Pro score almost equally high. However, Cinebench and Geekbench are short benchmarks and we suspected that the improved cooling might have more effect in a longer lasting scenario, so we turned on a long 4k export in Premiere and then using Intel's Power Gadget software consumption, temperature and clock speed measured.
We expected the better cooling to allow the 16" MacBook Pro to maintain faster clock speeds and thus finish rendering faster. That turned out not to be the case; the 15.4" er took 50 minutes while the new 16" -er took 51 minutes. That is not a significant difference and the average clock speeds were also quite similar. However, there was a nice difference in temperature. In the 16" model, the processor averaged 77 .4 ° C, while the old one got a lot warmer with an average of 85.1 ° C. So it seems that the cooling ensures that the new MacBook can clock itself a little higher under short loads due to the better cooling, while it stays a bit cooler during long-term tasks.
GPU benchmarks
In addition to a well-known CPU, the MacBook Pro also features a new GPU, the Radeon Pro 5300M and 5500M, which is included in the tested MacBook. It is a 7nm GPU of AMD's Navi generation with in the case of the 5500M 1536 stream processors. It is a Radeon Pro GPU, which means that it is not really intended for gaming, but for professional software that can use GPU support.
But running games is not impossible, in fact, they run quite smoothly, especially compared to the Radeon Pro 560X GPU in the 2018 model. In 3DMark, the graphics score is relevant to the GPU speed, and the Radeon Pro 5500M turns out to be about 13 percent faster than a GTX 1650 video card and more than twice as fast as the 560X. We then ran a number of games to see how smoothly they run.
At full HD resolution, quite heavy games run fine, especially if you don't turn the graphics settings too high, because then the average frame rate is above 60, but the games are also playable on ultra settings. It is not a good idea to play on the native resolution of the screen, because then the frame rates drop quickly and there is little fun to be had with this video card.
Screen and battery life
Since Apple has put the name 'retina' on its screens, the manufacturer has shown that the image is important and with this new 16" panel the retina name is again attached. Compared to the previous 15.4" - The panel has naturally grown in size and the resolution has also been increased. That is now 3072x1920 pixels and that gives a slightly higher pixel density of 226 ppi, instead of 221 ppi.
With the new MacBook, you get about 8 percent more screen area. You do not see the difference in sharpness and actually nothing has changed on other points. The screen still has high brightness and support for the p3 color space, according to Apple. It is also still a glossy screen, but with the high brightness it is good to compensate for reflections.
According to the colorimeter, combined with CalMAN software, the screen does indeed reach a brightness of almost 500cd / m². It is interesting to note that when they first used a panel with these features, Apple rose above the competition. In the meantime, such clarity is no longer special and there are laptops such as the Asus Zenbook Pro Duo and the BTO 15X990, which have an OLED screen and therefore an immeasurably high contrast. For an ips panel, however, the MacBook's 1500: 1 isn't bad at all.
The retina display supports the standard srgb and dci p3 color space and is neatly calibrated for both. The average deviation is in the display of grayscale, but also in the display of the primary and secondary colors below 3, which means that you should hardly be able to detect the deviation. You can expect that for a laptop of 2700 euros and it is good to see that Apple lives up to the expectations that we now have of its screens.
Battery life
Because the housing went from 15.4 to 16" , more space became available and Apple used it for battery cells, among other things. The capacity of the battery goes to 99.8Wh, which is the same as the battery in the 2015 model. And perhaps more importantly, no more than 100Wh, because that is the maximum that most airlines allow in the cabin.
A larger battery was also necessary, because the screen got bigger and got more pixels. That simply costs more energy. The result in our browser test is a battery life of 12.5 hours and when watching a 1080p video, the total battery life is an hour less. Both loads are not heavy on the MacBook and if you perform tasks other than simple video or browsing, the battery life will also be shorter. With Windows laptops we also run a PCMark battery test to simulate the heavier work, but because the MacBook is poorly optimized for Windows, such a battery test is not representative, so we left it out.
Charging takes less than 2.5 hours and that is neat; Last year's MacBook Pro with its smaller battery is ready just ten minutes earlier. Many laptops take longer to charge.
Conclusion
The 16" MacBook Pro is the successor to the 15.4" model that Apple discontinued, and in many ways this new model is an improvement on its predecessor. That is not only due to the larger screen, although that is a nice bonus. Apple has made the edges a bit narrower, so that the housing was only slightly larger than with the 15.4" model. The weight did increase slightly, from 1805 to 1955 grams, but you also get something in return.
First of all, that larger screen, which differs little from its predecessor except for the resolution, but that screen was already very good. The 16" panel again has a high brightness, good contrast and is well calibrated. You also get more battery cells thanks to the larger housing and we therefore came to an excellent battery life of 12.5 hours during browsing. That is half an hour better than its predecessor, despite the larger screen with more pixels.
The cooling has also been improved due to a larger heatsink and fans that can move more air. The laptop does not get faster under prolonged load, but remains cooler. The new 7nm video card is a big upgrade over the standard 560X GPU that came in the previous model and although we tested the fast 5500M, we expect that to be the case with the slightly slower 5300M.
The most noticeable improvement on the outside is of course the keyboard, which now has the same scissor switches as almost all other laptops. The keys have more travel than the butterfly switches and therefore, in our opinion, tap much finer. However, it remains a thin laptop with a thin keyboard, so the travel remains limited and is comparable to that of a thin ultrabook.
So many things have improved, but things have also remained the same, and one of them is the lack of a card reader, which photographers and video producers undoubtedly miss. Another drawback, which is actually a fixture with Apple hardware, is the price of the upgrades. Although those prices have fallen compared to a year ago, they are still not in proportion to the prices you would pay if you bought the parts separately. But because there is nothing to upgrade afterwards, you will have to make the cut right at the time of purchase if you want more memory or a larger SSD. Finally, we see more and more new laptops with 802.11ax network cards on the market and such a network card would not have looked out of place on the new MacBook Pro.
In short, the successor of the 15.4" MacBook Pro has more pixels, more battery cells, more cooling capacity and more graphic speed, in addition to a keyboard that probably does not break down so quickly. For all that you pay a little less, because the entry-level model is a hundred euros cheaper, which still does not make it a cheap laptop, especially if you choose more memory or a larger SSD, but it does make this MacBook a more attractive option than its predecessor.
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Apple MacBook Pro 16 inch Review - More MacBook for less
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Oleh
JD Tech Soft
