16-Inch MacBook Pro Returns to Pre-2016 Arrow Key Layout, Sticks With 720p Webcam and 802.11ac Wi-Fi
Apple today announced its widely rumored 16-inch MacBook Pro with a larger display and slimmer bezels, a new Magic Keyboard with a scissor mechanism and physical Esc key, up to 64GB of RAM, up to 8TB of SSD storage, AMD Radeon Pro 5000M graphics options, upgraded speakers and microphones, and more.
Here are some other things to know about the new 16-inch MacBook Pro:
- In addition to a scissor mechanism keyboard with a physical Esc key, another much-requested feature that Apple has reintroduced is an inverse-T arrow key layout, last used on the 15-inch MacBook Pro in 2015.
- Display brightness appears to remain unchanged, with the same brightness of up to 500 nits as the 15-inch MacBook Pro.
- Unlike the iPhone 11, which has 802.11ax aka Wi-Fi 6, the 16-inch MacBook Pro sticks with 802.11ac for wireless networking.
- The front-facing webcam remains 720p.
- A higher-power 96W charger is included in the box and sold separately for $79. That’s up from 87W for the 15-inch MacBook Pro.
- AppleCare+ remains the same $379 price as the 15-inch MacBook Pro.
- As noted by Daring Fireball‘s John Gruber, there is about 0.5mm more space between keys. He also notes that the Touch Bar has been moved slightly further above the top row of keys to help avoid accidental touches.
- Unsurprisingly, given its new scissor mechanism keyboard, TechCrunch‘s Matthew Panzarino notes that the 16-inch MacBook Pro is not included in Apple’s repair program for Macs with butterfly keyboards. Hopefully this means Apple is confident the keyboard is truly more reliable.
We’ll update this list if we spot any other tidbits worth mentioning. Let us know if you spot any others in the comments section.
Fun fact shared by @MKBHD: The new 16-inch MacBook Pro has a larger 100 watt-hour battery. That’s the max allowed by the TSA for use on an airplane. pic.twitter.com/ReBKFj8gyE
— MacRumors.com (@MacRumors) November 13, 2019
The new 16-inch MacBook Pro is available to order today through Apple.com and the Apple Store app in many countries. It will be available in Apple Stores and select Apple Authorized Resellers in the United States later this week and is “coming soon” to stores around the world, according to Apple.
