“Scarily fast” was the name of the event at which Apple announced the new MacBooks. This is undoubtedly a reference to Halloween, the day on which the event took place, and the promised performance of the newly announced computers: the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro with M3, M3 Pro and new M3 Max processors. However, what was particularly notable was how quickly the new models replaced their predecessors: the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros along with the M2 Pro and M2 Max have been on the market for only ten months.

The MacBook Pro with the M3 processor is a spec bump compared to the previous generation. Even more interesting than what was added was what Apple said goodbye to at the event: the MacBook Pro 13. It was the only MacBook still based on the old design from 2016, with its sharper corners, rectangular screen, and fewer notches. of regular function keys. The previously touch-sensitive screen bar has disappeared from other Apple laptops. When it was introduced seven years ago, we wondered whether many people would use the bar very often in practice, and it seems that Apple customers already can So don’t wait for it.

Instead of the old 13-inch laptop, there’s now a new entry-level 14-inch model based on the new chassis, but with the entry-level M3 processor, not the M3 Pro or M3 Max in other laptops. At least €2,029, it costs at least €410 more than a 13″ MacBook Pro with an M2 chip, although some features can’t really be called “Pro”. For example, the entry-level version has Only 8GB of RAM and you can’t use more than one monitor. Connect to the system.

As usual, Apple did not send us the entry-level model, but rather the most expensive and fastest version of its new series: the MacBook Pro 16″ with the M3 Max processor. Of course, this is also the best possible version of that processor with sixteen CPU cores and forty cores. GPU, plus 128GB of RAM and 8TB of SSD storage, the model sells for a cool €8,579, and the high costs are mainly due to the high prices Apple is still asking for more RAM and storage MacBook starting price 14-inch and 16-inch Pro from 2,549 and 3,049 euros with the M3 Pro processor; M3 Max variants cost a minimum of 4,049 euros for the 14-inch model and 4,299 euros for the 16-inch model.

Housing: luxurious black

Apple last updated the MacBook Pro casing in 2021. Last year’s model had the same exterior, and it appears that little has changed in the MacBook Pro as of the end of 2023. Only the Space Black color option is new, as previous models were Available in dark gray as well as silver. Our test model shown here in the photos has the new color. It’s actually a little darker than the old model, but more of a charcoal color than a jet black. Aluminum is not plated, but anodized, so grease stains are less likely. You can see deeper scratches more clearly on this model, because the aluminum is still silver under the anodized layer. Both the 14-inch and 16-inch models of the new MacBook Pro are available in black, but with the 14-inch model, you’ll have to select an M3 Pro or M3 Max processor. The Base Model with regular M3 CPU is only available in Silver.

Aside from the colour, there’s nothing new to be seen on the exterior of the MacBook Pro as of the end of 2023. Not that this was necessary, because the chassis exudes luxury in every way, with beautifully rounded parts that fit together almost seamlessly. Both the bottom and the screen cover feel very solid, the cover is almost impossible to twist and is resistant to pressure in the middle. Opening the display lid is nice and smooth, so you can do it with one hand without the base lifting up. At the same time, the hinge provides enough resistance so that the screen does not wobble when opened. When you turn the screen off again, it returns to the base with a nice muffled sound.

The keyboard still offers a firm touch with little movement, but at least a little more than the MacBook Pros of a few years ago with their bug-prone butterfly keyboard. The power button has a built-in fingerprint reader and the cavity above the display houses a 1080p webcam with excellent image quality. Also nice is the extra-large, smooth glass touchpad with built-in mouse buttons. You can’t really press it, but it feels like that because of the ingenious vibration motors beneath the surface.

A late 2023 Apple Macbook Pro 16-inch in Space Black (left) next to an Early 2023 model in Space Gray

The MacBook Pro from the end of 2023 also has the same connections, it does not matter whether you choose a 14-inch or 16-inch model, but whether it is a model with an M3 Pro or M3 Max, or a regular M3 processor. In addition to the “MagSafe” magnetic power connector, the M3 Pro and M3 Max models have three USB4 ports with Thunderbolt 4, an HDMI 2.1 connection, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and an SD card reader. The M3 version of the 14-inch MacBook Pro only has two USB4 ports with Thunderbolt 3 and the same ports found on the more expensive models.

Just like last year, the number of displays you can connect to your laptop also depends on the processor. Our top-of-the-line M3 Max model can handle four 6k-60Hz external monitors as well as the laptop display. If you want to connect an 8K-60Hz monitor or a 4K-240Hz monitor, it is also possible to connect two 6K-60Hz monitors. Laptops with an M3 Pro CPU can handle two 6k-60Hz displays, or an 8k-60Hz or 4k-240Hz display. Only the entry-level M3 model supports a 6k-60Hz or 4k-120Hz display. For laptops with a “regular” M2 processor, the limitation of a single external monitor also applies.

Screen: visibly brighter

The internal display of the late 2023 MacBook Pro is still an LCD display with a small LED backlight. Our 16-inch model has a resolution of 3456 x 2234 pixels, delivering a pixel density of 254 pixels per inch. New for the 16-inch MacBook Pro display is an increased peak brightness for SDR content: this will be 600 cd/m² instead of 500 cd/m². You might think this is a small difference, and so would we, but in practice we clearly noticed the brightness difference between the new MacBook Pro and the old model.

Measurements also show that the display in the 16-inch MacBook Pro from the end of 2023 will be brighter, although we don’t quite reach the promised level of 600 cd/m². The color reproduction of our test sample has been fine-tuned, in line with the MacBook Pro from 2021, but significantly better than last year’s model. This would be an ideal variation. The average chromatic and grayscale aberration, expressed as a delta E value, within the 16-inch MacBook Pro as of the end of 2023 falls below the maximum of 3, above which the color difference becomes evident. Detailed measurement results show that this also applies to all partial measurements, including the Color Checker test, for which we measure mixed colors as well as primary colors and gray tones.

In grayscale measurement, it is noted that darker shades of gray appear very dark; At this point there is a kink in the gamma histogram. This is probably a result of the always active local dimming; The backlight lights turn off to appear black, with the device having to juggle brighter shades with the higher contrast of darker colours.

As with the 2022 and 2021 MacBook Pros, the backlight has 2,554 zones that can be dimmed independently. This is especially important for a good HDR display, as well as almost full DCI-P3 coverage and a maximum brightness of 1600cd/m². Of all the LCD displays we’ve seen, the HDR picture on the MacBook Pro’s display is one of the best, with bright highlights and deep dark shadows. Of course, a micro LED display inherently has its limitations compared to a display that can dim precisely per pixel, such as an OLED display. If you look for those restrictions, for example, by the screen’s display of a star pattern, you’ll almost certainly find them on the new MacBook Pro, in the form of aura About high contrast transitions.

The screen runs at a maximum of 120Hz, which Apple calls ProMotion. Although the response times of the new MacBook Pro 16″ seem faster than its 2022 and 2021 predecessors, they are still quite slow. For a 120Hz display, the transition occurs perfectly within 8.3 milliseconds, which is when the image is Screen, which the new MacBook Pro also fails to achieve any of the measured transitions. This is somewhat visible on the desktop when you drag a window. The height transition from 0 to 100 remains the slowest of all the measured transitions. This does not appear to be the case One is not only because of the slow gray-to-gray response time of the LCD panel, but also because the small LEDs need some time to flash or turn off completely. You can sometimes see this by a series of LEDs going out behind a bright object that quickly passes through the image moves .