Early this month, Apple officially unveiled the 2016 MacBook pro, which came with new features and improved specs. And while others welcomed the new changes and the much-needed updates, there were those that also questioned the necessity and if it was generally enough. Consumer Reports, a highly regarded review site, has weighed in on the debate.
Unfortunately, Mac Rumors notes that the 2016 MacBook Pro is the only Mac product to not receive a Consumer Reports recommendation. Apparently, the battery life and its issues were too much for the party to overlook. And the rest of the device's features - including its famed Touch Bar - were not enough to make up for it.
The publication states that after several tests, Consumer Reports found that the device was unstable in terms of battery. First tests, for example, would indicate that the 2016 MacBook Pro would work for 16 hours but was just 12.75 hours the next and the just over 3 hours in a third trial. The numbers were different for each model as well.
Because of this, the 2016 MacBook Pro received the lowest possible rating for its battery. And this pulled down everything else, so the device's overall rating was not enough for the site to recommend it. This was the same for all three models - the 13-inch variant, the 13 inch variant with Touch Bar and the 15 inch variant with Touch Bar.
Since the 2016 MacBook Pro became available in the market, users quickly began to complain about the battery issues. So much so that Apple eventually removed its "Time Remaining" feature via the MacOS Sierra 10.12.2 update. Removing the feature does not actually help the battery drainage, but it is suspected that the tech giant made other changes that did help. Users have noted that battery life has improved since the update was rolled out.
Apple has stayed steadfast in that all models of the 2016 MacBook Pro have great battery life. However, the spokesperson of the company told Business Insider that there are other variables to consider, especially because each owner will use the device in different ways. "When combined with the differing ways people use their Mac throughout the day, the calculation of remaining battery life displayed as a measure of time has become less accurate," they said.
The 15-inch model, according to Venture Beat, comes with either 256GB or 512GB of internal storage and costs US$2,399 and US$2,799 respectively. It has an Intel Core i7 processor and runs on as much as 16GB of RAM. It measures just 1.55 cm x 34.93 cm x 24.07 cm and weighs just 1.83 kilograms.
The real star, however, is the Touch Bar, which has replaced the standard set of function keys. The addition has a touch screen feature and changes depending on the application that is currently opened on the 2016 MacBook Pro. It theoretically makes it easier for users to get the functions they need, as it is specified for each application.
But even this was not enough to grant the unit a recommendation and the reason is completely understandable. A notebook needs to be stable and therefore reliable. Unless Apple finds a way to fix this issue with the 2016 MacBook pro, it will not do well in the general market expanding beyond loyalists.
