The arrival of Apple’s M4 chip is timely. Competition from industry giants like Qualcomm, Intel, and AMD on the Windows front has intensified, posing a significant challenge to Apple’s dominance in recent years.
This review focuses on the 16-inch MacBook Pro with the M4 Pro configuration. This powerful laptop boasts impressive specifications, including exceptional battery life, a high-performance GPU, cutting-edge AI capabilities, and blazing-fast CPU cores. With price reductions and upgrades across the board—encompassing ports, display, performance, camera, and battery life—this isn’t just the top-of-the-line MacBook; it’s arguably one of the best laptops available.
Specifications and Configurations
| Feature | MacBook Pro M4 (14-inch) | MacBook Pro M4 (16-inch) |
|---|---|---|
| Dimensions | 12.31 x 8.71 x 0.61 inches | 14.01 x 9.77 x 0.66 inches |
| Weight | 3.4 pounds (M4), 3.5 pounds (M4 Pro), 3.6 pounds (M4 Max) | 4.7 pounds |
| Display | 14.2-inch, 3024 x 1964, 120Hz mini-LED (1,000 nits SDR, 1,600 nits HDR) | 16.2-inch, 3456 x 2234, 120Hz mini-LED (1,000 nits SDR, 1,600 nits HDR) |
| CPU | M4 (10-core), M4 Pro (12-core), M4 Max (14-core) | M4 Pro (12-core), M4 Max (14-core) |
| Graphics | M4 (10-core GPU), M4 Pro (16/20-core GPU), M4 Max (32/40-core GPU) | M4 Pro (16/20-core GPU), M4 Max (32/40-core GPU) |
| RAM | 16GB (M4), 24GB, 32GB, 36GB (M4 Max), 64GB, 128GB (M4 Max) | 24GB, 32GB, 36GB (M4 Max), 64GB, 128GB (M4 Max) |
| Storage | 512GB, 1TB, 2TB, 4TB, 8TB | 512GB, 1TB, 2TB, 4TB, 8TB |
| Ports | 3x Thunderbolt 4 (M4), 3x Thunderbolt 5, Ethernet, SDXC, HDMI | 3x Thunderbolt 5, Ethernet, SDXC, HDMI |
| Battery | 72.4-watt-hour | 100-watt-hour |
| Wireless | Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3 | Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3 |
| Price | Starting at $1,599 | Starting at $2,499 |
The 14-inch M4 MacBook Pro now starts at $1,599 and includes 16GB of RAM, a welcome upgrade from the previous 8GB base configuration. The 16-inch model retains its $2,499 starting price but offers a robust base configuration with the M4 Pro, 24GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD. The review unit, priced at $3,649, featured a 14-core CPU, 20-core GPU, 48GB of RAM, a 2TB SSD, and the nano-texture display. The M4 Pro configuration exclusively offers 48GB of RAM. The M4 Max allows for up to 128GB of RAM and 8TB of storage.
While the base prices are competitive, storage upgrades become costly. A 2TB SSD adds $600, and a 4TB SSD adds another $600, pushing the price beyond $4,000. For comparison, the Asus ProArt P16 with an RTX 4070, 32GB of RAM, and a 2TB SSD is available for $2,300.
Design
Someone using a MacBook Pro M4.
The 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros maintain their robust, albeit slightly bulky, design. The Space Black color option, introduced last year, has replaced Space Gray. The 16-inch model, weighing 4.7 pounds, might be cumbersome for some. The Asus ProArt P16, a strong competitor, offers a lighter and thinner alternative with a discrete GPU. The 14-inch MacBook Pro, however, remains an excellent compact laptop. Both sizes boast a comfortable, full-sized keyboard and a smooth, responsive trackpad. The display notch remains a point of contention for some users.
Ports and Connectivity
The side profile of the MacBook Pro M4.
The MacBook Pro retains its comprehensive port selection. A key upgrade is the inclusion of Thunderbolt 5 in the M4 Pro and M4 Max models, offering significantly increased bandwidth compared to Thunderbolt 4 found in the M4 model. This facilitates faster data transfer speeds and broader external display support, with the ability to connect up to two 6K 60Hz displays (or four with the M4 Max). Wireless connectivity remains unchanged, featuring Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3.
Display
A video playing on the screen of the MacBook Pro.
While the mini-LED display is bright and vibrant, with the nano-texture option effectively minimizing glare, it doesn’t quite match the color richness and contrast of OLED displays, especially those found in the iPad Pro. The MacBook Pro’s display achieves 100% sRGB, 99% DCI-P3, and 87% AdobeRGB coverage. Color accuracy, measured with a Delta-E of 1.18, is good but trails behind some OLED laptops. The display reaches an impressive 1,000 nits of peak brightness in SDR mode with adaptive brightness enabled. HDR performance is excellent, seamlessly integrating with macOS.
Webcam and Speakers
A person using the webcam on the MacBook Pro.
The upgraded 12-megapixel FaceTime camera offers improved image quality, especially in low-light conditions. Features like Center Stage and Desk View, while potentially useful, remain somewhat niche. The speakers are outstanding, delivering rich, room-filling sound that surpasses many Bluetooth speakers.
Performance
A top down view of the MacBook Pro.
The M4 Pro delivers exceptional performance, significantly outperforming competitors in both single-core and multi-core benchmarks. The M4 Pro’s AI performance, driven by the enhanced Neural Engine, is also notably improved.
| Benchmark | MacBook Pro 16 (M4 Pro) | MacBook Pro 14 (M3 Max) | Asus ProArt P16 | Surface Laptop 7th Edition | Dell XPS 16 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cinebench R24 (single/multi) | 179 / 1752 | 102 / 485 | 114 / 1165 | 105 / 826 | 100 / 838 |
| Geekbench 6 (single/multi) | 3930 / 22712 | 3174 / 21137 | 2688 / 14497 | 2388 / 13215 | 2196 / 12973 |
| Handbrake (seconds) | 49 | 50 | n/a | n/a | 69 |
Graphics
Steam open on a MacBook Pro.
The M4 Pro’s GPU performance is impressive, rivaling that of discrete GPUs like the RTX 4060 and 4070. It even surpasses the M2 Ultra in the Mac Studio. This translates to a smooth gaming experience for titles like Baldur’s Gate 3 and Shadow of the Tomb Raider at 1200p resolution with high settings. HDR gaming is particularly stunning.
Battery Life
The 16-inch M4 Pro MacBook Pro boasts up to 24 hours of battery life for video streaming and up to 16 hours for web browsing. In a light web browsing test, it exceeded 20 hours. However, under heavy load, battery life is less impressive.
M4 vs. M3 MacBook Pro
The M4 offers significant advantages over the M3, including enhanced performance, a brighter display, Thunderbolt 5, a higher-resolution webcam, and increased base RAM. The price difference between the two generations should be considered, especially given the M4’s increased base RAM.
14-inch MacBook Pro vs. 15-inch MacBook Air
Apple
While the 15-inch MacBook Air offers a thinner design and a lower starting price, the 14-inch MacBook Pro provides a superior overall experience with a better display, webcam, ports, and the performance benefits of the M4 chip.
Is it Worth It?
Someone using a MacBook Pro at a desk.
The M4 MacBook Pro represents a compelling upgrade with significant improvements in performance, features, and overall user experience. While expensive, it remains a top-tier laptop that justifies its premium price tag. For those considering the M4 or M4 Max configurations, further testing and benchmarks might be beneficial before making a final decision.
