Apple MacBook Pro 15 (Late 2016, 2.6 GHz i7) Laptop Review

[vladimir.cica]

Just wanted to ask one question regarding rating. There is segment "Add Points" in overall device categories and I'm not sure what exactly "-2%" means.

Does this mean that device will have 90% overall rating (beside current 88%) when WLAN issue is fixed? Thanks.

[Paul3443]

Please, Notebookcheck, stop ignoring the lack of Ethernet port on modern laptops. This is a big CON and should always be on your CON list!

[Nitesh]

Oh and i noticed that Apple has left spaces around the batteries, so if my assumption is right then i think that they will add the capacities in some time to come, try 2018, Schiller " And we managed to cram more batteries into these devices, plus they now support the latest gen chipsets kabylake"

I'll stick with Linux and Microsoft though, plus ' hopfully a Thinkpad T460s '

Especially as Gurman said they had been working on form fitting batteries (like the 12"), but because so many people were working on iPhones, they missed the target and went back to an older battery technology.

I'm betting we'll see that form fitting battery in next years model...Provided they staff the Mac team adequately and don't miss more targets because of iPhones...

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-12-20/how-apple-alienated-mac-loyalists

[Brandon]

Okay, some people in this comment section are just hilarious and I have to say this. The MBP15 is currently the best quad-core multimedia laptop. Period. I mean, there is not a single laptop on the market that even comes close to delivering the same level of user experience as the MBP15. And the same can be said about all other Macbooks as they're the best machines in their respective categories.

Yeah I admit windows laptops have come very far. But Macbooks always stick to a same philosophy: the input and the output.
1) No other laptop has a Macbook's trackpad. "Oh but you know, there are tons of mouse or third party toupads from wacom or logitech. Also the new Microsoft precision touchpad is great. And who needs a touchpad when you can have a touchscreen?"
2) No other laptop comes with Macbooks' quality speakers or internal DAC. "Who cares? And if you want, there're portable wireless speakers or audiophile headphones. There're tube amps, high end dacs, thunderbolt audio interfaces and audio receivers more expensive than your car, and 11.1 channel cinematic studio monitors more expensive than your house."
3) No other laptop has a Macbook's keyboard. "Key travel isn't there and my finger oil gets all over it. Traditional laptop keyboards from a decade ago were so good. What about Portable bluetooth keyboards? cherry-switch Mechanical keyboards? Or you can buy laser holographic keyboards these days."
4) No other laptop has Macbooks' display quality. "Dell's 4K? HP's IGZO IPS? High-end gaming laptops? Laptops with OLED displays? Anyone can buy 27" gaming monitors. And that new 200" 8K OLED widescreen monitor with a 144hz refresh rate?"
5) No other laptop has 4 thunderbolt 3 ports. "I hate dongles, and 5GB/s external storage isn't here yet."
6) No other laptop has Macbook's build quality. "But HP and Razer also use full body aluminum. Oh and they say metal absorbs shock so it's bad for internal components. And what about Business laptops? Mil-Spec certified? Semi-rugged/waterproof and Fully-rugged laptops?"
7) No other laptop has OS X. "OS X is for babies who don't understand sophisticated world of Linux or Windows. And if you really want one, there's hackintosh."
8) No other 15" laptop has top of the line mobile CPU and an entry level gaming GPU in a 15mm, 1.8kg chassis. "Who cares about slim and light? I work out and I'd say even 4kg feels like a feather. And those babies can pack the latest Xeon server CPU and desktop Nvidia 1080 graphics"
9) No other laptop with similar configuration has 10 hour battery life. "Big deal. Like anyone's actually gonna play games or do CAD design while driving a car"
10) No other laptop has Apple's universal serviceability. "But it's like that youtuber Louis Rossman said. Those guys are such jerks and meanies."

Just to give some perspective, these are internationally popular brand-laptops competing with the MBP15. They're all 14/15", quad-core, come with minimum Nvidia 960m/M2000M/1050 graphics, and most importantly, under 2.6kg: Dell XPS 15 (9560), Dell Precision 15 7000 (7510), Asus Zenbook Pro UX501VW, HP Omen 15, HP ZBook 15, Lenovo Thinkpad P50, MSI GS43VR, MSI GS63VR, Razer Blade 14, ASUS ROG GL502VS, ASUS ROG GL502VS, Gigabyte AERO 14, Giagabyte P35x v7, Aorus X5 v6, Aorux X3 Plus v7.
And if you dig deeper, many cheaper variants exists in brands like ASUS, Acer, MSI and Gigabyte. And if you're willing to go a little further, there are many more barebone version of these laptops from brands like Clevo, Sager, Schenker, Eurocom and Eluktronics.

I haven't lived long enough to use the legendary thinkpads of the old or those panasonic toughbooks. But I've used and seen reviews from almost every brand of laptop to know that no other laptop has all these things combined in one neat package. I wish my Thinkpad P50 came with 12 hours of light use battery life, macbook quality trackpad, speakers, DAC, a 500nits pwm free screen with full color coverage, and at least a pound lighter but that's not remotely true. And having used both keyboards, I honestly prefer the MPB15 keyboard to every other laptop keyboard, even the old Thinkpad T series. It's supposed to be one of the best and most reliable machines many claim it to be a close second or an alternative to the MBP15 yet it's still rigged with tons of unresolved issues. So to me, the MBP15 with Radeon Pro 460 is the jack of all trades, master of all. And I'm sure lots of other people feel the same way because otherwise, they wouldn't sell like hotcakes.

[Critical Observateur]

Beautifully engineered piece of equipment in most respects but that keyboard... At first I thought the unit I dabbled with was faulty, but after checking a couple more 15" Pros as well as the 13-incher and MacBook 12, all with similarly awful keyboards, all I can say is "what were they thinking". >:(

[RSDN]

Which chipset uses exactly this macbook pro the number of parts is that is SR2NH but what is the name of the chipset

[John147]

Hi everyone. Apple doesn't have the 460 model on time for me (I'll be leaving). 
Therefore my options are either the base pro model 15 inch 2016 with the 2.6 and the 450 or the 2.7 with the 455.

I will use it for 4k editing on Final Cut and some web design and graphic design and general tasks. 

Is it worth it to go for the 2.7 with 455 or is the difference negligible? Especially I am interested for final Cut if there will be any significant peromance boost. 

Also what about any throttling on the 2.7 vs 2.6. Are there any reports? Or are they both the same?

Thanks everyone. 

[Bori]

These reviews are partially sponsored by Apple. There is no way this rubbish keyboard gets 90%. Better than the Thinkpad keyboard? For real? Get the hell out of here... You are lying.