A powerhouse MacBook for serious work

The 16″ Apple MacBook Pro with M4 Pro is very much a flagship laptop, built for people who spend all day in demanding apps and want desktop-class power in a portable shell. With Apple’s latest M4 Pro chip, a dedicated 20-core GPU and 24GB of unified memory, it’s aimed at creative professionals, developers and anyone who hates waiting for their machine to catch up.

This is a premium MacBook in every sense – from the large, colour-accurate Liquid Retina XDR display to the long battery life and solid aluminium chassis. The 5.0 out of 5 user rating, backed by multiple reviews, suggests owners are extremely happy with their purchase.

It’s not a casual buy, but if you live in Photoshop, Xcode, Final Cut or complex spreadsheets, it’s positioned as a long-term workhorse rather than a disposable laptop.

Table of Contents

Key features

  • M4 chip brings spectacular speed
  • Apple Intelligence helps you write, express yourself and get things done
  • Up to 24 hours of battery life
  • View and control what’s on your iPhone from your Mac with iPhone Mirroring
  • All your favourite apps run lightning fast in macOS with Apple Silicon

Who this MacBook Pro is best for

This 16″ MacBook Pro is ideal for professionals and enthusiasts who push their machines hard. If you’re editing high‑resolution video, producing music, building software or handling huge photo libraries, the M4 Pro chip, 20‑core GPU and 24GB of RAM give you the headroom you need for smooth, responsive work.

It also suits hybrid workers and frequent travellers who need a powerful machine they can trust away from the desk. Up to all‑day battery life, fast charging and Wi‑Fi 6E mean you’re not constantly tethered to a charger or router, while the 16.2-inch display gives you a proper canvas for multitasking without needing to plug into a monitor.

If you’re a student or home user who mostly browses the web, writes essays and uses streaming services, this model is likely overkill – you’d be paying for performance and graphics power you may never fully use. But for buyers investing in a primary work machine for the next several years, and who value macOS and Apple’s ecosystem, it’s a very strong fit.

It’s also a good choice for content creators already using an iPhone, thanks to features like iPhone Mirroring and Apple Intelligence, which can help with drafting, summarising and organising once fully rolled out in the UK.

What we like

The M4 Pro chip with a 14‑core CPU and 20‑core GPU, paired with 24GB of RAM, delivers exceptional performance for intensive workloads, from 4K video timelines to complex audio projects and large codebases.

The 16.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR display is a genuine highlight: mini‑LED backlighting, very high brightness and ProMotion refresh make everything from colour‑critical work to everyday browsing look sharp and fluid.

Battery life of up to around a full working day, plus fast charging via MagSafe 3, means you can realistically work unplugged without worrying constantly about power points.

Connectivity is well judged for a modern pro laptop: three Thunderbolt 4/USB4 ports, HDMI 2.1, an SDXC card slot and a headphone jack cover most creative and office setups without a bag full of dongles.

The six‑speaker system with Spatial Audio, high‑quality microphones, backlit keyboard and large Force Touch trackpad make it a comfortable machine to type on and use all day, and the aluminium chassis in Space Black looks and feels reassuringly premium.

Where it could be better

The price is firmly in premium territory, and while the performance is excellent, the 512GB SSD will feel tight for video editors, photographers and anyone dealing with large project files, making external or cloud storage almost a necessity.

There’s no traditional USB‑A port and the spec lists USB Type‑C as “No”, which may confuse some buyers – in practice you get Thunderbolt 4/USB4 ports, but if you rely on older peripherals you’ll still need adapters.

The 1‑year manufacturer warranty is standard but not generous at this price point, and many buyers will want to budget for AppleCare for longer‑term peace of mind.

Finally, the 16″ size, while fantastic for screen real estate, won’t suit everyone who travels light; users who value extreme portability might prefer a smaller MacBook.

Everyday use

Day to day, this MacBook Pro feels fast and largely effortless. macOS on Apple silicon is very responsive, and with 24GB of unified memory you can keep browsers, pro apps and communication tools open without the system becoming sluggish.

The 16.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR screen gives you ample space for timelines, toolbars and reference windows side by side. ProMotion makes scrolling and animation feel very smooth, and True Tone plus the wide P3 colour gamut help the screen adapt to different lighting while keeping colours rich and accurate.

Typing on the backlit keyboard is comfortable for long sessions, and the large Force Touch trackpad is precise, making multi‑touch gestures feel natural. Touch ID on the power button means logins and secure purchases are quick and fuss‑free.

The combination of six speakers and Spatial Audio support means video calls, films and music all sound fuller than you’d expect from a laptop. Built‑in microphones and the front camera make it well suited to remote meetings without always needing a headset.

Features like iPhone Mirroring and Apple Pay help integrate it into a wider Apple setup, so answering messages, moving files and authenticating purchases feels seamless once everything is signed in.

Performance and features

Performance is the main reason to choose this 16″ MacBook Pro. The M4 Pro chip combines a 14‑core CPU with a 20‑core GPU and a dedicated neural processor unit, so it’s built to handle complex workloads, graphics‑heavy apps and on‑device machine learning features linked to Apple Intelligence.

In creative apps, the combination of powerful integrated graphics and fast SSD storage means large photo libraries, multi‑track audio sessions and long video timelines can be navigated and exported much more quickly than on older Intel‑based Macs or basic laptops. The 24GB of RAM is particularly helpful if you keep a lot of apps and browser tabs open alongside your main work.

The display is tuned for professional work: a 3024 x 1964 resolution on a 16.2-inch mini‑LED panel, with ProMotion refresh and wide P3 colour gamut. This makes a clear difference when grading footage, editing RAW photos or just enjoying HDR films, and the high brightness helps in brighter rooms.

On the connectivity side, three Thunderbolt 4/USB4 ports give you high‑speed links to external drives, docks and displays, while HDMI 2.1 is ideal for plugging into 4K TVs or monitors without adapters. The SDXC card slot is especially handy for photographers and videographers moving footage from cameras, and MagSafe 3 keeps power separate from data ports while enabling fast charging.

Wireless features are bang up to date, with Wi‑Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3 for stable, low‑latency connections to networks and peripherals. The inclusion of Siri, Apple Pay, iMovie, GarageBand, Pages, Numbers and Keynote out of the box means you can be productive – or creative – immediately, without a big software spend on day one.

Value for money

With a price comfortably into the high end of the laptop market, this 16″ MacBook Pro is very much an investment purchase. You’re paying for cutting‑edge Apple silicon, an outstanding display, excellent speakers and a refined build, rather than just the badge on the lid.

For power users who can genuinely exploit the M4 Pro chip, 20‑core GPU and 24GB RAM – especially in video, audio, software development or 3D‑leaning workflows – the cost is easier to justify, as the time saved on exports, renders and heavy multitasking can be significant over the life of the machine.

If your workload is light, the value story is weaker; you simply don’t need this much performance to browse, stream and handle email, and cheaper MacBooks or Windows laptops will do the job. But the perfect 5.0 user rating and strong specification suggest that buyers who know what they need are very satisfied with what they’re getting for the money.

Factor in the typical longevity of MacBook Pros and the tight integration with other Apple devices, and it can represent good long‑term value for professionals and serious enthusiasts, even if the upfront outlay is high.

Our verdict

The 2024 16″ Apple MacBook Pro with M4 Pro is a seriously capable laptop that feels built for demanding users who want one machine to do everything, and do it quickly. Its combination of processing power, graphics performance, battery life and a top‑tier XDR display make it one of the strongest options for creatives and developers who prefer macOS.

There are trade‑offs: the price is high, the 512GB SSD will be restrictive for some workflows, and port choices may mean adapters for older accessories. The standard 1‑year warranty also feels a little stingy for a laptop at this level.

If you’re a professional or committed enthusiast looking for a primary workhorse that can handle intensive workloads now and for years to come, this MacBook Pro is an excellent choice. Casual users and those on tighter budgets will be better off with a more modest model, but for its intended audience, it delivers impressively across the board.

FAQs

Is the 512GB SSD enough storage on this 16" MacBook Pro?

For general office work, coding and light creative tasks, 512GB can be enough if you use cloud or external storage. Heavy video editors and photographers may find it restrictive and will likely want fast external drives or higher internal capacity in another configuration.
It’s rated for up to around a full working day of use, depending on what you’re doing. Light tasks like browsing and document work will last much longer than sustained 3D rendering or video exports, and fast charging via MagSafe 3 helps you top up quickly.
Yes. The M4 Pro chip with 20‑core GPU and 24GB RAM is well suited to 4K editing and complex timelines in modern video apps. For very large projects or multiple streams of high‑bitrate footage, external fast storage will help keep performance smooth.
It includes three Thunderbolt 4/USB4 ports, HDMI 2.1, an SDXC card slot, a 3.5mm headphone jack and a MagSafe 3 power connector. There’s no traditional USB‑A port, so older peripherals may need an adapter or hub.
Yes. The 16.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR display uses mini‑LED, supports a wide P3 colour gamut, high brightness and ProMotion refresh. It’s excellent for photo editing, graphic design and colour‑sensitive work when calibrated properly.
It’s very capable for development. The M4 Pro CPU, 24GB of unified memory and fast SSD make compiling large projects and running virtual machines or containers much smoother than on basic laptops, especially when multitasking.
The laptop supports Wi‑Fi 6E for fast, stable wireless networking and Bluetooth 5.3 for connecting peripherals like headphones, keyboards and mice.
It comes with a 1‑year manufacturer warranty as standard. Many buyers choose to extend coverage with AppleCare for additional years of hardware and technical support.

Apple 16" MacBook Pro, M4 Pro, 24GB RAM, 20 Core GPU, 512GB, 2024 Review

£2195.00

Overall score

9.3/10

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