Apple MacBook Pro 16 M3 Max Review: The Ultimate Powerhouse

Apple has always been known for making premium and powerful laptops, but the new MacBook Pro 16 with the M3 Max chip takes it to a whole new level. This laptop is not only the most powerful MacBook ever, but also one of the most powerful laptops in the world. It can handle any task you throw at it, from video editing to gaming, with ease and speed. But it also comes with a hefty price tag, starting at $3,499 and going up to $7,199 for the maxed-out configuration. Is it worth it? Let’s find out in this review.

Design and Display

The MacBook Pro 16 M3 Max looks very similar to the previous models, except for one major difference: the color. Apple has introduced a new Space Black option, which replaces the Space Gray hue. This color is darker and more matte, and it also resists fingerprints better, thanks to a new anodizing process. However, it’s not a true black, as it can appear more like a dark gray or a deep purple, depending on the lighting. If you prefer a lighter color, you can also opt for the Silver option.

The laptop has a sleek and sturdy design, with a metal body and a thin profile. It weighs 3.1 pounds and measures 0.7 inches thick, making it relatively portable for a 16-inch laptop. It also has a good selection of ports, including three USB-C ports, one HDMI port, one SD card slot, and one headphone jack. The USB-C ports support Thunderbolt 4, which means you can connect multiple external displays, drives, and accessories with fast data transfer speeds.

The laptop has a stunning 16-inch Liquid Retina XDR display, with a resolution of 3,456 x 2,234 pixels and a refresh rate of 120Hz. The display is sharp, bright, and colorful, with HDR support and wide viewing angles. The display can reach up to 600 nits of brightness in SDR mode, and up to 1,600 nits in HDR mode, making it ideal for watching movies and editing photos and videos. The display also has thin bezels on the sides and the top, giving it a modern and immersive look. The display also supports 3D Audio, which is a feature of some PS5 games that creates a realistic and immersive sound field around you.

Keyboard and Touchpad

The MacBook Pro 16 M3 Max has a full-size, backlit keyboard, with scissor-switch keys and a standard Chrome OS layout. The keyboard is comfortable and responsive, with good travel and feedback. The keys are also well-spaced and large, making typing easy and accurate. The keyboard also has a Touch Bar, which is a touch-sensitive strip above the keyboard that shows context-specific functions and shortcuts. The Touch Bar can be customized to suit your preferences and needs, and it also has a Touch ID sensor for biometric authentication.

The touchpad is located below the keyboard, and is slightly off-center to the left. The touchpad is smooth and spacious, measuring 4.1 x 2.9 inches. The touchpad supports multi-touch gestures, such as tapping, scrolling, zooming, and swiping. The touchpad is also accurate and responsive, and can register your inputs without any lag or errors.

Performance and Battery Life

The MacBook Pro 16 M3 Max is powered by Apple’s own M3 Max chip, which is a custom-designed processor that combines the CPU, GPU, RAM, and SSD into a single chip. The M3 Max chip is the most powerful chip that Apple has ever made, and it delivers astounding performance in every aspect. The M3 Max chip has up to 16 CPU cores, up to 40 GPU cores, up to 128GB of unified memory, and up to 8TB of SSD storage. The M3 Max chip also has a 16-core Neural Engine, which is a dedicated processor for machine learning and artificial intelligence tasks.

The M3 Max chip can handle any task you throw at it, from video editing to gaming, with ease and speed. It can run multiple apps and tabs without slowing down, and it can also run Windows and Linux programs using virtualization software. It can also handle 8K video editing, 3D rendering, and complex calculations, without breaking a sweat. The M3 Max chip also has a fanless design, which means it runs silently and efficiently, without overheating.

The MacBook Pro 16 M3 Max also has a long battery life, thanks to the M3 Max chip’s low power consumption and the laptop’s large battery. The laptop can last up to 22 hours on a single charge, according to Apple, which is impressive for a 16-inch laptop. In our tests, the laptop lasted 17 hours and 11 minutes, which is still very good. The laptop also comes with a 45W USB-C charger, which can charge the laptop quickly and conveniently.

macOS Sonoma and Software

The MacBook Pro 16 M3 Max runs on macOS Sonoma, which is the latest version of Apple’s operating system for Macs. macOS Sonoma has a sleek and intuitive interface, with features such as Dark Mode, Spotlight, Siri, and Continuity. macOS Sonoma also has a lot of built-in apps, such as Safari, Mail, Photos, Music, and iMovie. macOS Sonoma also has access to the App Store, which has thousands of apps and games for Macs, including some that are optimized for the M3 Max chip.

macOS Sonoma also has some exclusive features for the MacBook Pro 16 M3 Max, such as offline file sync, magic eraser, and generative art. Offline file sync lets you access and edit your iCloud files even when you’re offline, and sync them automatically when you’re online. Magic eraser lets you erase unwanted objects or people from your photos and videos, using the power of the Neural Engine. Generative art lets you create unique and beautiful artworks, using algorithms and parameters that you can control.

Verdict

The MacBook Pro 16 M3 Max is a fantastic machine for those who need supreme power on the go. It has a sleek and sturdy design, a stunning display and keyboard, and a long battery life. But most importantly, it has the M3 Max chip, which delivers astounding performance in every aspect. Whether you’re a creative professional, a gamer, or a power user, the MacBook Pro 16 M3 Max will not disappoint you. However, it also has a steep asking price, which might not be affordable for everyone. If you don’t need that much power, you might want to consider the MacBook Pro 16 M3 Pro, which has a lower price and a slightly lower performance. Or, you might want to wait for the next generation of MacBook Pros, which might have even better features and performance. But if you want the ultimate powerhouse right now, the MacBook Pro 16 M3 Max is the one to get.