Hands-On with the Mighty MacBook Pro 16-inch (2021): Power-packed M1 Max Chip, Bunny Ears Design, and the Return of Familiar Ports

Recently, Apple unveiled their latest laptops dubbed the MacBook Pro 16-inch (2021) with numerous impressive features. So, what's new with the MacBook Pro 16-inch (2021)? How does the MacBook Pro 16-inch (2021) perform? What's the price of the MacBook Pro 16-inch (2021)?... Let's delve into the hands-on experience with the MacBook Pro 16-inch (2021) in the article below!

Note: This article is translated and referenced from: XDA Developers, Engadget. 

More Insights: Impressive MacBook Pro 16-inch: 120 Hz Bunny Ears Display, M1 Pro/Max Chip

Familiar Design with the Return of More Connectivity Ports on the MacBook Pro 16-inch (2021)

Weighing 2.2 kg and measuring 16.7 mm thick, the MacBook Pro 16-inch (2021) will be slightly thicker and heavier than the MacBook Pro 16-inch (2019). However, in my opinion, this weight and thickness aren't significantly large and won't greatly affect your user experience.

The MacBook Pro 16-inch (2021) is also designed with curved edges and corners to provide a comfortable grip and versatility for usage in various environments. On the upper lid of the MacBook Pro 16-inch (2021), you'll still find the familiar Apple logo, while on the underside, you'll notice a difference with four rubber feet and the MacBook Pro inscription engraved on the aluminum casing.

On the left side, you'll find the HDMI port, Thunderbolt 4 USB-C port, and SD card slot, while on the right side is where the MagSafe port, 2 Thunderbolt 4 USB-C ports, and headphone jack are located. Overall, the MacBook Pro 16-inch (2021) this year is equipped with more connectivity ports, aiding your work and facilitating easier connection of peripheral devices.

Bunny Ears Display Makes Its Debut on the MacBook Pro 16-inch (2021)

The MacBook Pro 16-inch (2021) features a 16.2-inch Mini LED display with a resolution of 3,456 x 2,234 pixels and a refresh rate of 120 Hz (referred to as Promotion by Apple). This display also boasts a continuous maximum brightness of up to 1,000 nits, brighter than the MacBook Pro 2019 and some other competitors that XDA reviewers have used.

With this display, the MacBook Pro 16-inch (2021) offers you high resolution and high brightness, allowing comfortable usage outdoors or in bright lighting conditions. Additionally, this display provides you with a vivid, vibrant media viewing experience, with high contrast and smooth transition effects.

One point sparking controversy on the MacBook Pro 16-inch (2021) screen is the webcam positioned within the notch. According to Apple, this design optimizes screen space while enhancing video call quality, especially crucial during this period of frequent online work due to the pandemic.

Apple has upgraded the webcam of the MacBook Pro 16-inch (2021) to 1080p and equipped it with TrueTone sensor to maintain consistent skin tones in various lighting conditions. Photos and videos captured from the MacBook Pro 16-inch (2021) appear superior to the previous generation, particularly in low-light conditions. Therefore, I believe the redesigned webcam on the MacBook Pro 16-inch (2021) provides users with an enhanced user experience.

Keyboard and Trackpad

Finally, after much debate and user complaints, Apple has decided to ditch the butterfly keyboard and replace it with the Magic Keyboard. This change will bring you a better typing experience, more comfort, and no more issues with stuck keys or hand fatigue due to the previously short key travel. Additionally, Apple has removed the touch bar on the MacBook Pro 16-inch (2021) and brought back the familiar F-keys, which will be welcomed news for those who frequently use these shortcuts, optimizing your work speed.

Regarding the trackpad, the MacBook Pro 16-inch (2021) continues to excel like its predecessors, featuring a large, highly responsive touchpad, allowing you to operate and use it comfortably. Personally, when using a MacBook, I rarely need to use external mice because I enjoy the touchpad experience on these devices.

MacBook Pro 16-inch (2021) delivers powerful performance with the Apple M1 Max chip

Technical specifications of the MacBook Pro 16-inch (2021) are as follows:

• Display: 16.2-inch size, Liquid Retina XDR panel, 3,456 x 2,234 pixel resolution, mini-LED technology, Pro Motion 120 Hz support.
• CPU: Apple M1 Pro or M1 Max 10-core (8 high-performance cores, 2 efficiency cores).
• GPU: 16 cores.
• RAM: 16 GB or 32 GB (supports upgrade up to 64 GB).
• SSD Storage: 512 GB or 1 TB (supports upgrade up to 2 TB, 4 TB, and up to 8 TB).

In this article, I'll focus on the variant featuring Apple's top-of-the-line M1 Max chip, 64 GB RAM, and 2 TB SSD storage. The M1 Max is a chip with a 10-core CPU, 32-core GPU, and up to 64 GB RAM. Built on the 5 nm process and containing up to 57 billion transistors. Therefore, the performance of the Apple M1 Max is beyond question, isn't it?

Scoring performance with Geekbench, the MacBook Pro 16-inch (2021) achieves 1,783 single-core and 12,693 multi-core scores. With Cinebench R32, the MacBook Pro 16-inch (2021) achieves 1,524 single-core and 12,281 multi-core scores. Regarding read/write speeds, the machine achieves 5.1 GB/s and 6.2 GB/s respectively. Comparing these scores with the MacBook Pro 14-inch, MacBook Pro 13-inch 2020 running on M1 chip, Dell XPS 15 (Intel i7-11800H, RTX 3050 Ti), and Razer Blade 14 (AMD Ryzen 9 5900HX, RTX 3080), the MacBook Pro 16-inch (2021) outperforms in terms of benchmark scores.

Through these tests, we observe that the performance delivered by the MacBook Pro 16-inch (2021) is highly robust, adeptly handling all your daily tasks from light to heavy. You'll be able to perform office tasks, entertainment, video editing, 3D modeling, graphic design, and more on the MacBook Pro 16-inch (2021) without encountering any difficulties or stuttering.

Battery Life on the MacBook Pro 16-inch (2021)

A point emphasized by Apple during the unveiling event of the MacBook Pro 16-inch (2021) is the energy efficiency of the M1 Max chip compared to its competitors. In the test conducted by XDA below, you'll clearly see this.

When both the MacBook Pro M1 Max 2021 and the MacBook Pro 2019 Intel i9 play the same 4K YouTube video with maximum screen brightness and 50% volume, the MacBook Pro 16-inch (2021) lasts for 8 hours and 39 minutes while the MacBook Pro 2019 Intel i9 only lasts for 5 hours and 31 minutes.

In engadget's test, the MacBook Pro 16-inch (2021) achieves a battery life of 16 hours and 34 minutes. This demonstrates Apple's excellent battery optimization on the MacBook Pro 16-inch (2021), promising you longer usage time and the freedom to work in more places without worrying about running out of battery. Additionally, with the 140W MagSafe charger, your MacBook Pro 16-inch (2021) will charge more quickly, ensuring you're not tethered for too long waiting for your device to charge fully.

Conclusion

With the MacBook Pro 16-inch (2021) and the Apple M1 Max chip, Apple showcases its development and research capabilities by delivering a device with outstanding performance and optimized battery life. Furthermore, Apple has demonstrated its responsiveness to user feedback by reintroducing essential ports, convenient F-keys, and replacing the butterfly keyboard that caused many difficulties for users.

It can be said that the MacBook Pro 16-inch (2021) is the culmination of the latest advanced research achievements and the finest refinement from previous MacBook Pro generations, offering users a product approaching perfection.

What's your take on the MacBook Pro 16-inch (2021)? Leave your comments below to let us know! We appreciate you reading through our article.