LaptopApple87% by External Reviewers

Apple MacBook Pro 16

Laptop

Product Gallery

Product Overview

Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) is the long-awaited redesign of Apple's flagship laptop. Now powered by a proprietary M1 Pro or M1 Max SoC based on the ARM architecture, it brings a number of exciting upgrades.

The most obvious change is the display. The new Liquid Retina XDR panels are now surrounded by much reduced bezels. Perhaps as a homage to its popular smartphones, Apple has decided to include a "camera cutout" top center of the display. In real-world use, this is less of a nuisance as the new Liquid Retina XDR display is taller than the 16:10 displays found in earlier MacBook Pros: Applications incompatible with the cutout can simple use the lower, 16:10 display area, while compatible applications gain more display area.

Much like the "million-dollar" Apple XDR display, the new Liquid Retina XDR panel is backlit with mini LEDs. It is able to reproduce rich color gamut with high color accuracy, and is exceptionally bright for an IPS display. Full-size HDMI, SD card reader, and a redesigned MagSafe 3 power connection have likewise made their return.

Like the MacBook Pro 14 unveiled at the same time, the MBP 16 (2021) is also pwoered by Apple's home-grown M1 Pro and M1 Max SoCs. Up to 64GB of high-bandwidth memory and up to 8TB of storage are supported, too.

The difference, however, is the the MacBook Pro 16 comes with a 140W USB-C charger and a whopping 100Wh battery, the highest allowed to be carried on a plane.

Also worth mentioning are the use of six speakers around the laptop to provide an authentic 3D soundstage, something that Apple has been reluctant to do before. There is also a FHD webcam with large aperture that gives video call a quality bump.

With this redesign, the MBP 16 is finally competitive to Windows-based mobile workstations in terms of raw power. Hopefully, software support will follow.

Ratings

What we found

Pros

Gorgeous 16-inch XDR display
Powerful M1 Pro & Max SoCs
More input/output ports than its predecessor
Fantastic battery life
Comfortable keyboard

Cons

Nothing in particular

What external reviewers found

External score 87%

Pros

Great display
Beautiful 16-inch display
Good battery life

Cons

Expensive to upgrade
Not as powerful as the M1 Pro or M1 Max
No USB Type-C ports
No Thunderbolt 3

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Specifications

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peak"},{"Ft":"Display","Fn":"Contrast Ratio","Fv":"1,000,000:1"},{"Ft":"Display","Fn":"Display Backlight","Fv":"Full-Array LED (Mini LED)"},{"Ft":"Display","Fn":"Display Color Depth","Fv":"10 bit (1.07B colors)"},{"Ft":"Display","Fn":"Display Diagonal","Fv":"16.2 inch"},{"Ft":"Display","Fn":"Display Type","Fv":"IPS, Liquid Retina XDR"},{"Ft":"Display","Fn":"Gamut","Fv":"100% DCI-P3, True Tone technology"},{"Ft":"Display","Fn":"Pixel Density","Fv":"254 ppi"},{"Ft":"Display","Fn":"Refresh Rate","Fv":"120 Hz"},{"Ft":"Display","Fn":"Resolution","Fv":"3456 x 2234"},{"Ft":"Function","Fn":"Chipset","Fv":"Apple M1 Pro SoC, or M1 Max"},{"Ft":"Function","Fn":"Fast Charging","Fv":"Yes"},{"Ft":"Function","Fn":"Graphics","Fv":"16-core, 24-core, or 32-core GPU"},{"Ft":"Function","Fn":"Keyboard Backlight","Fv":"Yes"},{"Ft":"Function","Fn":"Operating System","Fv":"macOS Monterey"},{"Ft":"Function","Fn":"Operating Temperature","Fv":"50° to 95° F (10° to 35° C)"},{"Ft":"Function","Fn":"Processor","Fv":"10-core CPU with 8 performance cores and 2 efficiency cores"},{"Ft":"Function","Fn":"Security","Fv":"Touch ID sensor"},{"Ft":"Function","Fn":"Sensor","Fv":"Ambient Light Sensor"},{"Ft":"Function","Fn":"Touchpad","Fv":"Force Touch trackpad"},{"Ft":"Function","Fn":"Video Codecs","Fv":"Hardware-accelerated H.264, HEVC, ProRes, and ProRes RAW"},{"Ft":"Performance","Fn":"Battery Life","Fv":"Up to 11 hours wireless web / Up to 17 hours Apple TV app movie playback"},{"Ft":"Performance","Fn":"Memory | Capacity","Fv":"16, 32, or 64 GB"},{"Ft":"Performance","Fn":"Memory | Type","Fv":"200GB/s memory bandwidth"},{"Ft":"Performance","Fn":"Power Supply","Fv":"140 W, with USB-C to MagSafe 3 Cable"},{"Ft":"Performance","Fn":"Storage","Fv":"512GB, 1TB, 2TB, 4TB, or 8TB SSD"},{"Ft":"Production","Fn":"Availability","Fv":"2021-10-26"},{"Ft":"Production","Fn":"Debut","Fv":"2021-10-18"}],[{"Ft":"Connectivity","Fn":"Ports","Fv":"3x Thunderbolt 4 / USB 4 + 1x 3.5mm headphone jack + 1x HDMI + 1x SD card reader"},{"Ft":"Connectivity","Fn":"Wireless Connectivity","Fv":"WiFi 6, Bluetooth 5.0"},{"Ft":"Construction","Fn":"Battery | Capacity","Fv":"100 Wh"},{"Ft":"Construction","Fn":"Camera | Front","Fv":"FHD (1080p)"},{"Ft":"Construction","Fn":"Colors","Fv":"Silver, Space Gray"},{"Ft":"Construction","Fn":"Form Factor","Fv":"Clamshell laptop computer"},{"Ft":"Construction","Fn":"Microphone","Fv":"Studio-quality three-mic array with directional beamforming"},{"Ft":"Construction","Fn":"Speakers","Fv":"Six speakers with force-cancelling woofers"},{"Ft":"Dimensions","Fn":"Size | Depth","Fv":"9.77 inches (24.81 cm)"},{"Ft":"Dimensions","Fn":"Size | Height","Fv":"0.66 inch (1.68 cm)"},{"Ft":"Dimensions","Fn":"Size | Width","Fv":"14.01 inches (35.57 cm)"},{"Ft":"Dimensions","Fn":"Weight","Fv":"4.7 pounds (2.1 kg)"},{"Ft":"Display","Fn":"Brightness","Fv":"1000 nits max, 1600 nits peak"},{"Ft":"Display","Fn":"Contrast Ratio","Fv":"1,000,000:1"},{"Ft":"Display","Fn":"Display Backlight","Fv":"Full-Array LED (Mini LED)"},{"Ft":"Display","Fn":"Display Color Depth","Fv":"10 bit (1.07B colors)"},{"Ft":"Display","Fn":"Display Diagonal","Fv":"16.2 inch"},{"Ft":"Display","Fn":"Display Type","Fv":"IPS, Liquid Retina XDR"},{"Ft":"Display","Fn":"Gamut","Fv":"100% DCI-P3, True Tone technology"},{"Ft":"Display","Fn":"Pixel Density","Fv":"254 ppi"},{"Ft":"Display","Fn":"Refresh Rate","Fv":"120 Hz"},{"Ft":"Display","Fn":"Resolution","Fv":"3456 x 2234"},{"Ft":"Function","Fn":"Chipset","Fv":"Apple M1 Pro SoC, or M1 Max"},{"Ft":"Function","Fn":"Fast Charging","Fv":"Yes"},{"Ft":"Function","Fn":"Graphics","Fv":"16-core, 24-core, or 32-core GPU"},{"Ft":"Function","Fn":"Keyboard Backlight","Fv":"Yes"},{"Ft":"Function","Fn":"Operating System","Fv":"macOS Monterey"},{"Ft":"Function","Fn":"Operating Temperature","Fv":"50° to 95° F (10° to 35° C)"},{"Ft":"Function","Fn":"Processor","Fv":"10-core CPU with 8 performance cores and 2 efficiency cores"},{"Ft":"Function","Fn":"Security","Fv":"Touch ID sensor"},{"Ft":"Function","Fn":"Sensor","Fv":"Ambient Light Sensor"},{"Ft":"Function","Fn":"Touchpad","Fv":"Force Touch trackpad"},{"Ft":"Function","Fn":"Video Codecs","Fv":"Hardware-accelerated H.264, HEVC, ProRes, and ProRes RAW"},{"Ft":"Performance","Fn":"Battery Life","Fv":"Up to 11 hours wireless web / Up to 17 hours Apple TV app movie playback"},{"Ft":"Performance","Fn":"Memory | Capacity","Fv":"16, 32, or 64 GB"},{"Ft":"Performance","Fn":"Memory | Type","Fv":"200GB/s memory bandwidth"},{"Ft":"Performance","Fn":"Power Supply","Fv":"140 W, with USB-C to MagSafe 3 Cable"},{"Ft":"Performance","Fn":"Storage","Fv":"512GB, 1TB, 2TB, 4TB, or 8TB SSD"},{"Ft":"Production","Fn":"Availability","Fv":"2021-10-26"},{"Ft":"Production","Fn":"Debut","Fv":"2021-10-18"}]]

	M1 Max	M1 Pro

External Reviews

notebookcheck^[1]

Reviewer score 92% (normalized by Neofiliac)

Reviewers from notebookcheck have found:

The MacBook Pro 16 2021 with the fastest version of the M1 Max processor including 32 GPU cores does not only convince with its performance, but mainly the low temperatures. The powerful cooling solution and the efficient chip design definitely pay off here, because the temperatures are completely uncritical even under maximum load. And you can even use the maximum performance on battery power, which is unheard of in this performance range so far. The optional performance mode on the other hand results in slightly louder fans and lower surface temperatures.

Pros

Powerful CPU and GPU cores
High-quality case
Very good battery life
Fast Wi-Fi

Cons

No USB Type-C ports
No Thunderbolt 3

pcmag^[2]

Reviewer score 84% (normalized by Neofiliac)

Reviewers from pcmag have found:

The 16-inch MacBook Pro has a 20-hour battery life. It doesn't offer a ton of extra computing performance in CPU-intensive workloads. If you know you can take advantage of the M1 Max's specialized capabilities, you can configure a 14-inch laptop with the upgrade too.

Pros

Gorgeous 16-inch display
Sleek, lightweight design
Comfortable keyboard and touchpad
Excellent battery life

Cons

Not as powerful as the M1 Pro or M1 Max

tomsguide^[3]

Reviewer score 89% (normalized by Neofiliac)

Reviewers from tomsguide have found:

The MacBook Pro 2021 (16-inch) is an across-the-board improvement over its predecessor. With its remarkable battery life, outstanding speed, smartly redesigned chassis and big, beautiful screen, this is a versatile pro laptop that will serve you equally well in work or play. configuring it with one of Apple’s brawny new M1 Max chips will guarantee you some of the best performance you can buy in a MacBook.

Pros

Outstanding battery life
Beautiful 16-inch display
Long-lasting M1 Max chip

Cons

No Thunderbolt 4 or Thunderbolt 4 ports
No Thunderbolt 3 ports

tomshardware^[4]

Reviewer score 83% (normalized by Neofiliac)

Reviewers from tomshardware have found:

The 16-inch MacBook Pro is designed to be what it says on the tin: a professional machine for creatives, developers or others. It also is cool and quiet, has a beautiful display and brings back crucial ports that Apple should never have ditched in the first place. This is still a pretty computer, but it's chunky in this case.

Pros

Beautiful 16-inch display
Powerful CPU and GPU
Great display

Cons

Expensive to upgrade
No Thunderbolt 3

Also Check

Product ComparisonProducts in LaptopProducts by AppleKeyword full-array-ledKeyword mini-led

References

^ Apple MacBook Pro 16 2021 M1 Max Laptop Review: Full Performance without Throttling. [notebookcheck].
^ Apple MacBook Pro 16-Inch (2021, M1 Max) Review. [pcmag].
^ MacBook Pro 2021 (16-inch) review. [tomsguide].
^ MacBook Pro (16-inch, 2021) Review: M1 Max Shows Real Power. [tomshardware].

Apple MacBook Pro 16

Product Gallery

Product Overview

Ratings

What we found

What external reviewers found

Your rating:

Price Comparison

Specifications

Related Products

External Reviews

notebookcheck[1]

pcmag[2]

tomsguide[3]

tomshardware[4]

Also Check

References

notebookcheck^[1]

pcmag^[2]

tomsguide^[3]

tomshardware^[4]