Is the 2016 MacBook Pro 13" Worth It?

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**The New MacBook Pro: Is it Worth the Upgrade?**

If you're in the market for a new laptop, the latest MacBook Pro model might be worth considering. But is it really worth the upgrade from the previous model?

First, let's talk about pricing. The base model starts at $1,299, while the higher-end Touch Bar model costs a whopping $1,800.

**Performance: A Closer Look**

The new MacBook Pro comes with dual-core processors, either Core i5 or i7. However, the base model has a 15-watt processor, which is relatively modest compared to the 28-watt chip in the higher-end Touch Bar model. Despite this, performance is surprisingly close between the two models.

In fact, we ran some tests using the old Core i5 model and found that it was almost indistinguishable from the new i7 model. This is a significant improvement over the previous generation.

**SSD Speed: A Game-Changer**

One of the standout features of the new MacBook Pro is its super-fast SSD. We were able to break the speed test, with read speeds exceeding 2GB/s and write speeds approaching 3GB/s. This is significantly faster than the old model, which was not slow but certainly not lightning-fast.

**Storage: A Standard Upgrade**

The new MacBook Pro also comes standard with 256GB of storage, up from 128GB on the previous model. This is a significant upgrade, especially considering the price difference between the two models.

**Gaming Performance: Surprisingly Smooth**

While the MacBook Pro is not a gaming PC, it can handle some lighter titles like Minecraft. We found that the laptop ran smoothly, with locked frame rates and minimal dropped frames.

**Other Improvements**

The new MacBook Pro also boasts improved speakers, with front-firing speakers that produce much better audio than before. The screen has been improved as well, with a wider P3 color gamut, 500 nits of brightness, and better contrast.

However, there is one major downside to the smaller chassis: less room for batteries means reduced battery life. Apple claims that the new MacBook Pro still has the same 10-hour battery life as the previous model, but in reality, we found that it was not quite as long-lasting.

**Is the New MacBook Pro Worth It?**

Ultimately, whether or not the new MacBook Pro is worth the upgrade depends on your specific needs and budget. If you're already looking for a MacBook Pro, this is a decent option with some nice improvements. However, for most people, it's still an expensive laptop that requires adapters.

So, what do you guys think about the new MacBook Pro? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enHey guys, this is Austin!Is the new 2016 MacBook Pro worth it?So, the new MacBook Pro is interesting.On one hand, it's goingto be a lot thinner,a lot lighter and immediately, wow.It's sort of like the current MacBook Promixed with the 12-inch MacBook,which is not necessarily a bad thing.I think, for all it's issues,the 12-inch MacBook isa really nice machine.This looks pretty similar if you've playedwith a MacBook before.Now there is a new keyboard.The trackpad is actuallykind of giant, wow.The hardware of the new MacBook Prohas been updated in afew interesting ways.So probably the most noticeable differenceis that the Apple logo onthe back no longer lights up,which honestly, I don't really care.And you're also no longergetting plastic on the build,so it's pretty much metalall the way through.Now it also now does come in two colors.So in addition to the standard silver,there's also now a space gray option.Yo, say what you want about Apple,but they can make anice piece of hardware.This thing feels absolutely sturdy.You know it actually isthinner than the last MacBook.In fact, to put things in perspective,I have the last generation13-inch MacBook Pro here.If I set it on top, you'll see thatit's actually a fair bitthinner and consideringthat you're getting theexact same size screen,that's really nice.On top of that, it's going to be thinner.Now it's not a huge difference, I mean,put them side by side and you will notice,however, it's definitelynice that they're kind oftrimming things down.However, that thinness comes with a price.Take a look at the side and you'll seea pair of Thunderbolt 3 ports.Now these are nice to have,they're based on USBType-C, which means thatnot only can you chargewith either of them,but that also means that you can adaptout to DisplayPort, HDMI, full USB.There's a lot that you can do with thesehowever, you need adaptersto do pretty much anything.With the old MacBook Pro,you really didn't need any adapters.You had full USB, you had a card reader,you had HDMI, you even had MagSafe.You lose all of thatwith the new MacBook Pro.To make things even more complicated,there are multiple versionsof the new MacBook.So what I have here is the base modelwhich does come with thetwo Thunderbolt ports.However, if you get the upgraded 13-inchor pick up the 15-inch MacBook Pro,you get four Thunderbolt ports.Now that's nice to giveyou more expandability,however it still doesn'tget around the issueof you're going to need adaptersfor basically everything.Before we get too far into things,we probably should finish up the unboxing.So inside we get a USB Type-C cable.It looks like just the sortof standard Applepaperwork, Apple stickers.There's also the new power brick,which is also using USB Type-C.Now it's nice to be ableto plug it into any portyou want on the laptop,however, I'm definitelysad to see MagSafe go.It has definitely savedmy laptop many times.Just ask Ken, it would have saved his.Put the MacBooks side by sideand won't notice a huge difference.So even though the new onehas a smaller footprint,it actually does havea much larger trackpad.I've got to give Apple props,this touchpad is really nice.So not only is it absolutely enormous,this might be the biggest laptoptouchpad I've every tried,and you're also gettingfront firing speakersas opposed to the kind of mediocre,bottom firing ones on the older MacBook.The keyboard has also been redesigned.So it's similar to what you would findon the 12-inch MacBook,which means that it has thenew butterfly key switch.It isn't bad.I think the thing is youjust have to get usedto the lack of travel.So it's a very shallow key,however, it's actually not that bad.I feel like I can getused to it pretty quick.The keyboard is actuallythe biggest differencebetween the two MacBook Pro models.So this has yourtraditional function keys,so you get an Escape key,you can adjust your screen brightness,next track, all that kindof stuff are actual keys.However, if you get the upgraded model,it comes with a Touch Bar.This is an interesting idea.It allows apps to takeadvantage of the Touch Barto change what keys areactually on your keyboard.So while it's still a touchscreen,what you can do is still getthe standard function keysand all that kind of stuff,but certain apps such as Final Cut Pro,can actually take advantageof that to let you scrollthrough the timeline, addadditional custom buttons.It's a cool idea.It also comes with Touch ID,however, if you wantthe Touch Bar version,it's going to cost you.The new Macbook Pro starts at $1,500.However if you want the Touch Bar model,that's going to run you $1,800.Now for that, you do get theTouch Bar, you get Touch ID,you get a pair of Thunderbolt3 ports in additionto the two that are already here,however, that's a lot of money.Across the board, thenew MacBook Pro 13-inchesare using either Core i5 or i7 processors.Now they're all dual-core,however the base model has a 15-watt part.With a higher end Touch Bar model,it comes with a 28-watt chip.So since they're based onthe same Skylake process,there shouldn't be a huge differencein normal day-to-day use,however, when you'regetting into heavier liftingsuch as video editing,having that extra thermalheadroom is going to be a big advantage.So since we're working withthat lower wattage processor,I'm curious how performance stacks up.So to compare, I havethe old Core i5 modelas well as the i7.They're actually surprisingly close.So both of the Core i5 models come basicallywithin margin of error of each other,while the i7 has a slight lead,considering that it was acouple hundred dollar upgrade,that should be a huge surprise.One thing the new MacBookPro has going for it,is a super fast SSD.So it's so quick in fact, itliterally broke the speed test.With well over twogigabytes per second read,and according to Apple,it's actually closer to three gigabytes.Now the old models weren't exactly slow,however there's no doubtthis new MacBook Prodefinitely sets the benchmarkas far as disk speed goes.It also now comes standardwith 256 gigs of storage,compared to 128 on the old model.Now that's not a huge difference,however when you considerthe price difference,you would upgrade this to 256,this is only a hundred dollars more.Still expensive,but at least it makes alittle bit more sense now.So while no one on their rightmind should buy a MacBookas a gaming PC, it canhandle some lighter titles.So here we are in Minecraft and you'll seethat it runs completely smooth.So we're getting a locked 60 FPSand this shouldn't be a huge surprise,Macs have been able to playMinecraft pretty smoothlyfor a while, however, it isa totally usable experience.Performance-wise thisactually isn't too bad.It might not be quiteas smooth as Minecraft,we're definitely seeing a fewdropped frames here and there,but you can play some sort ofdecent games on the Macbook.I'm kind of impressed.White, this one's sort of a lighter blue.You know, the speakers are not bad.So with those two front firing speakers,we're getting a muchbetter audio experienceand the screen has also been improved.So we're still getting thatsame 2560 x 1440p resolution,however it now supportsthe wider P3 color gamut,we're getting a muchbrighter screen at 500 nitsand it also has better contrast.It looks nice, it soundsnice, it's a big improvement.As far as the webcam goeswe still have a 720p FaceTime HD camera.It's decent.So there's definitely some graininess,especially up here you can seeand the audio is good but not amazing,however as far as webcams go,there's really not alot to complain about.Now one of the downsides togoing to a smaller chassisis that there's less room for batteries.So while the old 13-inchhad a 75-watt hour battery,the new has a 55-watt hour.Now Apple claims it stillhas the same 10 hoursof battery life, andhonestly the 13-inch actuallyhas some of the bestbattery life of pretty muchany laptop I've tried, however,a smaller battery is never a good thing.So, is the new MacBook Pro worth it?Kind of?It's a hard sell.I mean on one hand, you'regetting nicer hardware,you're getting a much betterscreen, better speakers,performance is at leastthe same if not better,however, you are giving up portsand that's gonna be a tough sell.Sure, I think USB-C andThunderbolt 3 are the future,however, the future's not here yet.You're still going to needadapters and on top of that,this thing's expensive.If you're already lookingfor a MacBook Pro,it's a decent option as longas you don't mind adapters.But for most people, I thinkyou're better off passing.So what do you guys thinkabout the new MacBook Pro?Definitely be sure to let meknow in the comments belowand I will catch you in the next one.