While Apple‘s 16-inch MacBook Pro is undoubtedly a powerful and capable machine, it‘s not the ideal choice for every user. Before you drop a hefty sum on Apple‘s largest laptop, it‘s important to carefully consider your needs and whether this pricey, plus-sized MacBook is really the best fit. As someone who has tested and compared numerous MacBooks and Windows laptops over the years, allow me to share some expert insight into the potential drawbacks of the 16-inch models and scenarios where you may be better off avoiding them.
Reasons to Think Twice About a 16-inch MacBook Pro
1. The high price is hard to justify for many users
There‘s no getting around the fact that the 16-inch MacBook Pro is one of the most expensive laptops on the market. The latest M1 Pro and M1 Max models start at a wallet-busting $2,399 and can be configured up to an eye-watering $6,099. Even the base model costs significantly more than smaller MacBooks and premium Windows laptops with comparable specs.
Unless you absolutely need the extra screen real estate and performance the 16-inch offers over a smaller MacBook Pro or Air, it‘s hard to justify spending so much. For the price of the base 16-inch model alone, you could buy a specced-out 13-inch M2 MacBook Pro or 14-inch MacBook Pro and still have cash left over.
2. The large size and heavy weight limit portability
The main reason to opt for a 16-inch laptop over a more compact 13-14 inch model is the extra screen space. However, that comes with trade-offs in portability. Measuring 14.1 x 9.7 x 0.66 inches and weighing 4.3-4.7 pounds (depending on configuration), the 16-inch MacBook Pro is significantly larger and heavier than the 13-inch MacBook Pro (3 pounds) and MacBook Air (2.7 pounds).
This makes it more cumbersome to carry around regularly, and it may not fit easily into smaller backpacks, bags, or airline tray tables. If you frequently work on the go and portability is a priority, you‘ll likely be happier with a more travel-friendly MacBook or a thin-and-light premium Windows ultrabook.
3. You can‘t upgrade the memory, storage, or other components later
With their move to Apple Silicon chips, modern MacBooks have their memory and storage soldered to the motherboard, making user upgrades impossible. Whatever amount of unified memory and SSD storage you opt for at purchase is what you‘ll be stuck with for the life of the machine.
This means you can‘t start with a lower-tier config and add more RAM or a larger SSD yourself later as you can with many Windows laptops. And due to the high cost of Apple‘s build-to-order upgrades, you‘ll pay dearly for higher-end configs. For example, going from 16GB to 64GB of memory on the 16-inch M1 Max commands a $800 surcharge from Apple.
4. Some configurations suffer from performance throttling and heat issues
While the 16-inch MacBook Pro packs impressive performance, some configurations and model years are prone to concerning amounts of performance throttling and heat under sustained heavy loads. This is especially true of the Intel Core i9 models from 2019, which struggle to maintain peak clock speeds without overheating and aggressively throttling.
Even the M1 Pro and M1 Max models exhibit some throttling behavior despite Apple‘s claims of delivering the same peak performance whether running on battery or plugged in. If peak performance under load is a priority, a thick, well-cooled Windows workstation or gaming laptop may be a better pick.
5. Limited port selection and lack of compatibility with some peripherals
Recent 16-inch MacBook Pro models offer a better selection of built-in ports compared to their 13-inch counterparts, sporting three Thunderbolt/USB-4 ports, an HDMI port, an SD card slot, and a headphone jack. However, they still lack USB-A ports and an Ethernet jack for wired networking. Depending on your peripherals, you may need an adapter or dock.
Additionally, Mac computers don‘t officially support eGPUs (external graphics cards), limiting their graphical horsepower and compatibility with VR/AR headsets and high-end 3D applications compared to Windows PCs. And Apple‘s insistence on pushing its TouchBar means you can‘t get a 16-inch MacBook with physical function keys.
6. Some models are known for quality control issues and high failure rates
While Apple has a reputation for build quality, MacBook Pros are far from immune to hardware and software issues. The 16-inch models in particular have exhibited a number of quality control problems, from easily cracked screens to faulty keyboards, excessive fan noise, unresponsive touchpads, failing ports, and more.
Compared to their Windows counterparts, MacBooks also tend to be more difficult and costly to repair. If you can‘t afford to be without a laptop for days or weeks in the event you need to send it off to Apple for warranty service, it may be best to avoid the 16-inch MacBook Pro models with higher rates of complaints and issues.
Which 16-inch MacBook Pro Years Are Best to Avoid?
Now that we‘ve covered some of the general drawbacks, let‘s discuss which specific 16-inch MacBook Pro years are most advisable to avoid based on their particular sets of issues, limitations, and subpar value relative to other models.
2019 (Intel 9th-gen processors)
The first-ever 16-inch MacBook Pro was released in late 2019 and is best avoided for a number of reasons. For one, it uses 9th-gen Intel processors which run extremely hot in this chassis, leading to throttling, stability issues, and potentially accelerated hardware failure. The AMD Radeon Pro 5300M/5500M dedicated GPUs also get toasty and exhibit driver-related bugs.
On top of that, these 2019 models use the notorious butterfly keyboard switches that feel unsatisfying to type on and are prone to getting stuck or becoming unresponsive due to dust and debris. The base model was also the last 16-inch to start with a paltry 512GB SSD which fills up fast. And in general, these Intel-based models are a poor value compared to newer Apple Silicon versions.
2020 (Intel 10th-gen processors)
The 2020 models are a mild improvement over the 2019s, moving to 10th-gen Intel CPUs and updating the keyboard to a more reliable scissor-switch design. However, they still suffer from performance and heat limitations that prevent them from being good long-term values.
Since these were released the same year as the first 13-inch M1 MacBook Pro which runs circles around it in performance and efficiency, it‘s especially hard to recommend sinking money into an Intel-based 16-inch from this generation. Avoid these and go for an M1 Pro or M1 Max model with Apple Silicon instead.
So, Which 16-inch MacBook Pro Should You Buy?
If you‘ve determined that you do in fact need the 16-inch MacBook Pro‘s unique blend of a large screen, plus-sized chassis, and workstation-grade performance, my recommendation would be to opt for a 2021 or later model equipped with Apple‘s M-series chips. The M1 Pro and M1 Max offer a major leap forward in performance and efficiency compared to the Intel-based 16-inch models.
When configuring a 16-inch M1 MacBook Pro, I‘d suggest starting with at least 32GB of unified memory and a 1TB SSD, and stepping up to the M1 Max chip if you need the extra GPU horsepower for intensive creative work, ML applications, etc. These aren‘t cheap, but offer the best performance, features and future-proofing of any 16-inch MacBook Pros to date.
However, if your workflow doesn‘t specifically demand the larger screen and extra cores of the 16-inch, you may get better bang for your buck by opting for a 14-inch MacBook Pro with the same M1 Pro or M1 Max chip options. It will perform identically to its 16-inch counterpart for most tasks while being more portable and affordable.
The Bottom Line
Don‘t get me wrong – the 16-inch MacBook Pro can be an excellent machine for a certain niche of users who need the ultimate blend of laptop portability and workstation power. However, its high price, bulky chassis, lack of upgradability, and potential for performance and quality control issues make it a poor fit for the average laptop buyer.
Unless you‘re a well-heeled creative professional, developer, or data scientist who will really make use of the 16-inch MacBook Pro‘s unique capabilities and can stomach its high cost of entry and ownership, you‘re likely better served by a 13 or 14-inch MacBook, a MacBook Air, or a premium large-screen Windows laptop for a fraction of the price. But if you do go for a 16-inch, stick with a recent Apple Silicon-based model and avoid the older Intel versions for the best results.
