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Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023)

Manufacturer	Apple Inc.
Product family	MacBook Pro
Release date	October 2023 (2023-10)
Discontinued	No
Operating system	macOS Sonoma
CPU	Apple M3 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 Coating: Glossy Resolution: 3456 x 2234 PPI: 254 Aspect ratio: 16:10 Refresh rate: Up to 120 Hz (ProMotion) Brightness: 600 Nits (SDR), 1000 Nits (XDR), 1600 Nits (peak HDR) Contrast ratio: 1,000,000:1 Wide color (P3): Yes True Tone: Yes
Graphics	Integrated Apple M3 GPU Integrated Apple M3 Pro GPU Integrated Apple M3 Max GPU
Sound	High-fidelity six-speaker sound system with force-cancelling woofers Wide stereo sound Support for Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos
Camera	1080p FaceTime HD camera
Touchpad	Force Touch trackpad
Connectivity	Wi-Fi 6E Bluetooth 5.3 3 x Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C) ports 1 x HDMI port 1 x 3.5mm headphone jack 1 x 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-watt-hour lithium-polymer
Keyboard	Backlit Magic Keyboard
Chassis	Color: Space Black, Silver Materials: 100% recycled aluminum enclosure
Number pad	No
Fingerprint reader	Touch ID
Facial recognition	No
Predecessor	Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021)
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 series chips. It is available in various configurations, offering a range of CPU and GPU capabilities, memory, and storage options.

Primary Hardware

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Processor

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

• Apple M3 with an 8-core CPU (4 performance cores + 4 efficiency cores) and a 10-core GPU.
• Apple M3 Pro with an 11-core CPU (5 performance cores + 6 efficiency cores) and a 14-core GPU, configurable to a 12-core CPU and 18-core GPU.
• Apple M3 Max with a 14-core CPU (10 performance cores + 4 efficiency cores) and a 30-core GPU, configurable to a 16-core CPU and 40-core GPU.

The M3 series chips are designed to deliver high performance with efficient power consumption, making them suitable for demanding tasks such as video editing, 3D rendering, and software development. The M3 Max, in particular, offers significant performance improvements over its predecessors, with enhanced GPU capabilities and memory bandwidth.

The M3 Pro, while efficient, shows only marginal performance improvements over the M2 Pro in multi-core tasks, with a slight increase in single-core performance. The M3 Pro's power consumption is reduced to around 26-27 W compared to the M2 Pro's 34 W, highlighting its efficiency.

The M3 Max offers a substantial CPU upgrade, with the high-end model featuring 12 performance cores, resulting in a significant performance boost. The M3 Max's CPU performance is notably better than the M2 Max, with a 63% increase in Cinebench R23 Multi test scores, surpassing Intel's H45 CPUs and AMD's HS processors.

Benchmarks:

• Cinebench R23:
  • M3 Pro 12-Core: ~15106 pts (multi-core), ~1977 pts (single-core)
  • M3 Max 16-Core: ~24024 pts (multi-core), ~1968 pts (single-core)

Graphics

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

• Apple M3 with a 10-core GPU.
• Apple M3 Pro with a 14-core GPU, configurable to an 18-core GPU.
• Apple M3 Max with a 30-core GPU, configurable to a 40-core GPU.

These GPUs support hardware-accelerated ray tracing and are designed to handle intensive graphical tasks, providing smooth performance for creative applications and gaming. The M3 Max's GPU is particularly powerful, offering up to 400GB/s memory bandwidth, which is beneficial for graphics-intensive workflows.

The M3 Pro's GPU shows a slight performance increase over the M2 Pro, with a power consumption increase from 25 W to 28 W. The M3 Pro GPU performs well in benchmarks, placing ahead of some dedicated GPUs like the RTX 4050 but behind others like the RTX 4060.

The M3 Max's GPU, with 40 cores, offers a performance increase of 13-25% over the M2 Max, with a maximum power consumption of 60 Watts. It outperforms the RTX 4070 Laptop in the 3DMark Wildlife Unlimited test and is only 9% behind the RTX 4080 Laptop at 125 Watts.

Benchmarks:

• 3DMark Wild Life 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 ranging from 18 GB to 128 GB, depending on the chosen chip:

• 18 GB, 36 GB, 48 GB, 64 GB, 96 GB, or 128 GB unified memory.

The unified memory architecture allows the CPU and GPU to access the same memory pool, improving performance and efficiency for memory-intensive tasks. This design is particularly advantageous for applications that require large amounts of data to be processed quickly.

Storage

The MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) is available with various SSD storage options:

• 512 GB, 1 TB, 2 TB, 4 TB, or 8 TB SSD.

The entry-level SSD has improved in speed compared to previous models, with the 512 GB SSD now featuring four NAND chips, resulting in faster transfer rates of up to 6 GB/s read and 4.5 GB/s write.

The 8 TB SSD option offers excellent performance with transfer rates of up to 8 GB/s, although it comes at a high premium.

Co-processors

The MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) includes a 16-core Neural Engine across all configurations, which accelerates machine learning tasks and enhances the performance of AI-driven applications.

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 backlight adjustment.

Touchpad

The laptop is equipped with a Force Touch trackpad, which provides precise cursor control and pressure-sensing capabilities, enabling 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, offering improved video quality for video calls and conferencing.

Microphone

The device 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 ProMotion technology for adaptive refresh rates up to 120Hz, providing smooth scrolling and responsiveness. It also features a 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio, 1000 nits sustained full-screen brightness, and 1600 nits peak brightness for HDR content, delivering vibrant colors and deep blacks.

The display's SDR brightness has been increased from 500 to 600 nits, with measurements showing up to 630 nits in the center, enhancing visibility in bright environments.

Audio

The laptop includes a high-fidelity six-speaker sound system with force-cancelling woofers, providing wide stereo sound and support for Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos. It also features a 3.5 mm headphone jack with advanced support for high-impedance headphones.

The audio system is praised for its quality, though the bass coverage is slightly reduced compared to previous models.

Connectivity

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WiFi

The MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) supports Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax), offering faster wireless connectivity and improved performance in crowded network environments.

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

Bluetooth

The device is equipped with Bluetooth 5.3, providing enhanced wireless connectivity for peripherals and accessories.

SD Card Reader

The MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) includes an SDXC card slot, allowing for easy transfer of photos and videos 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 Max configuration capable of driving up to four external displays, including three with 6K resolution at 60Hz over Thunderbolt and one with up to 4K resolution at 144Hz over HDMI. The M3 Pro configuration supports up to two external displays.

Case

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The MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) is available in Space Black and Silver, featuring a 100% recycled aluminum enclosure. The design is sleek and professional, with a focus on sustainability and environmental impact reduction.

The Space Black color is less prone to fingerprints compared to the Midnight color on the smaller MacBook Air, though it still requires occasional cleaning.

Maintenance

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The MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) is not user-upgradeable, as it features a unified memory architecture and soldered components. Maintenance and repairs should be conducted by authorized service providers.

The bottom panel is secured by Pentalobe screws and small metal hooks, requiring careful handling to access the internals. Only the fan can be cleaned by the user, with all other components being soldered.

Cooling System

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The MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) utilizes an advanced thermal architecture to manage heat efficiently, ensuring sustained performance during intensive tasks. The cooling system is designed to operate quietly, even under heavy loads.

The M3 Pro configuration remains cool under load, with surface temperatures reaching a maximum of 38.1 °C (101 F) during stress tests. The cooling system effectively manages heat, maintaining performance without significant throttling.

The M3 Max configuration also maintains low surface temperatures, with a maximum of 42 °C during gaming and stress tests, allowing for comfortable use even under maximum load.

Energy Management

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Power Consumption

The MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) is designed to be energy-efficient, with the M3 chip offering up to 22 hours of Apple TV app movie playback and up to 15 hours of wireless web browsing. The M3 Pro and M3 Max configurations provide up to 18 hours of movie playback and up to 12 hours of web browsing.

The M3 Pro configuration demonstrates excellent power efficiency, with a maximum power consumption of 102.9 W under load, allowing the 140 W charger to provide sufficient power even during intensive tasks.

The M3 Max configuration has a slightly higher power consumption under load, with a maximum of 145.2 W, but the 140 W power adapter is still sufficient for most tasks.

Battery Life

The laptop is equipped with a 100-watt-hour lithium-polymer battery, supporting fast charging with the included 140W USB-C Power Adapter. The battery life is optimized for long-lasting performance, making it suitable for extended use without frequent recharging.

The M3 Pro configuration offers exceptional battery life, achieving over 24 hours in video playback tests and 20 hours in web browsing tests at 150 nits brightness. Even at maximum brightness, it provides around 7.5 hours of web browsing.

The M3 Max configuration also offers impressive battery life, with improvements over previous models, achieving 20 hours in video playback tests and 16 hours in web browsing tests at 150 nits brightness.

Biometrics

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The MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) includes Touch ID for secure authentication and unlocking, but does not support facial recognition.

Software

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The MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) ships with macOS Sonoma, offering a range of built-in apps and features designed to enhance productivity and creativity. The operating system includes accessibility features to support users with disabilities.

Preinstalled Software

The laptop comes with a suite of Apple applications, including Safari, Mail, Messages, FaceTime, and more, providing a comprehensive set of tools for communication, productivity, and entertainment.

Linux Support

Linux is not officially supported by Apple on the MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023).

Accessories & Warranty

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The MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) includes a 140W USB-C Power Adapter and a USB-C to MagSafe 3 Cable (2 m) in the box. It comes with a one-year limited warranty and 90 days of complimentary technical support, with the option to extend coverage through AppleCare+.

AppleCare+ offers a warranty extension for three years, covering accidental damage with service fees.

Reviews Summary

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Overall Sentiment

The MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) is praised for its powerful performance, high-quality display, and long battery life. It is considered an excellent choice for professionals and creatives who require a reliable and efficient laptop for demanding tasks. The design and build quality are also highly regarded, with a focus on sustainability and environmental responsibility.

The M3 Pro configuration is noted for its efficiency and improved single-core performance, though it offers only slight multi-core performance gains over the M2 Pro. The battery life is exceptional, making it a standout feature.

The M3 Max configuration is highlighted for its substantial CPU and GPU performance improvements, making it a top choice for video editing and other demanding tasks.

Problems Summary

• Non-upgradeable components due to unified memory architecture and soldered parts.
• Higher price point compared to some competitors.
• Limited port selection for users requiring more connectivity options.
• Constant PWM flickering and slow response times.
• High premiums for RAM and SSD upgrades.
• Webcam lacks Face ID and Center Stage features.