M1 MacBook Pro 16 Three Months Later! The LEAST Impressive MacBook? 

I just ordered the 16inch. While I do agree with your points of the 16inch, I just generally prefer the larger screen. We live in a world where a lot of people work remotely. Having a bigger screen to where I can take it to a coffee shop and work comfortably for hours is crucial for me. The bigger screen will cause less eye strain and less fatigue. I have worked with 14inch laptops and the difference in how you feel after an 8 or 10 hour shift with a bigger screen vs a smaller screen is huge. Just like you said I wish there was more of an exclusive features on the 16inch like a better processor or something that makes the16inch a better buy. Overall great video. You earned yourself a new subscriber.

As a college student, my 16" pro has been absolutely wonderful. No fans spinning up, I never have to take my charger with me (at the end of the day I am usually left with 20-30%, so maybe i should bring it though because of battery health). But in general, the machine has been perfect. I use it along side my other apple devices like my ipad pro 12.9" and apple pencil, which completes the 2 things that I need exclusively. I don't ever have to bring any paper or pencils with me, so this setup makes me quite happy. I am a computer science student, who does a lot of indie game dev. So I also work on art and music related things which are of course perfect on this machine. The laptop may be overkill for me in some use cases, but I enjoy the refresh rate and bigger screen. So its all worth it to me :)

I upgraded from a 2015 13”MBP to the 16” with 16GB RAM/ 1TB SSD last week, and have been testing it with my workflow; video editing, website building and video training/coaching. I’m blown away with how well it handles everything! I was worried about getting the bigger screen (and weight) but have to say I love the form factor, and having carried it in my backpack a few times don’t notice that it’s a few grams heavier. Thanks Gary, your videos really helped with my research, and obviously they’re as brilliant as ever. Keep well and sending best from London.

As consumers..... We always buy waaaaay more than we need.... And spend way more money in hopes of future proofing our devices... Forgetting theyl alway be something shinier and faster around the corner

I've always had the bigger 15/16" and loved it! I've got the 2021 16" Pro now and wouldn't change it for the 14" at all, the bigger screen alone is enough for me to get it, let alone the bigger trackpad, the FAR better speakers, the FAR better battery life, better thermal envelope, less heat/fan noise etc etc. Performance wasn't the only thing separating the 13/15" Pro's of old, there was more to the bigger laptop than the chipset inside.

Love your vids

Since the M1-Pro, I'm no longer forced to decide between portability and power. I've gone from a 27" iMac + Intel MBP combo, to a single 16" M1-Pro and not looking back. This lets me have a reasonably large screen when stuck in a hotel or remote office, but then docks up to a 30" Pro XDR when back at the home office. It's the best of both worlds and no more sync'ing projects between systems. The big benefit of the 16" M1-Pro version over the same in 14" is the additional battery capacity afforded by the larger chassis.

Thanks…I enjoyed your video. Blessings on your day.

Very interesting video. Thank you!

I have a 14” MacBook Pro M1 Max (24-core) with 64GB RAM. No regrets and I have been very happy with its performance. Works great during traveling and in office on OWC Thunderbolt Hub with 165hz 32” monitor via DP1.4.

College kid here. I had a M1 13 for my first semester and it was great but I kept a lot open and quickly ate through the 8gb of RAM. This semester I have the base 16 and love it. Admittedly it has beachballed a few times in Photoshop and crashed 1 time for no reason, otherwise a dream. I’m loving the 16gb of RAM too but do keep a lot of things open including numerous Adobe apps so I hit the ceiling a few times and have to close Adobe apps to make chrome run fast. I also only go back to my dorm to sleep and walking around with it hasn’t been a noticeable issue/difference since my 13. I have some random Champion backpack and it fits into the laptop sleeve of it like a glove. I also agree about the lecture hall desk fitting. If I take notes I use my 12.9in iPad with the Apple Pencil in all honesty (even though I sunk money into the magic keyboard). I do mainly use the 16 in the library on a table and rarely in my lap. I was really debating whether to return the 16 within the time to get the 14 spec-ed up to the same as the base 16 but I just couldn’t. The 16 is great for my graphic design work and I just didn’t have enough reason to switch to the smaller screen. I haven’t had any issues with Monterey I don’t think. The only other things I plug into it are a Samsung T5 and whatever hdmi our library TV’s use so I haven’t noticed anything odd. Monterey feels good, snappy, and easy to use. I must admit however, I like Windows Files way way better than Finder. From using a PC for 2 years and now switching exclusively to Mac I miss that file system. Also Chrome > Safari. I tried switching to safari on my iPhone, iPad, and Mac but it just sucks. Straight up. I used Edge for a bit and liked it better than Safari. Hope any of this rambling was useful. But yeah, very mobile college kid, I love my 16.

As someone who used to lug the Macintosh portable in different continents for work in my younger years, size of even 17 inch laptops is a none issue for me.

I hear this sized thing all the time but you only gain a couple inches in desk space so barely enough to sit your iPhone next to it. Plus the 14" has shorter battery life, lesser speakers, a smaller screen and will thermal throttle once it starts getting hot which happens much faster than on the 16". Most of your issue will go away as developers adapt to Monteray and the M1 processor.

@4:54 - your Monterey observations are spot-on. My transfers to my Synology NAS are dog-slow and it's been relegated to only Time Machine backups on my M1 Max (my Windows and Linux systems see full-speed transfers on the same network). I keep hoping for Apple to release a fix. Yes, there are TONS of sites that have "how to fix" instructions with arcane commands, but MacOS Monterey users shouldn't have to resort to under the covers manipulation to make something that "just works" actually work.

I finally have confirmation… “size doesn’t matter” 😂 Thank you!

Fantastic video 👏

Simply perfect and incredible

I own one of this. It's been 3 months still best 1 i ever had🙌❤️.

Totally Amazing Video by you of the M1 MacBook Pro 16 Three Months Later....Thx 4 Posting....😝👻👻👽👽

Hey EveryDayDad !! Great video and planning to buy either a 14" or 16". Have you thought about making a video on how you edit in Final Cut Pro. Hope you do one ! Cheers

I recently got this. One thing I hate and it is probably true for the 14 inch as well is the spacebar preview doesn't show me the alpha of the video anymore. Before you could see through the video, now it is just all black. Now when I double check my renders I can't be sure if I rendered the alpha or not because I can't see through anymore!

I received my 14” 2021 m1 MacBook Pro today - I’m returning it. I used 13” laptops for years and then I used a 15” 2013 MacBook Pro for over 7 years. I didn’t think going to a 14” would be a big deal. I was wrong. The 16 inch is actually very close to the dimensions of my old 15” computer.

Question for ya: since getting this and using it largely in clamshell, have you seen a faster degradation in battery health (as rated on the Mac)? Have seen a few reports of 5-10% drops in 6 months vs the projected 2-4% when not on constant power

Same specs here, just the 14” instead and oh man, I am very happy with the investment. I also happen to agree with everything you said about Monterey.

The main issue I had with my 14 inch M1 Max was the screen. I guess i'm really sensitive to blooming but it hurt my eyes to use a lot of the time because everything I use is dark mode and a lot of time it is white text on black backgrounds. Everything seemed fuzzy a lot of times and it got annoying so I returned it. I also hated Monterey and had so many bugs that I didn't have on my M1 Air running Big Sur. Monterey is a mess.

Bought the 16” 1TB today. This has firmed up why 🙂👍🏼

Currently trying to do a 4K multi camera edit on a 2013 Mac Pro…days upon days of making proxies! My MacBook Pro M1Max won’t be here until August…I need it now!

if you're going to be primarily using your laptop screen, the 16 might be worth it I have it hooked up to a 30" monitor all the time, so I enjoy having the smaller 14" body.

I used the 14” for about a month before switching it out for the 16”. I just needed the extra screen real estate for coding, etc. Battery life with the M1 Pro is nuts; I wish you could get the binned-down 8/14-core M1 Pro chip in the 16” because that would be the battery life king. I don’t mind the size of the 16” because it’s not much larger than my 2015 15”… and I’m an enormous dude.

Debating if this is worth getting right now or waiting for the M2 chip. But this is the size I need.

So far the 14 inch (m1 pro 10 core) still amazing for me. Best laptop I’ve owned

It's the browsing security slowing things down. I just turn mine down. Certain sites that want to track you don't work well.

The M1s are truly nice computers. Pluses? Buttery smooth scrolling, virtually all the time, punchy keys, brilliant display, and OMG, the battery life is awesome. Minuses? Some of the software that you would take for granted hasn't been optimized for the M1s yet. Great potential though!!!

Could you please describe precisely during what activities and using exactly which programs did you notice a Macbook 16 M1 slowdown that was caused specifically by MacOS Monterey?

I really don’t need all the power and features, all I need is the 16 inch screen, but I have to buy this one to get that

Still waiting on my 14 inch shipping times are unbelievable almost 3 months ago I ordered it

I love my 2021 MacBook Pro 16 inch. No issues.

Do you have an issue with the sharp edge of the laptop being uncomfortable while typing, as you mention on the 14" model? Thanks

The RAID issue sounds like maybe a localized issue with the RAID unit. My MBP M1 Max is connected to 3 Synology NAS and have no issues.

I have the first gen 16" MBP and I was quite annoyed when safari on it. I switched to Edge and it was not only smoother but also way more battery efficient.

I’ve heard issue of the M1 Max’s battery life though, it seems that it can only last around 5 hours?

The Every da dad, one question for you. Can explain to me, why you said ”like change from Max to Pro”, and bigger SSD, from 1TB to 2TB if I am correct?!

I’m watching this like I can afford one of these 😂

I bought it about 20 minutes ago and this is the first video I get suggested...

I have the Macbook Pro 16.2" and I love it! It's very fast! Linus Tech Tips clearly showed the M1 Max and its GPU are thermally bottlenecked in the 14”. It might be an edge case, but if you’re on the Max chip and looking to get the most out of the machine… the 16” has more headroom and will outperform the 14”. However, if you were on the Pro only… there are essentially no difference in the thermals. So going up to the 16 in that case doesn’t get you additional performance… just the increased screen size is what you’re splurging for.

I think the last Intel MBP 16” is the best so far running in Monterey.

Thanks!

I went from a 15" to a 14" and although I liked it, I returned it for the 16" due to FOMO. yes its big but the screen is sooo nice!

I couldn't disagree more on your comment about the 16" not getting you anything. I agree that you can get the same SOC in either size.... but run them hard and tell me the 14" thermal throttling doesn't start to show a gap between the two.

Such a silly complaint: because a smaller laptop comes with the same specs that takes away from the exclusiveness of the bigger one? Size does matter. 😉

@The Everyday Dad: do you have some experience with hooking up the MB pro 16 to a monitor with 60w Power delivery? Is it enough to charge the MB pro 16? Or drains it the battery?

Wait...why wouldn't the LG OLEDs not be able to keep up with ProMotion ? They also are native 120hz Panels since the C9 from 2019 i think ?

Once big pro making me look at the 16", is from my time with one at bestbuy, I dont think i'd need a monitor anymore. I could just use it on my desk

Turn off Private Relay. My Safari came back to life.

In regards to the beginning of the video. That’s what she said. Sorry another dad here and had to say it. Love this and all your other videos

Can this thing handle 4k video editing and rendering?

From everything I've seen the battery is better on the 16 which is counter intuitive. But speaking as a soon to be former Windows user, I do want the larger screen. And then there are the thermal differences as well.

The 16” is insanely amazing for me. I can do complex music production while streaming to twitch in 60fps without the fans even turning on. That thermal headroom alone is worth it for me. Add to that the glorious 16” display for HDR video editing on the couch and I’m hooked for good 🔥

Does it work well with an Ultrawide ?

I’m waiting on my 4th replacement M1 MacBook Pro 16”. Have yet to receive one that works and no problems. Ordered in November and it’s March in a couple of days. Worst product and experience from Apple. Over $3800 and if the next one has a problem, I’m washing my hands of this device.

Just got a base model m1 pro 16" refurb off amazon for $1557. I went to best buy, expecting the 16" to look enormous and the 14" to look like a normal laptop, but the 14" looked downright puny. Time will tell if I like it, but I'm a bigger guy and I think I'd feel cramped on a 14" and love that big screen. The 15" air looked like the ideal size but I know the performance just isn't as good, no fans, throttling, not to mention lack of ports. Doubt I will mind how big the 16" is and has slightly better specs than the 14, and better thermal performance, better battery life, and for the price is a steal! Doesn't fit on a coffee table? Bah! Just take the table meant for 4 lol. No room on an airplane? I don't use a laptop on airplanes anyways...

I’m nearly a month into my order for the 14” MBP. I’m with you, when it comes to dialing it down. My previous MBP was a 15”, but the ideal of portability appeals to me. Since 2017, I’ve used the 12.9” iPad Pro, including the latest M1 model. But after holding the 11” in my hand and being enamored by its size, I swapped the biggie for the smaller size and never, never looked back. With that in mind, not looking back at the larger screen; really looking forward to having the 14” laptop, relieved that it will fit into my current backpack. Also, it’ll look a lot less bulky on a DJ laptop stand when I play out. Overall, I do not like the fact that I cannot roll back to Big Sur as an option: that really stinks, especially when one does music production like I do, knowing that software vendors are not always quick to move over from the previous MacOS version, which can take many months. But other than that, I’m sure that those who prefer the 16” know their needs, and that’s cool. I will still be twiddling my thumbs for that 14”, still estimated to be about 7 weeks ago. Bah! Thanks for another great video.

get the 14" M1 Pro for your laptop, and the M1 Max Studio for desktop

Where to get the wallpaper in the thumbnail?

I'm looking to get a new MacBook Pro. Should I wait for the M2? Should I go for the M1? If so, Max or Pro? (I am talking about the 16inch)

I don’t understand the RAID thing. I have a 48TB Synology and it’s flawless. What did OWC say??

Same problem with Final Cut Pro X, it is very unhelpful!

Agree with the Monterey comments. However, I have the same 16" version as you and think its the perfect laptop, certainly the best I have ever owned. There are some other channels that show there is thermal throttling in the 14" with M1 Max, so I wanted to get full performance so $200 additional cost to go from 14 to 16, I think it is the best value proposition option on the MacBook Pro: Bigger screen (obviously), slightly better performance, significantly better sounding speakers... etc

Love my new 16” and use iPad Pro as “second monitor” but like you said, Apple .. please please please a new monitor this year.

what monitor is that on your desk? That big curved one.

“Size doesn’t really buy you anything extra” it does actually, the m1 max in the 14inch runs a lot hotter than the 16 and the gpu is locked at a lower frequency which reduces performance by quite a lot. The battery life on the 14inch with m1 max is not great either. The speakers, performance, bigger screen and battery life are all better on the 16inch.

I think it's a given at this point that almost no device is bad, just a bad fit for your needs.

Three months later it’s odd how most agree on the performance of the 16 over the 14 in terms of heat mitigation and overall performance.

Wow I didn’t found any issue in Monterey, but I read that some people have also issues, so Apple must fix that

I wonder when you buy a new laptop they install used ram memory from the ones people traded in

I bought the MBP 16” 2019 right after it came out. As laptops go, it’s served me well and still does. I wonder if I would have any real reason to upgrade to the new M1 16” or just wait until the 2019 version starts becoming slow. It works well for my digital paintings so far and the lag with several layers and highly textured brushes is much less than I used to have with my older 2011 27” iMac.

Will the Mac Pro be updated again this year ? M2 ? I want to pick one up but idk if I should wait

Linus Tech Tips clearly showed the M1 Max and its GPU are thermally bottlenecked in the 14”. It might be an edge case, but if you’re on the Max chip and looking to get the most out of the machine… the 16” has more headroom and will outperform the 14”. However, if you were on the Pro only… there are essentially no difference in the thermals. So going up to the 16 in that case doesn’t get you additional performance… just the increased screen size is what you’re splurging for.

Even though the 14 is more ideal overall, my eyesight isn't the best so a bigger canvas will be preferable for me so the 16 will be the clear choice for my needs. Not to mention the better battery life

Not overpriced, it’s just the Air is an insane value.

Love your reviews they've helped alot over the past year. I am a teacher and was in remote for a year and a half, using my MacBook Pro 15" Mid-2012. Having been used to the real estate of the 15" screen, it was a problem having to invest in a new computer as the 2012 could no longer keep up with multiple windows with like 30 tabs in each open and multiple live video work like Google meets and Microsoft teams being open simultaneously + live video book reads. SO...after researching and seeing reviews on RU-vid, I bit the bullet and ordered a MacBook Pro 13" M1, in January 2021. LOVE it. Had difficulty at first with 13" screen vs 15" but eventually adapted to it. My sadness was in needing it at that time when I had wanted to wait for the next big models. It is a fact if you research the info, that Apple will not ever again come out with 15" machines due to they had an issue they could not resolve in defective battery/size of machine use at 15' and so are now below and above that size. SO...When the newer M1's came out I again waited and finally because the original goal was to get a larger size again, I ordered the MacBook Pro M1 Max 16" first week in January 2022. They have taken 3 months to fill order and will be arriving next week. I saw no reason to trade in the 13" as it can be my coffee/cafe travel machine, while the 16" will be my desktop and long travel machine. I really don't see the 16" as being cumbersome, as it felt in the store alot like my 2012 15". What I did NOT like was the kid at the Apple store telling me get the lower end model because everyone trades in their machines every 3-5 yrs to upgrade. I was like...WHY would I spend this kind of money to think about trade-in??? My old MacBook Pro lasted all this time from 2012 and only became 'old' in spring 2021 because it couldn't stand up to the pressure of live online use all day. Honestly, Apple is the best bang for the buck on long term life. I am totally looking forward to the 16" when it arrives next week.

I do hope that the apple display is about 4 times less expensive than the current pro display 🤞

Wish apple could give us a Full Sized Keyboard with Numeric Keys in 16" Macbook Pro

The 16" has a larger cooling system, and the M1 Max in this form factor isn't clock locked as is the 14". Physics, you know. The 16" M1 Max actually weighs more than the 16" M1 Pro to accommodate something to do with the cooling system, whether it's different fans or something else I don't know. It also features High Power mode which allegedly changes the fan curves.

I have saved money. I wanna get the 16 Macbook m1 pro 2021

Size does matter, its Funny MaxTexh went 14 and regrets it having wirked out the 16 performs better even same specs. So maybe the grass is not greener on the other side of the fence, satisfaction is elusive

I can’t it’s unwieldy I’m glad I went small on both my 14in MacBook Pro and 11in iPad Pro. If they were bigger it would not fit my use cases. I wish my brain would accept that. My bother got me the teacher discount 1850 plus the holiday cash back I got mine for 1775 new.

Get the M1 Pro and upgrade the SSD instead of the MAX configuration. It is just overkill (not a huge difference in performance or even geeky benchmarks) and you maximize that insane battery life even more with the M1 Pro configuration on the 16 inch instead of the Max

What about the new mini!!!!!

“…You live and you learn and then you make a video complaining about it…” 👊🏻 Bang on indeed! That’s what I want to hear = real life opinions and if that’s a damn good moan then bring it on. 🙂

No regret for mbp 16. Most users of the mbp 16 will tell you they have no regret buying this machine because nothing come close when you need work to be done . It just works and battery life beats anything in the market . When you need to work just open use Touch ID and get work done

Any idea if they've fixed Monterey? I think you can downgrade.

No, the 16 inch performs much better than the 14 M1 pro/max in thermals and battery life. There is a significant battery life difference and fan noise. 16 in fans you will never hear turn on despite what you do it seems. Also, the 14 in M1 pro/max models are purposely programmed to perform under locked to conserve battery life as their battery in 40% less which is MASSIVE difference. Speakers quality difference is also massive IMO. 16 inch is a boss there. Not fun to carry around though, even in the house lol but hey, if you are into mobility, just get the M1 air. It is still amazing. Even M1 pro 13 in is great mobility if you can get it around similar price

11:45 Ultimate Apple Powahhhhh

Haha u do have an Apple Watch tan haha

you can’t talk for everyone. for us, developers, bigger screen is must have. i have 10 terminals layed out on the screen at times, smaller laptops are useless for my job. every IT company i look at, every conference or meeting is dotted with mbp 15” and 16”. most of us are super happy with fatter laptop with bigger batteries. it’s super important. design and thickness < usability. in fact it’s the best work horse that I dreamt of and apple finally delivered. you don’t need it, it does not mean nobody needs it. apple knows its customers better than you have any idea about.

Look dad, you’re always complaining that the regular iPhone has software locks on “pro” features that the hardware can handle. Now you’re complaining that the bigger MacBook doesn’t have extra that’s locked behind software for all the people who bought the smaller version…..

Get the MacBook Pro 14 16ram 10gpu 1T why put money too 2 inches of screens

“You live and you learn…and then you make a video complaining about it.” 😂😂😂

Just on your first dislike with the size: I have the M1 Pro version of this an i adore it I upgraded from a 13” M1, and before that a 1 2014 Retina 13” and they were fine at the time for college stuff but now, working for myself from home, the screen simply was not large enough I ALWAYS had to be plugged into a monitor on my desk to do any meaningful work which almost defeated the purpose of having a laptop and not a desktop With this 16” I can now do any work I need to do from anywhere without the discomfort of eye strain, neck strain looking down, or anything else Also, the size and weight overall don’t bother me in the slightest for travel! I only had that M1 13” for 10 months and couldn’t travel in that time anyway This 16” is only marginally more heavy than the old Retina I’ve been lugging around for 7 years - and before that I had a 15” Sony Vaio which I still have and is WAY heavier and bulkier than this 16” MBP For me, it’s a perfect laptop in every way