This is an unusually large advance over previous models, especially in raw computing power, but also in fun things like screen and headphone support. This Amazon listing has two different processors, the M1 Pro (listed as 16-Core GPU "style") and the M1 Max (32-Core GPU). I'll call one the Pro, the other the Max. I got the base Pro, but much of what I'll say applies to both, and I'll have some comments specifically about the Max too. (MBP below = MacBook Pro.) Amazon doesn't offer most of the options you can get, only the ones listed. For now (and probably later), that's the Pro with 16GB RAM and 512GB or 1TB SSD, or the Max with 32GB RAM and 1TB SSD. 3 versions total. Screen Brightness* and Happiness This screen can get up to 1600 nits brightness and can sustain full-screen brightness up to 1000. That's very impressive, as MBPs since 2016 have topped out at 500. *But the vast majority of the time, this screen will also top out at 500, because those other numbers are only for HDR (high dynamic range, what Apple calls XDR), i.e. some videos and some photos viewed in some programs. If you're browsing the internet, using productivity apps, or the like, those are almost all SDR (standard dynamic range). You'll be seeing them at the same brightness as with MBPs for the last five years. That said, the new screen is beautiful and bright in both HDR and SDR for most situations. For HDR, it puts out more color and brightness, and darker blacks - a million-to-one contrast ratio - with a wider range of light and color that has more pop and more detail in shadows and highlights. It can be dazzling or just more realistic. For SDR, it's much like before, still a gorgeous screen, with better contrast than before because of darker blacks. Has more pixels per inch (254, up from 226), and more pixels all over (3456 by 2234, up from 3072 by 1920). The aspect ratio remains 16:10 (not counting the top menu bar). ProMotion ProMotion is Apple's name for screen refresh rates that can go up to 120Hz, or lower to save processor/battery power when 120 isn't needed. This makes motion smoother, more natural. For now where ProMotion applies is limited. Most scrolling in browsing, including with Safari, still tops out at 60Hz. Which is fine for me, but it bothers some people, looks choppy to them. This could be changed with a software update. Bloom and Ghosts Bloom is when a bright spot on a dark background bleeds out past where it's supposed to be, a common issue with this kind of screen. I and most others think this screen handles it well (better than the iPad Pro), but it can still arise some. Ghosting is when a moving object leaves a noticeable trail of ghost images behind for a fraction of a second, one for each new frame until the old image fades. MBPs are notoriously mediocre at this kind of ghostbusting, and this screen is no exception. Expect the usual haunting, if you notice that kind of thing. PWM For those concerned (you mostly know who you are), there is PWM (pulse-width modulation) on the smaller 14" version of this screen, and so very likely on this one too, at a frequency of 14,880Hz at all brightness levels (measured by NotebookCheck). That's a very high frequency, considered well beyond what would cause trouble for the susceptible. The Notch As you can see in the main photo here, there's a black Notch at the top of the screen. There are no pixels there. The long-desired improved camera is there, and a mic array and light sensor (and maybe room for a Face ID system if they decide to make MBPs with that). As with the iPhone Notch, it's controversial. You can make the Notch disappear, or rather blend in, if you make the background up there black. It also disappears into the black bars when you view things like videos in full-screen mode. The cursor disappears into the Notch if you put it there. If an app has menu items that stretch there, they disappear too, but they'll still function normally if you put the (invisible) cursor on them. Desperate times call for desperate measures. Most apps won't have this trouble, but if you must, you can avoid menu items disappearing by using the "Scale to fit" function, which shrinks the entire screen work area a little to fit below the Notch. Makes it look like an old 15" if the background is black, like there are wide black bezels. (Google "Scale to fit below built-in camera" for full instructions and mockery.) There are also third-party apps, such as Bartender, to manage how items appear in the menu bar and keep them visible. Camera and Mics The new camera that, along with the thinner bezels, makes the Notch necessary, is 1080p, with an f/2 lens for good exposure in the shadows. Video looks noticeably better than before, though it can have a processed look. The three mics sound very clean and natural but with a little less bass than before to my ears, which is fine. Extra Screens You can use two external monitors with the Pro, down from four with previous models. They can be up to 6K @60Hz with a billion colors. The Max can still use four: three 6K and one 4K, all @60Hz etc. You can use 4K @120/144Hz HDR monitors too. You can run two from one port if you use the right kind of dock or daisy-chain. Headphone Oomph The new headphone jack has more power for high-impedance headphones. It automatically adjusts, so it won't overwhelm low-impedance phones. If the headphones have less than 150 ohms impedance, they get 1.25 volts RMS. If more, 3 volts. That might cause it to fail to provide enough power to some not-so-high-impedance headphones that still require extra power, such as planars. With my 2016 15" MBP, I've had to use a portable amp for my Beyerdynamic DT 1990 Pros (250 ohm), but now I can pretty well do without it, though sometimes only just. The volume on some sources is still not always what I wish I could make it. But now I can nearly achieve hearing loss with the intro to the guitar riff in "Money for Nothing." Which also sounds good, and healthier, a couple notches down. Among other headphones that have tested favorably with the new jack are the DT 990 Pros (250 ohm), and the Sennheiser HD650, 660S, 6XX, and HD800 (150 to 300 ohm). One report says the planar Hifiman HE4XXs (35 ohm planar) sound good, but most planars tested are said to need more power. The Audeze LCD-2Cs are reported to sound good enough, though not their best. The LCD-3s and Hifiman Sundaras and Aryas are said to be underpowered. For my usual regular-impedance phones, Cleer Flow IIs (16 ohm), the wired volume is a little louder than before, though still not always the earsplitting barrage I want for some sources. Maybe for the best. Quality iems (in-ear monitors) that require especially clean input, but not too much, reportedly sound good, including Andromedas and Moondrop Starfields. Speakers They're improved from the already laptop-leading speakers from earlier MBPs, with a fuller sound and decent kick, amazingly good for when nothing with a 3" woofer is around. Apple mysteriously says the 14" M1 has the same speaker system, but looking inside both machines shows the speakers in the 16" are bigger - both "subs" and tweeters - and located differently, with the subs in the front corners on this one. The 16" has fuller bass (such as it is). Heat and Noise There isn't any. None with my typical use, at least. If you push it hard, it can get warm, but not as hot as my 2016 15". Which makes sense, as this has a larger enclosure, bigger fans, larger, better heat sinks, and more power-efficient processors. The fans don't have to spin up as much to do the same amount of cooling, so it's noticeably quieter even when it does heat up, rarely makes any noise at all. The 16" Max comes with a larger heat sink than the 16" Pro, so likely runs a little cooler and quieter sometimes, though the Max might get hotter when it uses a lot of that extra power. Keyboard Very quiet, much like the older Mac laptop keyboards, not the
