New Macbook pro announced with new dimensions

[williamcll]

EDIT: Apple has officially announced their new Macbook with an even number on its diagonal size rather than a 15 or 17 inch model.

 

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Unlike other Apple devices, which are announced one day and released sometime later (maybe half a year later), the 16-inch MBP is available to order from today. As you might have guessed, it replaces the similarly sized 15-inch MacBook Pro. Accordingly, it also has the same starting price: $2,399 for the entry-level configuration and $2,799 for the step-up model.

As it happens, I've been testing one for the past 24 hours or so. That's not long enough for me to have written a credible review, in my humble opinion, but I do feel ready to share some early impressions alongside other necessarily details, like specs, upgrade options and Apple's lofty performance claims. Read on, and stay tuned for a proper review sometime soon.

To the sort of person who reads Engadget, the 16-inch MacBook Pro looks clearly different from the one it replaces. The physical Escape key is back (hooray again!), which means the Touch Bar is shorter than it would be otherwise. And the keyboard doesn't look as flat as it used to and indeed, it's not! The screen is larger, of course, while the bezels along the top and sides of the display are much slimmer -- Apple says they've been trimmed 25 and 34 percent, respectively.

Still, this doesn't look like a larger-screened machine. If you compare the spec sheets for the 16-inch and soon-to-be-discontinued 15-inch models, the new one is only marginally taller, longer, thicker. The thickness in particular has grown from 0.61 inch to just 0.64 inch. The difference in weight might be more noticeable: 4.3 pounds, up from a flat 4.0. But it still feels thin and light for what it is: A 16-inch laptop designed for some pretty demanding workloads.

The overall design is the same as before, too, complete with the same port selection: four Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) sockets and a headphone jack. You'll also still find the Touch ID fingerprint sensor in the upper-right corner of the deck. It's as accurate and easy to use as ever. Unfortunately, I'm very sorry to say that there is still no SD card reader, a puzzling miss considering the sort of users this machine was built for.

To restate the obvious, the screen here is big: a 16-inch panel with 3,072 x 1,920 resolution, 500 nits of brightness and a pixel density of 226 ppi. Other than the size and pixel-per-inch rating, this is the same Retina display we've tested on previous MacBook Pros. That is to say, it supports the P3 color gamut (an important spec for photographers and videographers), and it makes use of Apple's True Tone technology, which automatically adjusts the color temperature depending on the ambient light. Ironically, though this machine is billed as the 16-inch MacBook Pro, as if that were the defining feature, the new and slightly larger screen is actually the least interesting thing about it.

Far more interesting is the keyboard, which has been completely redesigned, and is hopefully a sign of things to come on the 13-inch MacBook Pro and maybe even the MacBook Air. Though Apple's official line on the subject is still that most of its customers enjoy the flat Butterfly keyboard, the outcry among consumers has been so loud that the company has had no choice recently to admit that at least some of its users actually really don't like it.

So the company's research and development team got to work. An Apple spokesperson says the company looked to the desktop Magic Keyboard for inspiration, then endeavored to adapt it to a laptop form factor. Indeed, this new keyboard is also called Magic Keyboard. (Because that's not confusing at all!)

For starters, this new design means the much-maligned butterfly mechanism is gone. We're back to the scissor design used on the Magic Keyboard, the older MacBook Air and other legacy machines. As a result, the buttons here are noticeably cushier, with a full millimeter of travel. At the same time, Apple combined a rubber dome and a new keycap structure that locks in the key at the top of the stroke. The idea there was to preserve the stability of the existing butterfly keyboards while maintaining the depth of scissor-style board.

That's not just me regurgitating Apple's marketing claims, either: It really is a nice keyboard. I've made few typos in my typing so far. No stuck keys. I also had the opportunity to do some side-by-side testing with an older, pre-butterfly 15-inch MacBook Pro, and the earlier scissor keyboard is clearly more wobbly. No surprise: I made more typing mistakes there, too. Here at the office, I asked my colleague, the prolific laptop reviewer Devindra Hardawar, to give the keyboard a shot, and he agreed it's much better.

As a plus, for those who care about such things, Apple also tweaked the arrow keys into what it calls an "inverted-T," so the left and right arrow keys are shorter and smaller than the vertical ones, making them easier to find by feel.

You can't tell by looking at the machine, but the audio capabilities are also much improved. There's now a three-mic array on the left side, which Apple promises can match or even best a studio-quality mic, such as the Blue Yeti. In a series of demos for reporters ahead of today's launch, Apple played back recordings made with the Yeti, the MacBook Pro and competing machines from Dell and Razer. The MacBook Pro indeed had the least hissing in the background, but I'd much rather attempt my own recordings and let you know how it goes.

As for output, there's a six-speaker setup, with force-canceling woofers meant to cut down on distortion caused by vibration. In that same series of demos, Queen's "Another One Bites the Dust" sounded louder and bassier than on other machines. Apple was the clear winner in other musical genres, too. I of course intend to do more testing before putting out a full review, but for now, it's safe to say that the audio quality here is quite good.

And now, performance. The MacBook Pro is offered with six- and eight-core Intel Core processors and either an AMD Radeon Pro 5300M 4GB or a 5500M 4GB GPU (upgradable to 8GB), depending on which configuration you buy. If money is no object, you can pack up to 64GB of DDR4 RAM (the standard is 16GB). On the storage front, you can configure it with up to an 8TB SSD, which is just bonkers.

At this point, you may be wondering about heat and battery drain. Fair questions, both! The machine packs a 100-Wh battery (up from 84-Wh), which is the maximum size allowed on planes by the Federal Aviation Administration. Thanks in part to that new battery, the company rates the machine for 11 hours, up from 10 hours on the most recent 15-inch model. To match, the accompanying adapter now delivers 96 watts of power, up from 87 watts in the previous generation. (The charger itself is the same size.)

Meanwhile, Apple also designed the MacBook Pro with larger impellers, more blades and new fans that are said to improve airflow by 28 percent. The heat sink has 35 percent more surface area, which Apple says will allow it to dissipate heat more efficiently. All told, the company claims the machine can sustain up to 12 more watts of power during "intensive workloads," though that seems subjective on its face.

The base $2,399 configuration comes with a 2.6GHz six-core Core i7 Processor, 16GB of RAM, a 4GB AMD Radeon Pro 5300M GPU, Intel UHD Graphics 630 and a 512GB SSD.

The $2,799 model starts with a 2.3GHz eight-core Core i9 CPU, a 4GB Radeon Pro 5500M GPU, the same Intel 630 graphics and a 1TB SSD.

Both configurations are upgradeable to a 2.4GHz eight-core Core i9 processor, the 64GB of RAM I mentioned earlier, a Radeon Pro 5500M 8GB GPU and either 2TB, 4TB or 8TB of storage. They're available to order today and are expected to ship by the end of the week.

Previous news:

Spoiler

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According to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who often accurately predicts Apple's plans, Apple is working on an upgraded 16 to 16.5-inch MacBook Pro with an all-new design.

The new 16-inch MacBook Pro's release is imminent, and the machine could see a launch as soon as November 13.

While initial rumors suggested the new MacBook Pro would be sold alongside the 15-inch MacBook Pro as a higher-end option, Bloomberg believes it will replace the 15-inch MacBook Pro and will be priced at around the same price point, which would be $2400.

An icon representing the new 16-inch MacBook Pro was discovered in the macOS Catalina 10.15.1 update, giving us a hint at what the new machine will look like.

The new model is shown to the right and does appear to be different than the current 15" model pictured on the left, as it seems to have slimmer bezels.

A 16-inch MacBook Pro image found in the release version of macOS Catalina 10.15.1 update also confirms that the new machine features a Touch ID/power button that's separate from the Touch Bar, which is a deviation from the current design.

The 16-inch MacBook Pro will feature a larger display than current MacBook Pro models and will have the biggest display in any MacBook Pro Apple has introduced since the 17-inch MacBook Pro. It is also said to be a higher-quality, brighter display that will be useful for gamers, photographers, videographers, and more. The new MacBook Pro won't be much larger than the existing MacBook Pro as it will feature slimmer bezels.

IHS Markit analyst Jeff Lin believed that Apple was going to release the 16-inch MacBook Pro in September. He says that the notebook will feature a display with a 3072 x 1920 resolution from LG Display. IHS Markit has in the past shared accurate information related to display rumors, so Lin has a somewhat established track record.

Lin also believes that the 16-inch MacBook Pro will use Intel's 9th-generation Coffee Lake Refresh processors, which are included in the 15-inch MacBook Pro, rather than Intel's 10th-generation Ice Lake processors as Intel hasn't yet released 10th-generation chips appropriate for the MacBook Pro.

If the MacBook Pro does indeed use 9th-gen Intel processors, it will be configurable with up to an 8-core 2.4GHz Core i9 processor, with 6-core Core i7 processors also available as an option.

According to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple is planning to do away with the butterfly mechanism in its MacBook keyboards, introducing a new design based on scissor switches. Kuo says the new keyboard could bring longer key travel and durability by using glass fiber to reinforce the keys' structure.

The scissor keyboard will be thicker than the butterfly keyboard, but Kuo says that most users likely won't be able to tell the difference. Kuo believes the new keyboard will first be introduced in the 16-inch MacBook Pro update that's rumored for the fall before expanding to other MacBook Air and Pro models starting in the second quarter of 2020.

The upcoming 16-inch MacBook Pro could ship with a 96W USB-C power adapter, based on rumors out of China. The 96W power supply is said to be similar in size to Apple's current 87W USB-C power adapter.

Kuo has also said that 13-inch MacBook Pro models in 2019 could see an update that would increase the maximum amount of RAM from 16GB to 32GB, but that also didn't happen with the May/July refreshes, so this may be an upgrade coming at a later time.

Chips appropriate for the next-generation entry-level MacBook Pro were introduced by Intel in August. Codenamed Ice Lake, the new 10th-generation chips are built on a 10-nanometer process. The Ice Lake chips offer double the graphics performance, integrated Thunderbolt 3, and Wi-Fi 6. The first machines with Ice Lake chips will be coming out in late 2019.

 

Additionally, a geekbench has been found online with the following specs:

This has a similar score to a Dell Inc. XPS 15 7590

Source:https://www.macrumors.com/roundup/macbook-pro/

https://browser.geekbench.com/v5/compute/240983

https://www.engadget.com/2019/11/13/apple-16-inch-macbook-pro-specs-pricing-hands-on-video/
Thoughts: This looks like a fortune, if I ever were to buy a mac I think I might go second hand or go with the low end model and and add a GPU enclosure.

[GenericFanboy]

I mean, i've been wanting a new heater for a while. 

[Commodus]

It's already official.

 

Huge upgrade -- they fixed the keyboard, allow up to 64GB of RAM and 8TB (!) of storage, offer better speakers and mics, plus include the usual performance boosts.  Not sure how the Radeon Pro 5300/5500M stacks up, but it's an improvement.  Also glad to see a 512GB SSD as the minimum despite the prices staying the same.

 

An update: Apple also says there's significantly improved airflow and a larger heatsink, so those of you prepared to grouse about thermal throttling... don't!  At least, not until there are reviews.

[williamcll]

35 minutes ago, Commodus said:

It's already official.

 

Huge upgrade -- they fixed the keyboard, allow up to 64GB of RAM and 8TB (!) of storage, better speakers and mics, plus the usual performance boosts.  Not sure how the Radeon Pro 5300/5500M stacks up, but it's an improvement.  Also glad to see a 512GB SSD as the minimum despite the prices staying the same.

 

An update: Apple also says there's significantly improved airflow and a larger heatsink, so those of you prepared to grouse about thermal throttling... don't!  At least, not until there are reviews.

Thanks for the update, changing the thread accordingly.

[jiyeon]

I juist watched MKBHD's initial impressions video on the newest MacBook Pro and it looks like the most refined MacBook I would be compelled to buy if I wanted to get into MacOS.

I use a 14" ZenBook so the sizing of the new MacBook might be a little big for some despite being a few inches larger.

[BuckGup]

Bigger battery, better thermals, smaller bezels, and no garbage butterfly switches?? This should of had its own launch event. The screen res is still a tad low, no one uses the touchbar, and the webcam sucks and it costs a kidney. But good to see progression rather than what we have been seeing since the 2016 models. Maybe because Ives is finally gone they can make it thicker

[Commodus]

1 hour ago, sowon said:

I juist watched MKBHD's initial impressions video on the newest MacBook Pro and it looks like the most refined MacBook I would be compelled to buy if I wanted to get into MacOS.

I use a 14" ZenBook so the sizing of the new MacBook might be a little big for some despite being a few inches larger.

The rumours are that the 13-inch model will get a similar treatment when relevant CPUs are available in 2020.  A 14-inch MacBook Pro with a good keyboard, better battery life and the like?  Yes, please.

[SeraphicWings]

1 minute ago, Tedny said:

Highest spec product isn't priced... waiting reviews, this is pointless right now 

$6100 decked out for a 9980HK, 64GB ram, 8TB SSD, actually even cheaper than the 15 inch version

 

[SenKa]

I can't buy one for this reason alone. The LCD is out of line with the corner of the housing.

[thorhammerz]

2 hours ago, Commodus said:

An update: Apple also says there's significantly improved airflow and a larger heatsink, so those of you prepared to grouse about thermal throttling... don't!  At least, not until there are reviews.

No thermal throttling? Is the combination of "larger heatsink" and "improved airflow" capable of dissipating ~2x the thermal energy of the previous model? Octa-core i9's sip well beyond the nominal 45w TDP when they boost under load.

[SeraphicWings]

4 minutes ago, thorhammerz said:

No thermal throttling? Is the combination of "larger heatsink" and "improved airflow" capable of dissipating ~2x the thermal energy of the previous model? Octa-core i9's sip well beyond the nominal 45w TDP when they boost under load.

They also apply an undervolt on MacOS as default too (Check Anthony's review on the 2019 15 inch model)

[Ashley MLP Fangirl]

 the butterfly keyboard is gone

[DrMacintosh]

This configuration is by far the most compelling MacBook Pro I’ve ever seen:

 

This is with education pricing. 

[yolosnail]

2 minutes ago, DrMacintosh said:

This configuration is by far the most compelling MacBook Pro I’ve ever seen:

 

This is with education pricing. 

That is, dare I say, a reasonable price !

Not far off what my HP Omen would have cost with my student discount

[Sorenson]

9 minutes ago, DrMacintosh said:

This configuration is by far the most compelling MacBook Pro I’ve ever seen:

 

This is with education pricing. 

Was just looking at that this morning. I can finally start saving up to replace my aging 2014 MacBook Pro! 

[captain_to_fire]

I can’t wait for Linus’ upcoming clickbait titles...

[Bombastinator]

47 minutes ago, SenKa said:

I can't buy one for this reason alone. The LCD is out of line with the corner of the housing.

I respect autism/ocd/fung  shway  based decisions like this.  Do what you do.

[Bombastinator]

I vaguely recall a video review or two of this thing already being out.  Maybe an LTT one.  Not sure.

[Flying Sausages]

34 minutes ago, DrMacintosh said:

This configuration is by far the most compelling MacBook Pro I’ve ever seen:

 

This is with education pricing. 

Only if you are a rich student. Poor students are going to be hell to the nah nah nah. 

[DrMacintosh]

2 minutes ago, OlympicAssEater said:

Only if you are a rich student. Poor students are going to be hell to the nah nah nah. 

Poor students weren’t looking to buy MacBooks in the first place because they know they can’t afford them
 

Premium laptops carry a premium price. These aren’t commuter machines that just get the job done. If you wanted that, go buy an Acer or a ChromeBook. 

[Flying Sausages]

Just now, DrMacintosh said:

Poor students weren’t looking to buy MacBooks in the first place because they know they can’t afford them

They can with debts. 

[DrMacintosh]

3 minutes ago, OlympicAssEater said:

They can with debts. 

That’s not anyone else’s problem but theirs. 

[Brooksie359]

This looks pretty interesting. Looks like alot of the complaints about the older models have been addressed in this one. Always good to see a company listening to their customers. 

[Guest]

2 hours ago, sowon said:

I juist watched MKBHD's initial impressions video on the newest MacBook Pro and it looks like the most refined MacBook I would be compelled to buy if I wanted to get into MacOS.

I use a 14" ZenBook so the sizing of the new MacBook might be a little big for some despite being a few inches larger.

I rather like a few extra inches coming from a 13” MBA to the pro. Much better for entertainment. 

[Sorenson]

39 minutes ago, OlympicAssEater said:

Only if you are a rich student. Poor students are going to be hell to the nah nah nah. 

I mean it is the MacBook "Pro" for a reason. Its not cheap, but the comparable XPS 15 goes for 1950$ MSRP. If you're a student and looking for something in this form factor  its not that bad of a value.