November 2019 was the date chosen by Apple to launch the 16-inch MacBook Pro, a computer that became the largest in the company’s notebook catalog. But what does this device incorporate? Is it worth buying? We answer these and more questions below in a complete review.
Analysis and specifications of the 16-inch MacBook Pro
A ‘Pro’ screen, but that could still be better
There is no doubt that the screen is the main novelty of this MacBook Pro, proof of this is that it is known precisely because of its size. The 16-inch diagonal on the screen becomes one of the main attractions of this team. It also does it with smaller frames compared to what Apple had used to us, which has allowed the team not to distance itself too much in size from the 15.4-inch model it replaced.
The resolution of this screen, which remains a retina, is 3,072 × 1,920 and a density of 226 ppi . We are not going to fool ourselves, it is a real screen wonder that on paper looks great but in person it earns many more points. Its quality is beyond doubt and we can be satisfied viewing multimedia content on the MacBook. However, put to demand and more in the case of Apple, we could have expected a 4K screen with OLED technology.
If there is something new in this equipment, it is also possible to choose the refresh rate from System Preferences, being able to find configurations at 60 Hz, 59.94 Hz, 50 Hz, 48 Hz and 47.95 Hz. The iPad Pro could also have expected a rate of 120 Hz here, but frankly we must recognize that it is not a handicap not to have them and we can experience a great graphic fluidity.
Other highlights are the brightness of 500 nits , the wide P3 color gamut and the built- in True Tone technology. The latter is the same one that Apple has used to incorporate in its devices for some years and that tries to adjust the colors of the screen to the different situations in which we find ourselves.
In short, and as we predicted in the headline of this section, we find a screen that we can squeeze to the fullest and be fully satisfied, but with the hope that in future generations this will still be improved both in materials and in rates of soda.
Processor, RAM, graphics and all the guts of this MacBook Pro
It is known that Apple has a team that is developing its own processors for the entire Mac range, as is the case with the iPhone, iPad, Apple TV and Apple Watch. At the moment the company continues to ‘pull’ third parties and this team has incorporated Intel‘s 9th generation processors , which are configurable between 6 and 8 core s.
Precisely the configuration of 8 cores incorporates an acceleration of Turbo Boost that can reach 5 GHz. This, taken in practical terms, will allow greater efficiency and fluidity when carrying out more complex processes, including editing and rendering. Video in high resolutions.
The RAM memory of the 16 GB DDR4 , integrated to 1666 MHz , although it can be configured in 32 GB or 64 GB . This increases the price, logically, but it gives the added ‘Pro’ that this equipment deserves and to which the very powerful ADM Radeon Pro 5.000M merges in the graphic aspect , which includes a configurable GDD46 memory with up to 8GB of VRAM .
But what about the ventilation and overheating of this equipment? As Apple has taken note of what happened in previous generations in this section and has redesigned the ventilation system and heat sink . This translates into a remarkable reduction of the heat of the device that, even in complex processes, is able to maintain a stable temperature that does not affect the performance of the processor or bother the user if, for example, the MacBook is above legs.
Leftovers in storage
Storage is probably one of the highlights in the devices we use in our day to day. In this MacBook Pro we forget the sometimes scarce 256 GB offered by Apple in its most basic versions and we already have a minimum of 512 GB of SSD storage.
We can also choose higher capacities of 1 TB, 2 TB, 4 TB or 8 TB. In principle they are capacities with which, depending on each user, we can be fully satisfied. With 8 TB it would be rare to miss more storage, although you can always use cloud storage services that complement this computer.
Keypad: goodbye butterfly, hello scissors (finally)
They say that the third time is the charm and, well, this is not the third MacBook that comes after the first with the failed butterfly keyboard. It has taken Apple a few generations to find a solution to the problems generated by its controversial keyboard. The idea was not bad, but neither was it effective. So we find that this 16-inch MacBook Pro adds a keyboard called “scissors” and is practically the same as the Magic Keyboard of the iMac.
This keyboard, both for key travel and for comfort, has left us with very good impressions. We forget the problems of keys stuck because of a bad mechanism and we surrender to absolute fluency when writing. Perhaps this is more a personal feeling and each person has their preferences, but it seemed to me a real wonder to use this keyboard.
What we also find as a novelty is the part of the TouchBar , and now the Touch ID sensor and the “esc” key are located on both sides of this touch screen without being part of it and making its use much more comfortable.
On the other hand, the Trackpad of this MacBook, with Force Touch technology, maintains a quite correct size to be able to navigate with the computer without any problem and without having to need an independent mouse or trackpad. Although in this part everything is more at the user’s choice, in the end it is very comfortable to have different Multi-Touch gestures with which to find shortcuts in the system.
In sound we also see improvements
We usually talk about sound in headphones and speakers, as is usually logical, but not so much in computers, smartphones and tablets. We have become so used to always use the AirPods and other helmets that we hardly give importance to a field in which computers like this MacBook Pro have not neglected.
This equipment invites you to listen to the audio of videos, movies, series and music without using headphones. It has, on the sides of the keyboard, with up to six speakers , two of which stand out with force cancellation. The sound, how could it be otherwise, is in stereo and allows to be coupled with content in Dolby Atmos.
The battery stands out for its great autonomy and fast charging
It is not that the MacBook Pro’s box comes very loaded with gadgets beyond the computer itself and the instructions, but it is always convenient to find a good charger. The one we found in previous generations is good, but that of this team is even better. It has a 96w USB-C power adapter , which will allow us to charge faster.
The autonomy of the computer, as usual in these computers, can vary greatly depending on the use that is being given. Keep in mind that it is not the same to edit videos in 4K for hours than just to write on a word processor. In general terms we have an autonomy of 11 hours , either in web browsing or video playback.
Another important aspect to take into account and that is rarely known, is the time that the computer can be at rest without downloading . Well, in this case the autonomy is exceedingly good with up to 30 days. Obviously fulfills its mission and is that few users will even have the device at rest for more than a week.
Camera, the biggest disappointment of this laptop
Big screen, great sound, great performance, but … what is the “but”? Well, the camera. This MacBook Pro, in full 2019, continues to incorporate a resolution that, without being bad, leaves much to be desired seeing the great possibilities that could incorporate a better resolution.
The camera, which is located on the same front above the screen, records in HD resolution at 720p . We insist that it is not a trajedia, but being a ‘Pro’ team and having more and more importance video calls through FaceTime and other services, it is really short.
Price
This is a controversial issue for several reasons. The first is that in the end each person can have different perceptions in this matter and consider this equipment expensive or cheap depending on the money they have and what they think may be worth paying. On the other hand we find that there is no single and exact price for this device.
This MacBook Pro starts at a price of € 2,699 in its most basic version and can be increased considerably as more specifications and additional accessory packages are added. It should also be noted that this price is what we find in Apple, but that in other specialized stores, whether physical or online, different offers may appear that reduce the price somewhat.
Other aspects
Beyond the mentioned specifications, we find other data of interest in this MacBook Pro. The most obvious to the naked eye is its color, which can be silver or space gray. Also the dimensions and weight can be important, in this case we find a height, width, depth and weight of 1.62 cm, 35.79 cm, 24.59 cm and 2 kg respectively.
The minimum operating system that we can install on this computer is macOS Catalina. The exact updates of this equipment are unknown, but taking into account Apple’s history and the specifications of this equipment we can intuit that the software will be updated until at least 2026 .
In connectivity we find an 802.11ac WiFi connection compatible with the IEEE 802.11a / b / g / n standards. Nor could bluetooth technology be lacking in this equipment, which meets the 5.0 standard. Maybe here we could have expected connectivity with WiFi 6.0, but for some reason Apple has not decided to include it in this model.
The connectors included in this MacBook Pro are, in addition to the 3.5 mm jack, four USB-C compatible with charge, DisplayPort, Thunderbolt up to 50 Gb / s and USB 2.1 Gen 2 up to 10 Gb / s.
In areas of accessibility Apple always emphasizes functions that help people with vision and even mobility problems, so it incorporates functionalities to take into account such as voice control, zoom, movement reduction, optional subtitles and more.
Conclusion
We will not be any of us who strongly recommend this or any other equipment, whether or not Apple. We always like to take into account different factors such as the use that each user will give or the price they are willing to pay. That said, is it worth as a general rule to buy this 16-inch MacBook? Yes.
Virtually any average user who uses the computer for basic functions will be more than enough with a MacBook Air, and obviously with this ‘Pro’ will have even fewer impediments. Focusing on more advanced users we already have different analyzes, since 90% could find an ideal configuration to perform advanced functions. However, there are video editing professionals, especially on a large scale, that may require even more power and then may require heavier equipment such as the Mac Pro or the iMac Pro.
So, in short, we invite you not only to stay with this analysis but to read different media, watch a multitude of videos and go analyzing whether or not this equipment adapts to your needs or if you could really be comfortable with a lighter one in specifications and price.
If you wish, you can check more information on the Apple website .
You can leave your impressions about this 16-inch MacBook Pro in the comment box.
