Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
I am torn between the 2.0 10th gen. i5 13" and the 2019 16".

My last MBP was a mid-2014 13" and I really liked its portability. Before that I had the old mid-2007 aluminium 15" MBP, which was probably the next-best computer I have ever owned. I loved the screen-size, but I ended up hating the weight of it (that thing was heavy!), which is why I ultimately went with the 13" when time came to replace it.

It's going to be a trade-off in either case, but I am starting to feel a bit tempted by the 16". While it is heavier than the 13", it is far from as heavy as my old 2007 model and therefore seems a bit more manageable and portable.

The main thing discouraing me from the 16" is that small but annoying feeling of buying "old tech," now the 10th generation CPU and the faster RAM is available in the 13".

I gather there hasn't been any specific rumors of a small mid-year refresh of the 16"? So what do you guys think, will we see a mid-year refresh, or will Apple wait with a bigger update until October-November? I figure the whole mini-LED thing is probably not coming until 2021 (and either way, I do not want to be an early adopter of that technology, having witnessed how prone first generation products are to flaws that will be fixed in later generations - I am looking at you, early Retina screens!)
The 13 and 16 are different computers for different use cases though.

16 is like if you want close to a portable workstation and you do GPU intensive stuff. There’s hasn’t been a whole much of difference in intel chips the last 4 years.
 
If your MacBook will spend more time at home "docked", then a 16 is the best choice. If you need to take it with you daily, a 13" would be optimal.

I take my iPad Pro with me daily, but I only take my laptop when I know I need to do a specific thing and that specific thing requires some horsepower. Still works out to be better for me to have a laptop over a desktop.
 
The line up is straightforward really. More so since the "MacBook" was binned.
Except they are missing a true ultraportable. I’d prefer to see a 12” MacBook Air with the thickness of the current model but the footprint of the 12” model. If they could get it to 2.4lbs it would be the same general size as the old 11.6” MacBook Air. Limit it to the i3 and price it at $949, and I think it would sell well.
 
I think Apple did what they had to do, not much more. They needed to replace the keyboard across the line.

The fact that the 16” got a larger display was probably due to the need for improved cooling.

I believe the 2016 15” was originally designed for a 10 nm CPU. When having to put a 14 nm inside Apple got problems with heat and battery life. This just got worse year after year as Intel pushed the CPU far beyond the 45W thermal design limit.

Apple needed a bigger chassis to improve cooling and fit a bigger battery. Hence the bigger screen in the 16”.

Apple did not see the same need for the 13”.

Apple is probably aiming for a bigger redesign with ARM in 2021.
 
Apple is probably aiming for a bigger redesign with ARM in 2021.

Like many I'm disappointed we didn't see a redesign with e 14" display. I'd hoped we'd see a better screen, WIFI 6. Even the 10th gen chips Apple just moved to have been on the market for over a year and are supposed to be replaced by 11th gen later this year!

I guess there's always something shinier and newer on the horizon though. Even if Apple brought out a device that ticked all the boxes I had there'd probably still be things like an OLED display, ARM chipset and 5G/LTE options which I'll be complaining about not having!

At the end of the day what makes me happy is that we have a 13" Macbook which appears to have no major issues so far. The screen is still one of the best on the market, the processor is competitive with Windows laptops again and finally we have a keyboard that's usable in the most popular form factor of Macbook.

At least if you buy a Macbook in 2020, whilst there might be something better on the horizon, what you're getting here and now is a quality design with no (touch wood) major issues that I can see.
 
  • Like
Reactions: surf4peace
It's going to be a trade-off in either case, but I am starting to feel a bit tempted by the 16". While it is heavier than the 13", it is far from as heavy as my old 2007 model and therefore seems a bit more manageable and portable.

The main thing discouraing me from the 16" is that small but annoying feeling of buying "old tech," now the 10th generation CPU and the faster RAM is available in the 13".
I just moved from a late 2013 13" to a 16". The difference is definitely there, but I notice the size much more than the weight. With the lockdown, I haven't moved around with the machine in a bag yet, but I use it in the couch in the evening a lot. The screen is so much bigger I hardly use my external screen (also because of the 18W issue, but I just don't feel the need so much atm).

Up to you: do you need the power or the bigger screen, or do you need the smaller/lighter form factor?

Don't worry about the "old tech" factor. Intel has been standing still for the last 4 years anyway and I don't have the feeling that's going to change fast. The 16" (I have the 8 core) is an incredible upgrade. The 13" should be quite an improvement, too, because it's quad core now.
 
That’s my strategy as well. I’m still on my 2011 MBP and I’ve been waiting for years to get a MBP without the Butterfly Keyboard and was really hoping to get a specced out 14 inch MBP and keep it for at least 4-5 years. Now I’m a bit disappointed but I can’t wait any longer.
So my 2020 MBP 10th gen 16GB/1TB arrives on Monday. I bought it on a heavy 13% student discount and I’m hoping that’s enough to cover the resale loss after a year to get the 14“.
I also got around 10% my purchase, so im hoping the resale value equals the same as the new 14" coming out next year. If not, im sure it will be a few more hundred dollars.
 
Any suggestions for a protective cover/case for the new 13” 4-port model? Not a pouch, but something that is on all the time.

All covers I find seem to be for up to 2019 models. I ordered one new 2020 MBP model for my highschooler since her 2014 model just hangs after boot in about 10 seconds, even after OS reinstall, out of some reason it works in recovery mode. This began after she dropped it.. again. At least it lasted 5 years!

Also looking for a magnetic USB-C connector for charging, so it would drop less often :)
 
Last edited:
Got my i5 gen10/16gb/1tb today. I have just unboxed it and tested it briefly. No QC issues whatsoever (from what I can tell so far). Gonna spend some more time with it shortly, but my initial impressions are that I like it alot. :)
Keep us updated!!
 
I'm really hoping for a minor 16" refresh in June (or at least pre-orders in June so that I can claim it this financial year). I want an updated CPU to 10th Generation. Update to Wifi 6 would also be amazing considering I hope to have this laptop for quite a few years (my current Macbook Pro is Late 2013, and I had the one before that for probably 4-5 years).
I've just started using DaVinci Resolve (just minor video work), but my 6 year old Macbook Pro is really showing it's age. So any spec bump would be much appreciated as I would already upgrade to at least 32GB RAM and the highest CPU and Video Card option they have.
 
  • Like
Reactions: AFPBoy and cool11
The line up is straightforward really. More so since the "MacBook" was binned.

I'd agree, until the recent Air and Pro announcements. The overlap between the base MacBook Pro and specced-up MacBook Airs are confusing things - you only have to look at the number of posts on here about that to see what's happened. It seems to be a popular topic on tech podcasts and YouTube as well.
 
If your MacBook will spend more time at home "docked", then a 16 is the best choice. If you need to take it with you daily, a 13" would be optimal.

I take my iPad Pro with me daily, but I only take my laptop when I know I need to do a specific thing and that specific thing requires some horsepower. Still works out to be better for me to have a laptop over a desktop.
Some are saying if you need a powerful computer and never at a desk the 16" offers power on the go. The 13" is great for on the go portability but can be hooked up to an egpu when at the desk.
 
  • Like
Reactions: surf4peace
Current Apple deliveries for a maxed out MBP 16 inch in the UK is two weeks time.

Is there a store where I can get a maxed out model sooner in the UK?
 
Still only of brief testing with the new MBP13... thoughts so far;

-The keyboard is good. The perfect middle road between old and new.
-The screen is, obviously, very nice even with "thick" bezels (no change).
-Performance/fans. Everything just flows along nicely, and so far I've yet to even hear the fans. I haven't really done anything taxing yet, so can't really comment on max performance.
 
  • Like
Reactions: LiamJoseph
Still only of brief testing with the new MBP13... thoughts so far;

-The keyboard is good. The perfect middle road between old and new.
-The screen is, obviously, very nice even with "thick" bezels (no change).
-Performance/fans. Everything just flows along nicely, and so far I've yet to even hear the fans. I haven't really done anything taxing yet, so can't really comment on max performance.

Have you tried connecting it to an external display as I notice someone else posted on the 16" Macbook Pro thread saying they were experiencing similar fan noise issues on the 13" model when connecting it to an external dispay. Weirdly it seems to depend on which monitor it's connected to though?
 
Have you tried connecting it to an external display as I notice someone else posted on the 16" Macbook Pro thread saying they were experiencing similar fan noise issues on the 13" model when connecting it to an external dispay. Weirdly it seems to depend on which monitor it's connected to though?
Sorry, but I own no external display whatsoever.
 
  • Like
Reactions: hungryghosty
Current Apple deliveries for a maxed out MBP 16 inch in the UK is two weeks time.

Is there a store where I can get a maxed out model sooner in the UK?
In normal circumstances, some Apple stores will apparently stock limited numbers of higher configurations alongside the stock models, but as stores remain closed that's obviously not currently an option. If you're really desperate, maybe you could call Apple and see if any are available in any store and if they would ship it to you from there. Outside of that, I don't think you will have any luck. I don't think I've ever seen third party retailers offering anything other than the stock configurations.
 
I wanted to chime in here as I’ve been following this thread for months, anticipating a replacement of my 2013 13” pro. I just got my 2020 13” w/ 10th gen CPU and I am very impressed with this model.

-The speakers are such an incredible upgrade, it’s like the difference I had when going from an iPhone 6S to an Xr.
-The screen seems a lot brighter, and feels like it has a half measure HDR feature.
-The keyboard is super responsive and is a big improvement from the 7 year old keyboard I was used to.
-I didn’t realize the chassis was actually smaller too which is appreciated.
-This thing is lightning fast, I haven’t even seen the pinwheel yet and I’ve been running multiple applications simultaneously, including chrome with 3+ tabs.
-I prefer actual function keys in place of the Touch Bar but it’s not that bad of gimmicky feature.
-Praise the physical “esc” key!

Overall I am thoroughly satisfied with the higher end 13” even though I’ve had it for 2 days. And that’s despite my grumbling about having to buy USB-C adapters for all my USB-A accessories. Like many here I really wanted the 14” screen w/ mini-LED, 16” level speakers, and WiFi 6, but even without those features this is a beast of a computer.
 
I wanted to chime in here as I’ve been following this thread for months, anticipating a replacement of my 2013 13” pro. I just got my 2020 13” w/ 10th gen CPU and I am very impressed with this model.

-The speakers are such an incredible upgrade, it’s like the difference I had when going from an iPhone 6S to an Xr.
-The screen seems a lot brighter, and feels like it has a half measure HDR feature.
-The keyboard is super responsive and is a big improvement from the 7 year old keyboard I was used to.
-I didn’t realize the chassis was actually smaller too which is appreciated.
-This thing is lightning fast, I haven’t even seen the pinwheel yet and I’ve been running multiple applications simultaneously, including chrome with 3+ tabs.
-I prefer actual function keys in place of the Touch Bar but it’s not that bad of gimmicky feature.
-Praise the physical “esc” key!

Overall I am thoroughly satisfied with the higher end 13” even though I’ve had it for 2 days. And that’s despite my grumbling about having to buy USB-C adapters for all my USB-A accessories. Like many here I really wanted the 14” screen w/ mini-LED, 16” level speakers, and WiFi 6, but even without those features this is a beast of a computer.

Which configuration of the MacBook Pro 2020 did you get ? The i5 or the i7 CPU?

Both are great machines but wondering if you can share your thoughts on why you went with your choice of CPU?
 
I wanted to chime in here as I’ve been following this thread for months, anticipating a replacement of my 2013 13” pro. I just got my 2020 13” w/ 10th gen CPU and I am very impressed with this model.

-The speakers are such an incredible upgrade, it’s like the difference I had when going from an iPhone 6S to an Xr.
-The screen seems a lot brighter, and feels like it has a half measure HDR feature.
-The keyboard is super responsive and is a big improvement from the 7 year old keyboard I was used to.
-I didn’t realize the chassis was actually smaller too which is appreciated.
-This thing is lightning fast, I haven’t even seen the pinwheel yet and I’ve been running multiple applications simultaneously, including chrome with 3+ tabs.
-I prefer actual function keys in place of the Touch Bar but it’s not that bad of gimmicky feature.
-Praise the physical “esc” key!

Overall I am thoroughly satisfied with the higher end 13” even though I’ve had it for 2 days. And that’s despite my grumbling about having to buy USB-C adapters for all my USB-A accessories. Like many here I really wanted the 14” screen w/ mini-LED, 16” level speakers, and WiFi 6, but even without those features this is a beast of a computer.

Yeah I've looked at the 13" one, but it just isn't powerful enough for me, particularly for long-term. When I spec it up to almost it's max (except the SSD), it is only about $AUD1000 off a higher spec'd 16", which would be far better performance. It really depends on what you want to use it for. The size is super tempting though.
 
Yeah I've looked at the 13" one, but it just isn't powerful enough for me, particularly for long-term. When I spec it up to almost it's max (except the SSD), it is only about $AUD1000 off a higher spec'd 16", which would be far better performance. It really depends on what you want to use it for. The size is super tempting though.
Yeah I've looked at the 13" one, but it just isn't powerful enough for me, particularly for long-term. When I spec it up to almost it's max (except the SSD), it is only about $AUD1000 off a higher spec'd 16", which would be far better performance. It really depends on what you want to use it for. The size is super tempting though.

I actually prefer the size of the 13 inch Macbook Pro, but I've come to the same conclusion now. The 16 Inch just offers so much more performance. I can actually casually game on it as well which is a huge plus for me. I don't need a full gaming setup, but when I do, it's nice to know I don't need to fiddle around with an eGPU.

I am a bit concerned about the heating issues I'm reading about though with the 16 inch.
 
Which configuration of the MacBook Pro 2020 did you get ? The i5 or the i7 CPU?

Both are great machines but wondering if you can share your thoughts on why you went with your choice of CPU?

I went with the i5 and kept the other base features: 16GB, 500 ssd, 2GHz. I'm not doing anything particularly CPU intensive so I expect it would last me for years to come. That said, like you, I too prefer the 16" for its better speakers and raw power which ensures longer term use. I almost went with the 16" but the 8th gen processors irked me, especially with the rumors of a refresh later this year for that model.

If they refresh the 16" before any solid details about a potential 14" release, I will be picking up the former. I have a brother who needs a computer so I was planning to gift him my new 13" when I decide to upgrade.
 
Don't think a negligible chip bump and WiFi that's arguably worse than what they have now (no 3x3 yet) will solve Apple's fundamental problem: that their lineup is all wrong. It's boring. You effectively only have two choices, a 13" thin and light or a 16" workstation. It's dictated by meeting sales targets at set price points, not offering an enticing selection of machines. Needs a big shakeup to introduce some interesting machines again. Make the MBA more expensive again, but give it the XPS treatment:

Basic intel legacy Mac
13" MacBook (the current $1,299 Pro with a few compromises - no P3, MacBook Air speed SSD) - $999

Exciting new slim form factor computers with Apple's arm chips
13" MacBook Air (in a 12" MacBook body) - $1,299
15" MacBook Air (in a tiny 14" formfactor) - $1,499

super powerful computers, Intel (or AMD), Arm or some of each
14" MacBook Pro (current $1,799 13" plus mini LED) - $1,899
16" MacBook Pro (plus mini LED) - $2,499
I'd love for them to bring back the 17" much like Dell has done as the top of the line "Workstattion". It can be done now at 4.5 pounds - very close to the form factor of the old 15.4 with the same weight or less.
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.