MacBook Pro (16-inch, 2021) Review: M1 Max Shows Real Power

[harlan4096]

With no Touch Bar and less need for dongles, the MacBook Pro is purpose-built.

Our Verdict

The 16-inch MacBook Pro is a powerhouse thanks to the M1 Max chip, and includes a beautiful display, the best speakers I've ever heard on a laptop, and a strong choice of ports.

For

• + Strong selection of ports
  
• + Gorgeous screen
  
• + Long battery life
  
• + The best speakers on a laptop
  
• + No more Touch Bar
  
• + Excellent performance
  

Against

• - Upgrade pricing is extreme
  
• - Notch design may bother some
  
• - No facial recognition option
  

Perhaps the most prevailing theme in productivity laptops and the best ultrabooks over the last decade has been the race to make them thinner machines while jamming more and more powerful parts in them. With the 16-inch MacBook Pro, Apple has gone against a trend it took part in for a long time, cleansing itself of sins like removing ports from professional machines. Starting at $2,499 ($3,499 as tested), the new 16-inch Pro is unabashedly, unapologetically meant for people who need power, and it's not afraid to be thicker or heavier to do it.

The whole thing is powered (in our review unit, anyway), by its homegrown M1 Max system on a chip, which we found to be both extremely powerful and incredibly efficient. The extra space in the MacBook Pro allows for better thermals to cool that chip, as well as powerhouse speakers and a full suite of ports, including HDMI and an SD card reader.

This is a whole lot of computer. People just checking their email and social media need not apply (I mean, you can, but you won't need this, and it's very expensive). Those with the resources to purchase this very expensive, top-of-the-line Mac will get what they need and more from a design that's classic in all of the right ways.

Design of the 16-inch MacBook Pro

The new MacBook Pro is a bit of a throwback. With this notebook, Apple has ditched its obsession with slender chassis in favor of more functionality, more ports and more power. It's not huge, but it's designed with functionality in mind, not just looks. It's rare that I compliment computers for getting thicker, but the MacBook Pro needed this.

It's a bit blocky, but all the rounded corners are still there. The aluminum build features Apple's logo in a tone-on-tone mirror sheen, but is otherwise spartan. (Those hoping for Apple to return to a light-up icon will have to keep waiting.) The whole thing feels solid in the hands.
Some of the biggest changes are beneath the lid. The 16.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR display is broken up, slightly, by a notch, much like the one on recent iPhones. More on this below.

In an interesting design decision, the top corners of the screen are rounded, while the bottom corners are squared off. Touch ID is on the power button, and the Touch Bar is gone altogether in favor of full-sized function keys. Hallelujah.
Speaker grilles flank each side of the keyboard, and the mammoth touchpad is below it, right where you would expect it.

For many, the real prizes are on the sides: a full set of ports. We're driving full speed and  Dongletown is in the rearview window. On the left side, MagSafe charging makes its return in the form of MagSafe 3 (with a braided cable, to boot!). I'm ecstatic! I've tripped over enough laptop chargers to know how valuable this can be when done well. There are  also two Thunderbolt 4 ports (and you can charge over those, too!) as well as a 3.5 mm headphone jack. On the right side, there's an SDXC memory card slot, another Thunderbolt 4 port, and an HDMI output. The SD card slot and HDMI for an external monitor (though this doesn't use the latest HDMI 2.1 standard) should satisfy most creatives, especially photographers. While you lose one USB port over the old Macs, you gain ports you would have needed dongles for.

For some, a USB Type-A port may have been a significant addition (I still have USB Type-A backup drives, for instance), but many other devices aimed at creatives, like the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio and Dell XPS 17 also no longer use it.
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