The MacBook Professional 16-inch is Apple’s flagship workstation laptop computer for creatives, and in January 2023, it received a mildly stunning replace that can have little doubt received numerous inventive professionals .
I say ‘mildly stunning’ as whereas the announcement of a brand new MacBook Professional 16-inch mannequin did come as a shock, ever since Apple launched its new M2 chip alongside the MacBook Air (M2, 2022) and MacBook Professional 13-inch (M2, 2022) final 12 months, it was broadly anticipated that we’d find yourself seeing a brand new MacBook Professional 16-inch (and 14-inch mannequin) powered by superior chips based mostly on the brand new M2 – and that’s precisely what we received.
Whereas the earlier MacBook Professional 16-inch, launched in 2021, got here with a alternative of M1 Professional and M1 Max chips, the brand new mannequin options both an M2 Professional or M2 Max chip. As these names recommend, these are extra {powerful} variants of the M2 chip, and Apple argues that these new chips characterize a generational leap over the M1 Professional and M1 Max.
That declare is actually thrilling, because the earlier MacBook Professional 16-inch was an extremely {powerful} laptop computer that excelled at heavy inventive workloads. If that laptop computer has seen a significant improve after simply two years in the marketplace, then this new one should be an actual beast, proper?
However, the 2021 mannequin was so good, was there any actual want for such a swift improve? There may also be individuals who invested some huge cash within the 2021 16-inch MacBook Professional who could also be wanting on the new model and questioning if they need to change to the brand new one. Would such a transfer be worthwhile, or is the MacBook Professional 16-inch (2023) much less of a generational leap and extra of a tentative step? Learn on to seek out out.
MacBook Professional 16-inch (2023): Worth and availability
The Apple MacBook Professional 16-inch (2023) went on sale on January 24, 2023, every week after its shock launch. For purchasers within the US, there was an additional nice shock, as the bottom mannequin of the brand new MacBook Professional has not had a value improve, regardless of the {hardware} upgrades.
So, for $2,499, you may get the Apple MacBook Professional 16-inch (2023) with an M2 Professional chip, 16GB of unified reminiscence, and 512GB of storage.
Nonetheless, within the UK, that very same mannequin prices £2,699, a £300 improve in comparison with the earlier mannequin.
For the Apple MacBook Professional 16-inch (2023) with the extra {powerful} M2 Max chip, you’re taking a look at a price ticket of $3,499 / £3,749, which comes with 32GB reminiscence and 1TB storage.
As with earlier MacBook Professional fashions, you possibly can configure the brand new Apple MacBook Professional 16-inch (2023) with numerous upgrades – and it’s value taking time to think about what you want out of this MacBook, as you possibly can’t improve it later. Nonetheless, be conscious that boosting the specs can increase the worth even additional – a maxed-out model with 96GB reminiscence and 8TB storage will set you again a large $6,499/£6,549.
MacBook Professional 16-inch (2023) evaluate: {Hardware} and design
In contrast to the earlier mannequin, the MacBook Professional 16-inch (2023) doesn’t include a radical redesign, so on the surface, it appears an identical to the 2021 model. This isn’t notably a nasty factor – the 2021 mannequin’s redesign added a bigger display, higher webcam, and extra ports – three Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C) ports, a full-size HDMI port, and an SDXC reminiscence card slot.
So, it’s good to see these carried over to the brand new mannequin. The ports are helpful, particularly for inventive professionals, as not like with the 13-inch MacBook Professional, which solely options USB-C ports, you gained’t must depend on adapters or docks if you wish to plug in a monitor or get pictures from a digicam’s reminiscence card.
As soon as once more, a MagSafe port is included, permitting you to simply plug within the charger – which snaps into place because of magnets. It will also be safely eliminated – and even yanked accidentally – with out inflicting injury to the port. It’s a pleasant addition, and for those who overlook to take the cable with you when touring, you possibly can nonetheless cost the MacBook through a USB-C charger.
The truth that it additionally comes with the identical 16.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR show, which makes use of mini-LEDs to supply an extremely spectacular distinction ratio, with a decision of 3456 x 2234 and as much as 120Hz refresh charges (utilizing what Apple calls ‘ProMotion’ expertise) is, once more, welcome. It stays one of the best display you may get on any laptop computer, not simply MacBooks. Whereas I won’t wholly agree with Apple’s aversion to together with touchscreens on its MacBooks, I actually don’t blame the corporate for sticking with the identical glorious display.
The webcam is once more a 1080p FaceTime HD mannequin, and as with the earlier mannequin, this leads to a noticeable ‘notch’ that surrounds the webcam and dips down into the display, partially obscuring a part of the menu bar. Whereas this brought on some controversy when it first appeared within the 2021 MacBook Execs, it’s actually not that a lot of a giant deal, and macOS Ventura, which comes preinstalled on these fashions, has been designed to include the notch, transferring menu objects onto either side, so that you don’t miss out on any performance, as you possibly can examine extra in our macOS Ventura evaluate.
In actual fact, what numerous the controversy didn’t take note of was that you just received extra workspace, because it was much less in regards to the notch coming down into the display, however fairly the menu bar being pushed up into what was as soon as the display bezel.
The display dimension and extra ports do imply it is a substantial laptop computer to lug about, with dimensions of 0.66 x 14.01 x 9.77 inches (1.68 x 35.57 x 24.81cm) and a weight of two.2 kg (4.8 kilos). Whereas the vary of ports and high quality of the display and webcam means you don’t must plug in a variety of exterior gadgets or adapters to work comfortably on the MacBook Professional 16-inch, making it actually a extra moveable workstation than a desktop PC or Mac. Nonetheless, as laptops go, it is a massive and heavy machine, so for those who’re after one thing extra moveable, think about the MacBook Professional 14-inch (2023), which comes with nearly an identical specs, however in a smaller total package deal.
Different elements of the brand new MacBook Professional 16-inch’s design stay the identical, so that you get a big and cozy keyboard that mixes low profile keys with good journey and a tactile, responsive, impact when typing. A Contact ID sensor can also be included for simple and safe biometric logins.
So, whereas the design of the Apple MacBook Professional 16-inch (2023) isn’t as revolutionary or as thrilling because the final model, it doesn’t should be. Apple’s customary construct high quality and aesthetics are all current and proper, and whereas it might not be the best MacBook to hold round, it manages to provide you nearly every little thing you must work each within the workplace or studio, or out on the highway.
MacBook Professional 16-inch (2023): Software program and efficiency
The most important headline change for the brand new MacBook Professional 16-inch is what’s on the within, with Apple debuting two new super-powerful chips – the M2 Professional and M2 Max. The corporate claims that the M2 Professional gives 30% quicker GPU efficiency than the M1 Professional, and the M2 Max gives the same 30% soar in comparison with the M1 Max.
Contemplating how {powerful} the earlier chips have been, these claims trace at very spectacular efficiency from each new chips. Nonetheless, whereas a 30% enchancment over already {powerful} chips is respectable, few would argue that it’s a very generational leap. On paper, not less than, anybody who owns the M1 Professional or M1 Max MacBook Professional from 2021, and finds that their laptop computer simply handles any activity you ask of it, shouldn’t really feel the necessity to improve to the brand new mannequin. Except you may get trade-in deal for the 2021 mannequin (and don’t take a look at Apple for that, because it gives trade-in costs that verge on the insulting), it gained’t be definitely worth the value.
Going from an Intel-based MacBook Professional, nevertheless, such because the 2019 mannequin of the MacBook Professional 16-inch, will probably be revolutionary. Make no mistake: the chips inside the brand new Apple MacBook Professional 16-inch (2023) are glorious performers.
Throughout my time reviewing the MacBook Professional 16-inch (2023), I used it for quite a lot of duties, together with photograph and video enhancing utilizing Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Premier Professional, and created a number of musical tasks in Ableton Reside 11 utilizing a mixture of MIDI devices, and the Apple MacBook Professional 16-inch (2023), which is supplied with the M2 Professional, carried out extraordinarily effectively. With the identical complicated multi-track audio tasks that generally made the M2 MacBook Professional 13-inch wrestle to maintain up, the M2 Professional MacBook Professional 16-inch didn’t skip a beat.
macOS Ventura and numerous different built-in apps, all carried out effectively and felt quick and responsive. For the reason that launch of Apple’s personal M1 chip in 2020, there was an growing variety of apps which were constructed with M1 and M2 compatibility. Most main apps have native M2 help now, and the few that don’t can nonetheless be run because of Apple’s Rosetta 2 software.
Whereas the mannequin I reviewed wasn’t the highest-end model, for the mid to high-level inventive duties I used it for, the M2 Professional carried out extraordinarily effectively, which can make the M2 Max mannequin more durable to justify, as you’ll want to make use of it for some significantly heavy-duty workloads to take advantage of out of the additional energy.
| System | CPU | Single Core | Multicore |
|---|---|---|---|
| MacBook Professional 16-inch (2023) | M2 Professional (12-core CPU / 19-core GPU) | 1,961 | 15,061 |
| MacBook Air (mid 2022) | M2 (8-core CPU / 10-core GPU)M2 (8-core CPU / 10-core GPU) | 1,917 | 8,950 |
| MacBook Professional 13-inch (2022) | M2 | 1,920 | 8,869 |
| MacBook Professional 13-inch (late 2020) | M1 | 1,705 | 7,382 |
| MacBook Air (late 2020) | M1 | 1,702 | 7,400 |
| Dell XPS 17 9700 | i7-10875H | 1,282 | 8,119 |
| Dell XPS 15 9500 | i7-10875H | 1,318 | 7,621 |
| Razer Blade Professional 17 | i7-10750H | 1,314 | 6,164 |
| ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 | Ryzen 4900HS | 1,221 | 7,982 |
| Floor Ebook 3 | i71065G7 | 1,298 | 4,511 |
| Dell XPS 13 9300 | i7-1065G7 | 1,284 | 4,848 |
The artificial benchmarks I ran additionally confirmed a really succesful laptop computer, scoring 1,961 and 15,061 within the Geekbench 5 single-core and multi-core assessments, respectively. This assessments how effectively the CPU performs, and when in comparison with the 1,920 and eight,869 scores of the M2 chip in the identical assessments, it reveals a transparent efficiency leap over final 12 months’s chip.
I additionally ran the Shadow of the Tomb Raider sport benchmarks to take a look at the graphical talents of the Apple MacBook Professional 16-inch (2023). With graphical settings set to ‘Highest’, and the decision set to 1920 x 1200, the MacBook Professional 16-inch managed an excellent 52fps (frames per second). Whereas this isn’t a gaming laptop computer, the consequence reveals that it may possibly actually do the job, even on graphically-intensive duties. Whereas I’d nonetheless advocate a devoted gaming laptop computer, which can provide higher efficiency (and a wider vary of appropriate video games, on account of it working Home windows), the MacBook Professional 16-inch is clearly a succesful machine if you wish to unwind with a sport after work. For sport builders, having a laptop computer you possibly can each code on, and check your sport, will probably be extremely helpful.
The GFXBench Steel check for checking 3D graphics efficiency was equally spectacular. With the 1440p check, it managed 192.47fps, an enormous improve over the M2’s rating of 110fps.
The 4K check additionally confirmed nearly a doubling of efficiency, with the M2 Professional scoring 87.9fps in comparison with the 48fps of the M2. In case you’re searching for graphical horsepower and contemplating both the M2 MacBook Professional 13-inch or the M2 Professional MacBook Professional 16-inch (or 14-inch), then the selection is evident, so long as you will have the funds for it: go for the M2 Professional.
MacBook Professional 16-inch (2023): Battery
Whereas Apple is understandably pleased with the efficiency of the M2 Professional and M2 Max chips, it’s rightly boastful of the effectivity of those chips as effectively. Because of this they’ll provide glorious leads to heavy workloads with out consuming an excessive amount of energy. This implies the MacBook Professional 16-inch is an impressively quiet laptop computer when in use (because the much less energy its {hardware} wants, the much less warmth is produced, so the built-in followers don’t must kick in), and it additionally implies that its battery doesn’t drain as quick as its power-hungry opponents.
With a 100-watt-hour lithium-polymer battery, Apple guarantees as much as 22 hours of battery life – a fairly exceptional boast contemplating what the MacBook Professional 16-inch is able to. Nonetheless, I’ve been impressed with earlier Apple silicon-based MacBook battery lives up to now, so this was one boast I used to be excited to place to the check.
The excellent news is that in my very own assessments, together with working a 1080p video file till the battery died, the MacBook Professional 16-inch (2023)’s battery life was certainly glorious, lasting nearly 19 hours on a single cost. In day-to-day use, I used to be capable of go a number of work days while not having to plug within the MacBook Professional 16-inch (2023).
Even higher, when on battery energy, the MacBook Professional 16-inch (2023) doesn’t throttle efficiency, like many Intel/AMD-based Home windows laptops do to protect battery life. There was no noticeable influence on efficiency when utilizing the MacBook Professional 16-inch (2023) unplugged, and rerunning benchmarks whereas on battery confirmed that there’s minimal distinction. So, you can also make use of the MacBook Professional 16-inch (2023)’s lengthy battery life with out worrying about rendering tasks taking longer, for instance. It’s actually spectacular stuff.
The battery additionally fees shortly because of the MagSafe connection and 140W USB-C Energy Adapter – it went from empty to full in below an hour.
MacBook Professional 16-inch (2023): Competitors
As is commonly the case with MacBooks, the primary competitors of the MacBook Professional 16-inch (2023) is different Apple gadgets. There’s the MacBook Professional 14-inch (2023), which launched alongside the 16-inch mannequin, and gives primarily the identical specs, however with a smaller display and a decrease beginning value of $1,999 / £2,149.
That is much less of a competitor and extra of another – if you need a extra moveable (and barely extra inexpensive) MacBook Professional, then the 14-inch is the one to get.
There’s additionally the 13-inch MacBook Professional from 2022, which comes with the M2 chip. That is cheaper nonetheless, at $1,299 / £1,299, and is an efficient alternative for folks searching for a professional laptop computer, however don’t want the form of energy the brand new MacBook Professional 16-inch gives. Nonetheless, whereas the M2 chip is a good performer, there’s a clear uptick in efficiency with the M2 Professional (and much more so with the M2 Max). The MacBook Professional 13-inch (M2, 2022) additionally doesn’t function a brand new design, which leaves it feeling a bit dated.
Arguably the MacBook Professional 16-inch (2023)’s greatest competitor is the earlier mannequin from 2021. It’s solely two years outdated, and the M1 Professional and M1 Max chips you possibly can configure it with are nonetheless glorious performers. In case you already personal one, there’s no must improve. And, whereas Apple has stopped promoting the 2021 fashions, different retailers are nonetheless promoting them, and with the brand new fashions out, it’s possible you’ll discover some respectable reductions on the 2021 variations.
On the Home windows facet of issues, nothing actually comes near providing each the efficiency and battery lifetime of the MacBook Professional 16-inch (2023). The Dell XPS 17 is a large-screen laptop computer with good specs and a stunning slimline design, however it may possibly’t compete in the case of efficiency.
MacBook Professional 16-inch (2023): Must you purchase it?
Purchase the MacBook Professional 16-inch (2023) if….
You want a strong, moveable, workstation.
The MacBook Professional 16-inch (2023) combines the form of efficiency you could have as soon as wanted a desktop PC to attain, with distinctive battery life that can allow you to work nearly wherever.
You’re a video editor or digital artist.
This MacBook is ideal for video editors, or anybody who works with visible mediums, because of its gorgeous 16-inch display and {powerful} parts.
You’ve got an Intel-based MacBook Professional.
The MacBook Professional 16-inch (2023) actually shines when in comparison with 2019 MacBook Execs and earlier which have Intel {hardware}, because the M2 Professional and M2 Max provide vastly improved efficiency and battery lives.
Don’t purchase the MacBook Professional 16-inch (2023) if….
You’re on a funds.
That is Apple’s flagship MacBook Professional, and meaning it additionally comes with a really excessive price ticket. In case you don’t want the ability, think about the MacBook Professional 13-inch (M2, 2022) or MacBook Air (M2, 2022) as a substitute.
You need a skinny and lightweight laptop computer.
Whereas the MacBook Professional 16-inch (2023) is actually extra moveable than lugging round a desktop PC to work on, that is nonetheless a big and heavy laptop computer. The 14-inch mannequin, or the MacBook Air, will probably be much more comfy to hold.
You splashed out on the earlier mannequin.
In case you spent some huge cash on the 2021 model – don’t fear about it being made redundant by the brand new mannequin. The 2021 MacBook Professional remains to be a incredible laptop computer, and the 2023 model doesn’t provide sufficient of a efficiency enhance to make the improve worthwhile.
Apple MacBook Professional 16-inch (2023): Verdict
If you need probably the most {powerful} MacBook Apple has ever made, then the Apple MacBook Professional 16-inch (2023) is for you. It combines the very newest Apple silicon within the type of the M2 Professional and M2 Max chips, enormous quantities of reminiscence (as much as 96GB), and industry-leading battery life.
Add one of the best display you possibly can presently get on a laptop computer, and also you’ve received a MacBook that can show you how to work quicker and smarter for years to come back. That’s, for those who can afford it. Whereas the Apple MacBook Professional 16-inch (2023) hasn’t had a value rise (within the US, not less than), that is nonetheless an extremely costly laptop computer, with a price ticket that can put it out of attain for many individuals.
The ability on provide right here may also doubtless be overkill for many individuals. In case you want a workstation laptop computer for doing significantly heavy inventive workloads, reminiscent of engaged on 8K footage or rendering complicated 3D animations, then the Apple MacBook Professional 16-inch (2023) could possibly be your dream laptop computer. In case you’re solely going to be doing a spot of photograph enhancing and touching up house movies, you’d be higher off saving some cash and going for the M2 MacBooks launched in 2022.
The Apple MacBook Professional 16-inch (2023) doesn’t include a brand new design, nor does it provide a very generational leap in efficiency, and meaning regardless of the brand new MacBook Professional being an distinctive performer, it’s not fairly as thrilling because the 2021 mannequin, which actually did really feel revolutionary for the time.
Nonetheless, an incremental replace for probably the greatest laptops ever made remains to be value celebrating, and for those who haven’t used an Apple silicon-based Mac or MacBook earlier than, you’re going to actually love the Apple MacBook Professional 16-inch (2023).
Backside line: The most recent MacBook Professional 16-inch will not be for everybody, however for those who want an especially {powerful} laptop computer, that is the one to get.
