Apple Launches 16" MacBook Pro, Its Most Powerful Yet
Shrinking bezels has been the trend for nearly every device with a screen. Apple did it with the iPhone, then the iPad, and, now, with its flagship MacBook Pro lineup, with the introduction of a brand-new 16" variant. It still looks like a MacBook Pro, which is good, but when you pop it open you will be greeted by a fresh 16" display that encompasses more area on the top half of the laptop. While this is the most eye-catching part of the latest MacBook Pro, Apple took care to modify some key areas-namely, the keyboard. It has a more reliable scissor-switch mechanism for the keys, the Touch ID sensor has been separated from the Touch Bar, and there is a physical escape key(!). Apple has also announced that the redesigned Mac Pro will be available this December.
Ever since moving to the Retina display, Apple has yet to make a laptop larger than 15.4". That all changes with the 16" Retina display on the new MacBook Pro and its 3072 x 1920 resolution. This brings the pixel density up to 226 ppi and offers almost 6 million individual pixels, for incredibly sharp and detailed images. Apple also ensures that each display is calibrated in the factory for accuracy. It will offer a P3 wide color gamut and brightness of up to 500 nits.
As someone who has had issues with the most recent MacBook Pro keyboards, I am very happy to hear about a redesigned Magic Keyboard with only 1mm of travel present in the 16" MacBook Pro. This should feel much more responsive and satisfying while remaining quiet. It even brings back the physical escape key and an inverted-"T" arrangement for the arrow keys. The Touch Bar and Touch ID remain, as well.
This is the most powerful MacBook yet and, with that, Apple has introduced an advanced thermal architecture for keeping the machine cooler for longer. There are larger blades and vents for the fans, increasing airflow by 28%, and a heat sink that is 35% larger. Spec-wise, this should result in a sustained bump of up to 12W of power during intensive processes. As for connectivity, this MacBook Pro isn't much different from the last, with 4 Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) ports and a 3.5mm headphone jack.
Speaking of power, the 16" MacBook Pro can be equipped with 9th-generation 6- and 8-core processors with Turbo Boost speeds of up to 5.0 GHz, which is 2.1x faster than the quad-core 15" MacBook Pro. Pack this with up to 64GB of memory and you have an impressive portable workstation. Graphics got a bump, as well-the 16" is the first to use AMD Radeon Pro 5000M series graphics based on 7nm architecture. It can be configured with up to 8GB GDDR6 VRAM for dramatically improved performance whether you are editing videos or playing games.
Powering all of this is a large 100Wh battery that provides an additional hour of battery life and falls perfectly under current FAA regulations for air travel. This brings the total up to 11 hours for wireless web browsing or Apple TV app video playback.
Not content to leave it there, the new MacBook Pro boasts extra storage options, with the base models starting with either 512GB or 1TB. Configurations are available up to 8TB, which Apple claims is the largest SSD ever made available in a notebook. Also, the audio experience uses a redesigned six-speaker system and force-canceling woofers to limit vibrations. This creates clearer sounds and deeper bass. The mic array received a 40% reduction in hiss for an improved signal-to-noise ratio. Additionally, the new MacBook Pro will ship with macOS Catalina.
Today is all about the Pros, because Apple has revealed that the redesigned Mac Pro and Pro Display XDR will be available next month, in December 2019. This long-awaited update offers vastly superior performance and incredible modularity, while the Pro Display XDR looks to be among the best professional monitors on the market. To learn more about these upcoming products please visit our original announcement. Stop by the B&H "Mac Pro, Unleashed" Page to learn more about how the Mac Pro can help different types of creative workflows.
Are you ready to upgrade your MacBook Pro? I know I'm excited for the new keyboard and a bit more power. Sound off in the Comments section, below!