Apple 16-Inch MacBook Pro Adds Magic Keyboard, Radeon Pro 5500M Navi, Up To 8TB SSD
Not surprising given the flowery language that often comes out of Cupertino, Apple calls it the "Magic Keyboard". Instead of a butterfly mechanism, Apple has gone back to a scissor switch (like all previous MacBook Pros prior to the 2015 MacBook redesign). The new keys offer 1mm of travel and are supposedly more stable during furious typing sessions. Apple writes:
Apple-designed rubber dome that stores more potential energy for a responsive key press. Incorporating extensive research and user studies focused on human factors and key design, the 16-inch MacBook Pro delivers a keyboard with a comfortable, satisfying and quiet typing experience.
We can only hope that this new Magic Keyboard finally ends the keyboard premature failures that have routinely plagued newer MacBooks and MacBook Pros -- so much in fact that Apple had to launch an expensive keyboard replacement program.
Apple is using Intel's 9th generation Coffee Lake processors available in Core i7 (6-core/12-thread) and Core i9 (8-core/16-thread) configurations. Base systems come with a 2.6GHz (4.5GHz Turbo) Core i7 with 16GB of RAM and a 512GB PCIe SSD. Upgraded models get a 2.3GHz (4.8GHz boost) Core i9 with 16GB of RAM and a 1TB PCIe SSD. Apple is allowing customers to option their systems with up to 64GB of RAM if they chose and up to an incredibly large 8TB SSD.
Also onboard are new GPUs from AMD. Base systems get a Radeon Pro 5300M with 4GB of GDDR6, while flagship models get a more potent Radeon Pro 5500M with 4GB GDDR6. Those GPUs are hooked up to a new 16-inch display that features slimmer bezels than the previous-generation 15.4-inch model. It now features a resolution of 3072x1920 with a 500 nits brightness rating. Inexplicably for a "Pro" system, however, the panels are not HDR-rated.
For those that are worried about thermals, Apple hopes to alleviate those concerns with a 35 percent larger heatsink and 28 percent greater airflow within the chassis. This will allow the MacBook Pro to run at higher power levels for extended periods of time. Rounding things out, Apple says that the 16-inch MacBook Pro features a 100 WHr battery that can last up to 11 hours per charge.
Apple says that the 16-inch MacBook Pro is shipping now priced from $2,399.
