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Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023)

Manufacturer	Apple Inc.
Product family	MacBook Pro
Release date	November 2023 (2023-11)
Discontinued	No
Operating system	macOS Sonoma
CPU	Apple M3 Pro Apple M3 Max
Memory	18 GB, 36 GB, 48 GB, 64 GB, 96 GB, or 128 GB unified memory
Storage	512 GB, 1 TB, 2 TB, 4 TB, or 8 TB SSD
Removable storage	SDXC card slot
Display	Screen size: 16.2 inch Panel type: Liquid Retina XDR Resolution: 3456 x 2234 PPI: 254 Brightness: 1000 nits sustained, 1600 nits peak (HDR) Color: 1 billion colors, Wide color (P3), True Tone Refresh rate: ProMotion up to 120Hz
Graphics	Apple M3 Pro 18-core GPU Apple M3 Max 30-core or 40-core GPU
Sound	High-fidelity six-speaker sound system with force-cancelling woofers Studio-quality three-mic array
Camera	1080p FaceTime HD camera
Touchpad	Force Touch trackpad
Connectivity	Wi-Fi 6E Bluetooth 5.3 3 x Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C) HDMI port 3.5 mm headphone jack MagSafe 3 port
Dimensions	H: 0.66 inches (1.7 cm) W: 14.01 inches (35.6 cm) D: 9.77 inches (24.8 cm)
Mass	4.7 pounds (2.1 kg) (M3 Pro), 4.8 pounds (2.2 kg) (M3 Max)
Power brick	140W USB-C Power Adapter
Battery	100 Wh Li-Polymer
Keyboard	Backlit Magic Keyboard
Chassis	Color: Space Black, Silver Materials: 100% recycled aluminum
Fingerprint reader	Touch ID
Facial recognition	No
Website	Apple

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The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) is a high-performance laptop designed for professionals and creatives, featuring Apple's M3 Pro and M3 Max chips. It offers a range of configurations to suit different performance needs and is available in Space Black and Silver finishes.

Primary Hardware

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Processor

The MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) can be configured with the following processors:

• Apple M3 Pro chip with a 12-core CPU (6 performance cores and 6 efficiency cores) and an 18-core GPU.
• Apple M3 Max chip with options for a 14-core CPU (10 performance cores and 4 efficiency cores) or a 16-core CPU (12 performance cores and 4 efficiency cores), and a 30-core or 40-core GPU.

The M3 Pro and M3 Max chips are designed to deliver high performance for demanding tasks such as video editing, 3D rendering, and software development. The M3 Max chip, in particular, offers enhanced graphics capabilities with its higher core count, making it suitable for more intensive graphical workloads.

The M3 Pro chip offers a slight improvement in multi-core performance over its predecessor, the M2 Pro, with a power consumption reduction to 26-27 W from the previous 34 W. In single-core tests, the M3 Pro shows a 20% performance advantage over the M2 generation, maintaining similar power consumption levels.

The M3 Max chip provides a significant performance boost, with a 63% increase in multi-core performance compared to the M2 Max, making it competitive with AMD's and Intel's high-end CPUs.

Benchmarks:

• Cinebench R23:
  • Multi-Core: ~15106 pts (M3 Pro), ~24024 pts (M3 Max)
  • Single-Core: ~1977 pts (M3 Pro), ~1968 pts (M3 Max)

Graphics

The MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) features integrated graphics within the M3 Pro and M3 Max chips:

• Apple M3 Pro chip with an 18-core GPU.
• Apple M3 Max chip with options for a 30-core or 40-core GPU.

These GPUs support hardware-accelerated ray tracing and are capable of handling complex graphical tasks, including high-resolution video editing and 3D graphics rendering. The M3 Max chip's higher GPU core count provides additional power for more demanding applications.

The M3 Pro GPU shows a slight performance increase over the M2 Pro GPU, with a power consumption increase from 25 W to 28 W. In the 3DMark WildLife Extreme Unlimited test, the M3 Pro GPU performs ahead of the RTX 4050 but slightly behind the RTX 4060.

The M3 Max GPU, with its 40-core configuration, offers a 13-25% performance increase over the M2 Max GPU, and it competes closely with Nvidia's RTX 4070 in certain benchmarks.

Benchmarks:

• 3DMark WildLife Extreme Unlimited:
  • M3 Pro 18-Core GPU: ~14545 pts
  • M3 Max 40-Core GPU: ~31268 pts

Memory

The MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) offers unified memory configurations as follows:

• 18 GB unified memory with the M3 Pro chip.
• Configurable to 36 GB, 48 GB, 64 GB, 96 GB, or 128 GB unified memory with the M3 Max chip.

The unified memory architecture allows for efficient data sharing between the CPU and GPU, enhancing performance for memory-intensive tasks.

Storage

The MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) can be configured with the following SSD storage options:

• 512 GB, 1 TB, 2 TB, or 4 TB SSD with the M3 Pro chip.
• Configurable to 8 TB SSD with the M3 Max chip.

The high-speed SSDs provide fast data access and transfer rates, supporting the needs of professionals who work with large files and applications. The entry-level 512 GB SSD has improved transfer rates, reaching nearly 6 GB/s for reading and ~4.5 GB/s for writing.

Input Devices

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Keyboard

The MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) features a backlit Magic Keyboard with 78 (U.S.) or 79 (ISO) keys, including 12 full-height function keys and 4 arrow keys in an inverted-T arrangement. It also includes Touch ID for secure authentication and an ambient light sensor for automatic adjustment of the keyboard backlight.

Touchpad

The device is equipped with a Force Touch trackpad, which provides precise cursor control and pressure-sensing capabilities. It supports Force clicks, accelerators, pressure-sensitive drawing, and Multi-Touch gestures.

Webcam

The MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) includes a 1080p FaceTime HD camera with an advanced image signal processor for improved video quality during video calls.

Microphone

The laptop features a studio-quality three-mic array with a high signal-to-noise ratio and directional beamforming, designed to capture clear audio for calls and recordings.

Output Devices

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Display

The MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) is equipped with a 16.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR display, offering a native resolution of 3456 x 2234 at 254 pixels per inch. The display supports XDR (Extreme Dynamic Range) with a 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio, 1000 nits sustained full-screen brightness, and 1600 nits peak brightness for HDR content. It also features ProMotion technology for adaptive refresh rates up to 120Hz, wide color (P3), and True Tone technology for accurate color reproduction.

The SDR brightness has been increased from 500 to 600 nits, with measurements showing up to 630 nits in the center of the display. The display maintains excellent color accuracy and high contrast, making it suitable for professional use.

Audio

The MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) includes a high-fidelity six-speaker sound system with force-cancelling woofers, providing wide stereo sound and support for Spatial Audio when playing music or video with Dolby Atmos. It also features a 3.5 mm headphone jack with advanced support for high-impedance headphones.

Connectivity

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WiFi

The MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) supports Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax), providing fast and reliable wireless connectivity.

The Wi-Fi performance is stable with high transfer rates, although Apple has not yet introduced Wi-Fi 7 modules.

Bluetooth

The device is equipped with Bluetooth 5.3 for connecting to a variety of peripherals and accessories.

SD Card Reader

The MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) includes an SDXC card slot for easy access to media files from cameras and other devices. The card reader is fast, achieving up to 226 MB/s with reference cards.

USB

The laptop features three Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C) ports, supporting charging, DisplayPort, Thunderbolt 4 (up to 40Gb/s), and USB 4 (up to 40Gb/s).

Display Outputs

The MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) supports multiple external displays, with the M3 Pro chip supporting up to two external displays with up to 6K resolution at 60Hz, and the M3 Max chip supporting up to four external displays with various configurations.

Case

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The MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) is available in Space Black and Silver, featuring a chassis made from 100% recycled aluminum. The device measures 0.66 inches in height, 14.01 inches in width, and 9.77 inches in depth, with a weight of 4.7 pounds for the M3 Pro model and 4.8 pounds for the M3 Max model.

The Space Black finish is less prone to fingerprints compared to previous models, although it still requires occasional cleaning.

Energy Management

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Power Consumption

The MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) is equipped with a 100-watt-hour lithium-polymer battery, providing up to 22 hours of Apple TV app movie playback and up to 15 hours of wireless web browsing. It includes a 140W USB-C Power Adapter and a USB-C to MagSafe 3 Cable for fast charging.

The device is very efficient, with a maximum power consumption of 102.9 W under load, and it remains efficient even at maximum brightness.

Battery Life

At 99.6 Wh, the MacBook Pro 16 offers an extremely long battery life, with over 24 hours in video playback tests and 20 hours in WiFi browsing tests at 150 nits brightness. The battery can be fully charged in about 1.5 hours, with 80% capacity reached in 50 minutes.

Software

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The MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) runs macOS Sonoma, offering advanced features for productivity and creativity. It includes a range of built-in apps such as Safari, Mail, and FaceTime, and supports a variety of accessibility features to assist users with disabilities.

Accessories & Warranty

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The MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) comes with a 140W USB-C Power Adapter and a USB-C to MagSafe 3 Cable. Apple offers a limited warranty and up to 90 days of complimentary technical support.

Reviews Summary

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Overall Sentiment

The MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) is praised for its robust build quality, excellent display, and extremely long battery life. The M3 Pro chip offers improved efficiency and single-core performance, making it a strong choice for professionals who prioritize battery life and system stability over raw performance. However, the high price and limited upgrade options are noted as drawbacks.

The M3 Max chip is noted for its significant performance improvements, particularly in multi-core tasks, making it a compelling option for users requiring high computational power.

Problems Summary

• High price with limited storage in base model.
• No Face ID or Center Stage in webcam.
• Limited maintenance options.
• High upgrade costs for RAM and SSD.

Links

M3 Pro, 18 GB RAM, 512 GB SSD: NotebookCheck

M3 Max, 48 GB RAM, 1 TB SSD: NotebookCheck