For a while, loyal Apple customers began to worry that the company might be abandoning the Mac. It’s still true that the iMac and Mac Pro haven’t been refreshed for a very long time, but Apple finally launched the all-new MacBook Pros in 2016.
Unfortunately, the update created even more problems for Apple. Customers have reported a number of issues, including poor graphics performance, inconsistent battery life, and general dissatisfaction with the lack of ports.
With all these complaints going on day in and day out, let’s list the legitimate and relevant ones and the ones that are too minor to ignore.
More importantly, I’ll try to address whether you should buy one or if the problems outweigh the advantages.
Full Speed Ahead with USB-C
Yes, the MacBook Pro got rid of all ports except USB-C badly, but is that such a bad thing? It varies.
First, it’s worth noting that the new MacBook Pro models without the Touch Bar come with two USB-C ports. Models with Touch Bar come with four. All come with a headphone jack – a little ironic, but still welcome.
If you’re currently using a lot of ports and are still considering a new MacBook Pro, first determine which ports you can do without. Maybe you don’t need an SD card reader because your camera has built-in Wi-Fi, or maybe you have an Apple TV with AirPlay so HDMI isn’t a priority.
You will need to buy dongles for any remaining accessories you need ports. Apple sells them, but you can get them cheaper on Amazon. A popular choice are Aukey USB 3.0 to USB-C adapters; two packs retail for just $10.
The famous MagSafe connector also went with the 2016 MacBook Pro. You have to charge over USB-C, which does not have a mechanism to conveniently unplug the cable if you plug it in.
This puts your Mac at additional risk, but at least now you can charge from both sides of the laptop.
Game and Graphics Issues
Let’s clear something up first. If you want to play any kind of advanced game on a Mac, you may want to think again. Macs have never been known for superior gaming performance compared to premium PC brands like Alienware. Still, I personally think it’s fair to expect at least good graphics and gaming performance from a machine that starts at $1500.
Extreme play is less than ideal on these machines.
This is apparently not the case. Some users have reported graphical distortions, strange artifacts, glitches and crashes on the screen. Fortunately, Apple has issued an official response stating that the update to the latest macOS Sierra software update should act as a remedy. All in all, graphical glitches shouldn’t stop you from buying a MacBook Pro.
However, extreme play is less than ideal on these machines. Just search Twitter or YouTube for “MacBook Pro gaming” and you’re sure to find lots of disappointed customers.
The cherry on the cake comes from EverythingApplePro on YouTube. It did everything to buy the top-of-the-line $4300 2016 MacBook Pro, only to find that many of its graphically-intensive games were nearly unplayable. Most will work, but for the most intense gameplay, you’ll need to significantly change your in-game graphics settings to get a decent framerate. Even then, it’s disappointing to say the least.
Poor and Inconsistent Battery Life
A very strange report came out from Consumer Reports that it cannot recommend the 2016 MacBook Pro due to poor and inconsistent battery life. It claimed that in some tests the MacBook Pro will get 16 hours of battery life, while in others it will get up to three hours.
Apple responded by essentially criticizing Consumer Reports for a misrepresentation. It also blamed a bug in Safari for some of the battery life concerns and released an update to fix the issue.
After the Consumer Reports rejection sparked controversy within the tech community, Consumer Reports said it would retest the MacBook Pro after Apple releases a software update. The publication kept its promise, found better results the second time around, and now recommends the MacBook Pro.
As a result, battery life issues on the new MacBook Pro are a thing of the past. Apple offers up to 10 hours of web browsing and 30 days of standby time on a single charge.
16GB RAM Cover
There has been a flood of frustration surrounding the fact that the 2016 MacBook Pro is not expandable beyond 16GB of RAM. Many professional users want 32GB of RAM to handle demanding tasks and intensive multitasking.
However, unless you’re in a very niche group, this isn’t something to worry about. Macs and macOS excel at memory compression. If you choose to upgrade to 16GB of RAM, macOS will use its magic to make 16GB of RAM feel roomy.
The minimum nowadays should be 8 GB of RAM, which is already convenient for most users. Also, MacBooks and MacBook Pros now come with 8GB as standard. A cap on 16GB of RAM isn’t something 99 percent of customers need to worry about, at least for the next few years.
Should You Buy?
Gamers should stay away from Apple’s newest machines, as should anyone who uses a lot of old or wired accessories.
Since battery life and RAM issues aren’t really major issues, the only worthwhile concerns with the MacBook Pro should revolve around gaming and a lack of ports. The total switch to USB-C for connectivity and power is a deep dive. Gamers should stay away from Apple’s newest machines, as should anyone who uses a lot of old or wired accessories.
If you don’t fall into those categories, the 2016 MacBook Pro is a perfectly acceptable and capable machine. It’s currently starting under $1400 on Amazon.
