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com/i-didnt-expect-that-m1-macbook-air-vs-16-macbook-pro-cede0d51e0dd"> <div> <div> <h2>I Didn’t Expect That… M1 Macbook Air vs 16" Macbook Pro</h2> <div><h3>It was a simple Final Cut Pro test, but the results were absolutely fascinating.</h3></div> <div><p>medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/1*N1pISabNsk_8l0sSts5ZZQ.jpeg)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div><p id="68d2">I don’t really care what the chip will be called, and I’ve never seen the point in attempting to guess its name, but whatever delineation follows the ‘M’, it’ll represent the next step up in performance for Apple silicon.</p><p id="dd0c">I think it’s likely that the 16" MacBook Pro will arrive in tandem with a new iMac, and they’ll almost definitely share the same chip. Therefore, we can probably expect higher RAM options (my guess is a hard-stop at 32GB for now), more cores (16?) and higher storage (4TB is likely).</p><p id="07e8">It’s going to be a very fast laptop. It’ll outperform every other laptop on the market and even knock certain configurations of the Intel Mac Pro into a cocked hat.</p><p id="e033">However, as I noted in my recent Mac mini first impressions piece, when are we simply being given <i>too much</i> power by Apple? We all have a ceiling for this stuff; how much useable power is the M-powered 16" going to deliver?</p><div id="3d66" class="link-block"> <a href="https://readmedium.com/m1-mac-mini-first-impressions-this-changes-everything-1ce7386a62e5"> <div> <div> <h2>M1 Mac mini First Impressions: This Changes Everything</h2> <div><h3>And I thought the M1 MacBook Air was impressive…</h3></div> <div><p>medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/1*oe-D6Vx74t-SaN1i8-Zxzg.jpeg)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div><h2 id="dd02">Acceptable ports</h2><p id="165e">The M-powered 16" MacBook Pro will have four ports on either side. They’ll be thunderbolt 3 and extremely powerful.</p><p id="af21">I know — that’s what the 16" has already, but the first round of M1 MacBooks have suffered from fewer ports, and it has proven to be one of their only sticking points for many people.</p><p id="eddc">The 16" will, therefore, likely be the first M-powered Mac with an acceptable number of ports.</p><p id="45b5">We won’t see an SD card reader on the next 16" MacBook Pro, nor will there be any other type of port made available. Oh, and MagSafe ain’t coming back either — sorry.</p><h2 id="fe15">The end of all that heat and noise</h2><p id="13f5">When I recently switched from my Intel 16" MacBook Pro to an M1 Mac mini, the silence was deafening. No matter how hard I push the latter, I just can’t make it sweat or resort to its fan.</p><div id="c9a7" class="link-block"> <a href="https://readmedium.com/why-im-switching-from-a-16-macbook-pro-to-an-m1-mac-mini-7a60326f0f2c"> <div> <div> <h2>Why I’m Switching From a 16" MacBook Pro to an M1 Mac mini</h2>

Options

<div><h3>I’m going to let you into a little secret: I’ve ordered a new computer.</h3></div> <div><p>medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/1*-7PpKVZMqR03K0Ejxikxfg.jpeg)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div><p id="0877">The same can’t be said for the 16", which immediately spins up its fans whenever the workload increases. As a video editor and someone who works in Logic Pro, that means the fans are going pretty much constantly. If you use an external display with the 16", you can expect the same.</p><p id="6dea">I’ve mentioned before that this appears to have zero impact on the machine’s performance. Indeed, that heat generation (the metal above the TouchBar becomes too hot to touch at times) and insistent fan action are clearly doing their job by preventing throttling.</p><p id="d9eb">But, boy is it a shame. The thing honestly sounds like it’s about to take off whenever you head into the realms of serious creative work.</p><p id="233d">This won’t happen with the M-powered 16" MacBook Pro. It’ll be largely silent, just like the 13" M1 MacBook Pro and Mac mini. Reviewers and benchmarkers will attempt to draw some heat from the next generation 16" and only succeed after they’ve opened 3,192 Chrome tabs while simultaneously exporting a 20-minute piece of 8K footage.</p><p id="06dc">The heat and fan issue with the current 16" MacBook Pro spoil the best laptop I’ve ever owned. Thankfully, we won’t experience this issue again.</p><h2 id="4490">Nothing you actually want (bar that M-power)</h2><p id="bb93">Let’s just tick off a few things you might be hoping for from the next 16" MacBook Pro but which are absolutely <i>not</i> going to arrive later this year.</p><p id="0ea5">I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad news.</p><ul><li><b>Face ID:</b> that’ll be reserved for the redesign.</li><li><b>No Touch Bar-free version:</b> Apple will stand by this ultimately pointless feature on their Pro line for as long as they can; I wouldn’t be surprised if it made its way to the eventual redesign, too.</li><li><b>A thinner screen bezel:</b> nope.</li><li><b>A better web cam:</b> there’ll be marginal gains thanks to the M chip, but we’re not going to see a 1080p (or higher) camera on this one. Sorry.</li></ul><h2 id="3907">When will it be available?</h2><p id="e44b">Hands up — I have no idea. None of us do — unless you work at Apple and you’re in charge of release cycles.</p><p id="490c">However, we can make educated guesses, and I personally think we’ll see the M-powered 16" MacBook Pro some time during Q3 of 2021. As noted earlier, it’ll likely sit alongside a new 27" (or bigger) iMac, with both machines aimed squarely at the professional and creator market.</p><p id="5b35">I’m excited to get my hands on one, but there’s a large part of me that’s saying “wait until 2022 — that’s when we’ll see the biggest overall changes to the MacBook Pro line”.</p><p id="0476"><a href="https://t.co/shApprlZKz"><i>Join my brand new, invite-only Discord channel (it won’t be free forever)</i></a></p><p id="c5f3"><i>Originally published at <a href="https://markellisreviews.com/what-to-expect-from-the-apple-silicon-16-macbook-pro/">https://markellisreviews.com</a> on January 14, 2021.</i></p></article></body>

What to Expect From the Apple Silicon 16" MacBook Pro

There’s a common feeling among Apple analysts and rumour mill fire-stokers that we’ll see a 16" MacBook Pro this year powered by Apple silicon.

Having been one of the first to grab the current Intel 16" MacBook Pro when it arrived in 2019, I’m rather excited by this prospect.

But I’m also realistic.

Over the years, I’ve watched as people hypothesise about the next iteration of every Apple device. iPhones with projection screens, circular Apple Watches, MacBooks with ultra-thin bezels and Face ID; they roll in, without fail, every single time the supply chain leaks begin.

And what does Apple do? They release the exact same device, albeit with a few tweaked internals.

Take the M1 MacBooks, for example. There was talk of a significant redesign to signal the arrival of Apple silicon, but nothing changed. Both the Air and Pro look identical to their predecessors.

My First Week With the M1 MacBook Air

And why I won’t be selling my 16" MacBook Pro just yet.

medium.com

So, with that in mind, what can we expect from the forthcoming M-powered 16" MacBook Pro, and when will it arrive?

No redesign or price change

I would be amazed if the M-powered 16" MacBook Pro looks any different from its current form. It’ll have the exact same sized screen, the same dimensions, identical weight and, yes, those big bezels will still be present.

Don’t expect a new design. I think we’re far more likely to see that next year. Apple seems — understandably — far more interested in getting its own silicon into the hands of early adopters, hobbyists and professional at the moment. They’ll keep doing so with the existing chassis until they’ve squeezed every ounce of profit out of it.

Then, we’ll see a redesign. But not this year.

The same goes for the price. If we look at what they did with the M1 MacBook Air and Pro, the 16" variant is likely to retain the exact same pricing structure when it receives the Apple silicon injection.

Of course, I’m willing to be proved wrong, but if there’s one thing Apple has taught me over the years, it’s to lower your expectations.

M<whatever> power and battery life

The M-powered 16" MacBook Pro will be an absolute beast of a performer. The current Intel version certainly is (even if mine was beat, hands down, in a Final Cut Pro rendering test by an M1 MacBook Air).

I Didn’t Expect That… M1 Macbook Air vs 16" Macbook Pro

It was a simple Final Cut Pro test, but the results were absolutely fascinating.

medium.com

I don’t really care what the chip will be called, and I’ve never seen the point in attempting to guess its name, but whatever delineation follows the ‘M’, it’ll represent the next step up in performance for Apple silicon.

I think it’s likely that the 16" MacBook Pro will arrive in tandem with a new iMac, and they’ll almost definitely share the same chip. Therefore, we can probably expect higher RAM options (my guess is a hard-stop at 32GB for now), more cores (16?) and higher storage (4TB is likely).

It’s going to be a very fast laptop. It’ll outperform every other laptop on the market and even knock certain configurations of the Intel Mac Pro into a cocked hat.

However, as I noted in my recent Mac mini first impressions piece, when are we simply being given too much power by Apple? We all have a ceiling for this stuff; how much useable power is the M-powered 16" going to deliver?

M1 Mac mini First Impressions: This Changes Everything

And I thought the M1 MacBook Air was impressive…

medium.com

Acceptable ports

The M-powered 16" MacBook Pro will have four ports on either side. They’ll be thunderbolt 3 and extremely powerful.

I know — that’s what the 16" has already, but the first round of M1 MacBooks have suffered from fewer ports, and it has proven to be one of their only sticking points for many people.

The 16" will, therefore, likely be the first M-powered Mac with an acceptable number of ports.

We won’t see an SD card reader on the next 16" MacBook Pro, nor will there be any other type of port made available. Oh, and MagSafe ain’t coming back either — sorry.

The end of all that heat and noise

When I recently switched from my Intel 16" MacBook Pro to an M1 Mac mini, the silence was deafening. No matter how hard I push the latter, I just can’t make it sweat or resort to its fan.

Why I’m Switching From a 16" MacBook Pro to an M1 Mac mini

I’m going to let you into a little secret: I’ve ordered a new computer.

medium.com

The same can’t be said for the 16", which immediately spins up its fans whenever the workload increases. As a video editor and someone who works in Logic Pro, that means the fans are going pretty much constantly. If you use an external display with the 16", you can expect the same.

I’ve mentioned before that this appears to have zero impact on the machine’s performance. Indeed, that heat generation (the metal above the TouchBar becomes too hot to touch at times) and insistent fan action are clearly doing their job by preventing throttling.

But, boy is it a shame. The thing honestly sounds like it’s about to take off whenever you head into the realms of serious creative work.

This won’t happen with the M-powered 16" MacBook Pro. It’ll be largely silent, just like the 13" M1 MacBook Pro and Mac mini. Reviewers and benchmarkers will attempt to draw some heat from the next generation 16" and only succeed after they’ve opened 3,192 Chrome tabs while simultaneously exporting a 20-minute piece of 8K footage.

The heat and fan issue with the current 16" MacBook Pro spoil the best laptop I’ve ever owned. Thankfully, we won’t experience this issue again.

Nothing you actually want (bar that M-power)

Let’s just tick off a few things you might be hoping for from the next 16" MacBook Pro but which are absolutely not going to arrive later this year.

I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad news.

Face ID: that’ll be reserved for the redesign.
No Touch Bar-free version: Apple will stand by this ultimately pointless feature on their Pro line for as long as they can; I wouldn’t be surprised if it made its way to the eventual redesign, too.
A thinner screen bezel: nope.
A better web cam: there’ll be marginal gains thanks to the M chip, but we’re not going to see a 1080p (or higher) camera on this one. Sorry.

When will it be available?

Hands up — I have no idea. None of us do — unless you work at Apple and you’re in charge of release cycles.

However, we can make educated guesses, and I personally think we’ll see the M-powered 16" MacBook Pro some time during Q3 of 2021. As noted earlier, it’ll likely sit alongside a new 27" (or bigger) iMac, with both machines aimed squarely at the professional and creator market.

I’m excited to get my hands on one, but there’s a large part of me that’s saying “wait until 2022 — that’s when we’ll see the biggest overall changes to the MacBook Pro line”.

Join my brand new, invite-only Discord channel (it won’t be free forever)

Originally published at https://markellisreviews.com on January 14, 2021.