Hey. I’m currently deciding what new MacBook Pro to upgrade to. I’m upgrading from a 13” Pro 2016 and mainly use my MacBook around the house and only take it out now and again. I had originally thought of the 14” for my needs but I’m really intrigued by the 16” and the larger screen. Anyone who has it, do you find it too big and heavy for everyday use or do you just get used to the size and it’s not a problem? In your opinion is the 14 or 16” a worthy upgrade from an older 13”? Thank you

I have a 2016 15” and the new 16” is noticeably bigger and heavier to the point where I’m on the fence about keeping it. If you’re coming from a 13” you may find the size and heft to be even more noticeable. I’d try to handle one in person before deciding.

This is extremely subjective. You should go to an Apple Store, if you can, to check them out in person. You may be in for a shock going from the 13" Pro from 2016 to the new 2021 16". Look at it this way: it's like going from the iPhone 8 to the iPhone Pro Max. For some people, myself included, the 6.7" Pro Max is just too big, so we go with the smaller "regular" Pro. Same capabilities, smaller form factor. I hope this helps!

I had my for an hour, before I had to return it (backlight didn't work). So now, while I'm waiting for a new on in December - I can give you just my initial impression and it was that it was more heavy than my 2016 MBP, but didn't seem larger at all.

My wife has a 2013 MBP and this new 16" is smaller than that one and possibly even lighter.

If you used a 15" or 16" MBP in the past 9 years, this is pretty much the same. For me, it's still a very portable computer, nothing like 13/14" ones, but still very manageable.

vincenz said:

I have a 2016 15” and the new 16” is noticeably bigger and heavier to the point where I’m on the fence about keeping it. If you’re coming from a 13” you may find the size and heft to be even more noticeable. I’d try to handle one in person before deciding.

I find this interesting, because I too have a 2016 15" and while I got to handle the new one just a bit (as I said above, I was really unlucky and got a fauly unit) - it seemed pretty much te same size-wise and a bit heavier. But, again, still smaller than first Retina MacBook Pros, so it's still in the same range for me.

If you're used to 13" MacBooks, I get that it's big. But if you used a 15" - I don't see how these are that bigger to the point of you returning yours.

DHagan4755 said:

This is extremely subjective. You should go to an Apple Store, if you can, to check them out in person. You may be in for a shock going from the 13" Pro from 2016 to the new 2021 16". Look at it this way: it's like going from the iPhone 8 to the iPhone Pro Max. For some people, myself included, the 6.7" Pro Max is just too big, so we go with the smaller "regular" Pro. Same capabilities, smaller form factor. I hope this helps!

With inferior battery life. M1 13 MBP is the best and the new 16 is very close. 14’s battery life is disappointing.

big and black keyboard base too weird. I lost my interest.

flapflapflap said:

With inferior battery life. M1 13 MBP is the best and the new 16 is very close. 14’s battery life is disappointing.

From my understanding it depends on what you're doing & if you got the 8-core or 10-core model.

It's a subjective discussion. Coming from a 13", this will be much larger. And possibly heavier. But I personally love it. It is great having this screen real estate and the battery life.

I used to have the 16" MBP and found that too large to carry around comfortably, but then I prefer smaller laptops. I switched to the 13" Pro and now the 14" Pro Max, and it's the ideal size for me personally. The new 16" is larger and heavier than the old one, so I'm sure for me this would be far too large. It is more for use in a desktop situation, I feel, than in a portable setting where you're using it on your lap.

You can always return the laptop to Apple no questions asked within 10 or 14 days (I forget, and it might depend on your location). The only trouble is getting hold of the specific model you are interested in, and the mechanics of actually returning it and waiting for the refund to the processed. It is a lot of money after all

Without a doubt a preference. I've ALWAYS gone with the 15 inch model whenever I was due for an upgrade. I bounce between an at home office desk setup (where obviously the laptop doesn't move much) but then I also travel with my laptop too, whether it be local or getting on a plane on a weekly basis.

Question is, what sort of work are you doing. Do you have anything that would benefit from the larger screen real estate? I personally use my laptop to edit audio and photos. Went for the 14 inch to have a sweet spot when it comes to power & portability and don't miss the 15 inch AT ALL. If you plug into a monitor when you're at home, then I would say go for the 14. But if your travel is minimal and you don't plan to plug into an external monitor, the 16 inch might be a more enjoyable option.

But as mentioned above, go to an Apple store and see them in person before you pull the trigger.

I do not think it is too big. It has smaller bezels than the previous large models, and the trade-off of it being large is that it can have a large screen, which is good for productivity. It is thick, which, apart from the aesthetics, it should not really bother. However, it is too heavy, at least for what I expect from a laptop.

Honestly, for me, the 16" MBP is too small. A 17" would be perfect for me but I am not holding my breath for it.

Between the 14" and 16", I think it depends on your intended use. If you want optimal portability, go with the smaller form factor. If it is more of a stationary devices (that still allows for some portability) go with the 16" MBP. If you do not need portability at all -- a desktop might make sense.

Madhatter32 said:

Honestly, for me, the 16" MBP is too small. A 17" would be perfect for me but I am not holding my breath for it.

Between the 14" and 16", I think it depends on your intended use. If you wsnt optimal portability, go with the smaller form factor. If it is more of a stationary devices (that still allows for some portability) go with the 16" MBP. If you do not need portability at all -- a desktop might make sense.

Yup. Though 16" is still very portable - there are a LOT of bigger and heavier laptops out there.

DHagan4755 said:

This is extremely subjective. You should go to an Apple Store, if you can, to check them out in person. You may be in for a shock going from the 13" Pro from 2016 to the new 2021 16". Look at it this way: it's like going from the iPhone 8 to the iPhone Pro Max. For some people, myself included, the 6.7" Pro Max is just too big, so we go with the smaller "regular" Pro. Same capabilities, smaller form factor. I hope this helps!

This was me. Been using 13" macbooks for years then decided to go big this year. Quite the shock but larger screen real estate is hard to beat. I got apple care so i don't feel bad about lugging it around now.

Too big? It's pretty small. Im used to 34", 37.5" , 48" (Oled C1) monitors. I used the 14" and 16" MBP. The 16" is ok for short using. The 14" is for me to tiny.

And remember the fan noise and heat is much higher on 14". And battery life is much shorter.

I personally found it too large and too heavy, yeah. I was coming from a 2016 15" MBP, which weighed in at 4.0 lbs. The footprint was about the same, but the weight was 0.8 lbs heavier. That made a significant difference to me. I can deal with larger footprints when they're light but the combo of both heavy & large was unappealing in the end.

I was just at Best Buy last night and looked at the 16" right next to the 14" - glad I went 14". 16" just way too big for my use case.

I have had the larger laptop since 2012. This time round I’ve gone for the 14”.

The increase in size/weight from the 15” 2016 to the 16” 2019 was small, but it crossed an invisible psychological threshold and made it so that I hated to travel with it. This new 2021 M1 MBP 16” is an additional half a pound heavier than the 2019 16”! So I just ordered the 14”.

I do miss the screen real estate if I'm honest, but a week in and it feels like the right choice. It is not a cramped display and feels reminiscent of the 15". But it is a lot more portable and I'm loving it for that.

If you travel a few times a year at all then the 14" will suit you better. IMHO - The 16" has become a full-on desktop replacement that you lug from work to home from time to time and can use an iPad when traveling. The 14" is the better balanced device for those that occasionally need to be mobile with their laptop rather than an iPad Pro.

I can't remember the last time my MBP went outside of the house, but it goes all around the house, so I still want it to be portable. I previously had a 15" Late '08 MBP and always regretted getting the 2016 13". So, I ordered a new 16" MBP. I bought a 24" M1 iMac with full intention on keeping it and ended up returning it. It was just not ideal being anchored in one spot - for me.

i went to store and checked the screen, 16 was too big for me. At home and at work i have 32 inch monitor when need bigger screen, in bed and on lap 14 is better screen i think.

I was also torn between the 16" and 14". I've been using a MBA for about a year before getting the 16". Before that, I used a 15" MBP. I use it mostly for coding and watching YouTube.

I've been using the new 16" for about a week now. The new size still feels "big" to me. Web pages often feel very empty on the left and right because it's such a big screen. Depends on what you use it for

tastylemon said:

I was also torn between the 16" and 14". I've been using a MBA for about a year before getting the 16". Before that, I used a 15" MBP. I use it mostly for coding and watching YouTube.

I've been using the new 16" for about a week now. The new size still feels "big" to me. Web pages often feel very empty on the left and right because it's such a big screen. Depends on what you use it for

Yes this is my experience also. I had the 2019 16" Intel Macbook Pro and I've gone for the 14" this time around which I'm enjoying much more. I don't actually have a huge needful portability but do like to use my laptop on my desk, in bed, on the couch etc and I just find the 14" better suited to that - I think I just prefer laptops in this smaller form factor to be honest.

Whenever I think my new laptop or new phone is too big, one month later I'm completely used to it.

Same thing happened when I went from 14" PowerBook G3 to 15" PowerBook G4 and then 17" PowerBook G4.

mattlukea said:

Hey. I’m currently deciding what new MacBook Pro to upgrade to. I’m upgrading from a 13” Pro 2016 and mainly use my MacBook around the house and only take it out now and again. I had originally thought of the 14” for my needs but I’m really intrigued by the 16” and the larger screen. Anyone who has it, do you find it too big and heavy for everyday use or do you just get used to the size and it’s not a problem? In your opinion is the 14 or 16” a worthy upgrade from an older 13”? Thank you

I only wished it was bigger