Entertainment
Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch (M4 Pro, 2024) review: Record-breaking performance
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This beastly 16-inch MacBook Pro, packed with Apple’s new herculean M4 Pro chip, is not designed for amateurs like myself — people who think “intensive” means opening 100 Google Chrome tabs and praying one’s laptop doesn’t self combust.
No ma’am.
This mammoth of a laptop is, instead, for professional power users. I’m talkin’ 3D designers, seasoned animators, skilled video editors, and veteran music producers — folks who need a powerhouse that can handle heavy workloads without a single stutter.
However, thanks to the 16-inch MacBook Pro’s eye-popping power efficiency, I’d argue that normies can splurge on the 16-inch MacBook Pro, particularly if they prefer laptops with Energizer Bunny-like endurance. (And I mean, who doesn’t?)
You won’t believe how long the 16-inch MacBook Pro lasted on a charge. It doesn’t quite beat the record-breaking Microsoft Surface Laptop 7, but it’s pretty darn impressive.
Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch (M4 Pro, 2024) price and specs
The 16-inch MacBook Pro in this review costs a whopping $3,649, and it comes with the following:
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M4 Pro chip
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14-core CPU
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20-core GPU
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48GB of RAM
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2TB of storage
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Nano-texture display
Ouch! My wallet is screaming just looking at that price tag. Luckily, the cheapest 16-inch M4 Pro MacBook Pro has a more palatable cost of $2,499. Although it’s still pricey, there’s less sticker shock. This configuration comes with the same M4 Pro chip, but knocks you back down to 24GB of memory and 512GB of SSD storage.
If you’re a video editor, or any other professional handling massive files, you might need to bite the bullet and upgrade to at least 1TB of storage.
Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch (M4 Pro, 2024) design
I mean, it’s a 16-inch laptop, so don’t expect it to be a featherweight. It weighs nearly five pounds and it’s 0.66 inches thick.
Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable
Compared to its last-generation counterpart (i.e., 16-inch M3 Pro MacBook Pro), the new model is pretty much the same when it comes to design. It still sports a 100% recycled aluminum enclosure and that shiny, tell-tale logo on the lid that yells, “Yes, I’m an Apple laptop!”
It comes in Space Black and Silver.
My review unit sports the Space Black colorway. With a name like that, I was expecting the deepest, darkest black — think inky, onyx, obsidian vibes. After all, isn’t space, as in the vast, empty void beyond Earth, pitch dark? Apparently, I was wrong. Not to get all nerdy, but NASA says that “space isn’t absolutely black; the universe has a faint, suffused glimmer.”
Space Black is quite dark to the naked eye, but under bright lighting, it has a deep gray hue.
This colorway diminishes fingerprints, but it doesn’t completely fend them off. Keep a microfiber cloth handy.
Other than that, the M4 Pro shares the same design as its predecessor. In fact, it’s got the same design as far back as the 2021 model, But I can’t blame Apple; consumers love it. The MacBook Pro continues to be a solid and sturdy dream machine.
Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch (M4 Pro, 2024) display
This configuration comes with a new nano-texture display option.
Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable
This doesn’t come with the laptop. You have to pay an extra $150 to snag one. Is it worth it? It depends. Do you work in a sun-drenched office? Are you always working outdoors? If you answered yes to either of those questions, you’d benefit from a nano-texture display, as it’s designed to handle challenging lighting situations while still providing decent visibility for users.
I couldn’t wait to take the MacBook Pro outside in my backyard to test the nano-texture display, and I must say, I’m impressed!
The Apple laptop remained crystal clear, even as dappled sunlight attempted to wash out the screen. I didn’t have to squint, adjust angles, nor play hide-and-seek with shadows — the display stood its ground, refusing to surrender to the sun’s relentless glare.
If you’re someone who spends a lot of time working in bright, unpredictable lighting, this nano-texture display might just be the unsung hero you didn’t know you needed.
Plus, compared to the last generation, the M4 Pro MacBook Pro’s screen is brighter. It can hit a peak SDR brightness of 1,000 nits, up from 600 nits. The HDR brightness score continues to be 1,600 nits.
The 16-inch MacBook Pro, like the previous model, features a 16.2-inch, 3,456 x 2,234-pixel resolution display with ProMotion technology (i.e., up to 120Hz refresh rate). As expected, the display looked gorgeous while I feasted my eyes on the new Squid Game 2 trailer. It’s rich, vibrant, and pure visual eye candy.
Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch (M4 Pro, 2024) ports
The M4 Pro MacBook Pro now has Thunderbolt 5 ports, an upgrade from the previous generation’s trio of Thunderbolt 4 ports. Thunderbolt 5 offers double the bandwidth of Thunderbolt 4 at 120Gb/s, which means faster data transfer speeds for your peripherals.
Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable
Over Thunderbolt, the 16-inch M4 Pro MacBook Pro supports up to two external displays with up to 6K resolution at 60Hz.
You’ll also get an HDMI port, an SDXC card slot, a 3.5mm headset jack, and a MagSafe 3 port.
Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch (M4 Pro, 2024) audio
If music were a dish, the 16-inch MacBook Pro would be a gourmet apple pie, straight out of grandma’s oven — piping hot, golden, and worth every sinful calorie.
Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable
Packed with a high-fidelity, six-speaker sound system (with fore-cancelling woofers), Era Istrefi’s “Bonbon” sounded delicious to my ears. Yum!
The MacBook Pro is one of the most recommended laptops for music producers — and I see why. The laptop perfectly captured the gritty, exotic undertones and the pulsating, driving beat.
Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch (M4 Pro, 2024) keyboard and trackpad
I’d describe my typing experience on the 16-inch MacBook Pro in two words: snappy and responsive. Plus, it’s got enough key travel to make typing comfortable over long periods of time.
Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable
Just make sure you’re not sitting next to someone who prefers piece and quiet. The keyboard emits some loud clacks.
Apple’s glass-covered Force Touch trackpad is, as always, a pleasure to use. It’s spacious, responsive, and perfectly balanced between smoothness and resistance. Every swipe and click feel effortless.
Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch (M4 Pro, 2024) benchmarks and performance
Somebody call the coroner because the M4 Pro chip inside the 16-inch MacBook Pro has obliterated the competition.
Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable
On Geekbench 6, which tests CPU prowess, the 16-inch MacBook Pro delivered a multi-core score of 22,758. For reference, the entry-level M4 MacBook Pro notched a score of 15,199 on the same test.
This is the best Geekbench 6 score we’ve seen at Mashable for a laptop. Coming in close second is the Razer Blade 18, which sports an Intel Core i9-14900HX. So yeah, the MacBook Pro just torched a gaming laptop.
Here are some other scores:
Cinebench R3 – 23,336 (multi-core)
Blender GPU test – 2,533.57
Once again, for reference, the entry-level M4 chip notched scores of 13,891 and 1,065, respectively, for Cinebench R3 and Blender. The M4 Pro chip is fast!
Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch (M4 Pro, 2024) webcam
The M4 Pro MacBook Pro’s 12MP webcam is a step up, delivering sharper video quality with less artifacting in various lighting conditions. FaceTime calls looked great, and my fiancé was quick to notice the improvement in clarity.
Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable
Desk View is the real star, allowing a top-down perspective of your desk setup using only the built-in webcam. I assumed I’d need a secondary camera, but the 12MP webcam handles it all on its own. Whether you’re presenting or demoing, Desk View is a clever addition that’s both fun and functional.
The updated webcam also supports Center Stage, which may be familiar to those who own iPads. For the uninitiated, Center Stage ensures that you’re kept in frame at all times, even if you lean a little bit to the left or shuffle over to the right.
Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch (M4 Pro, 2024) battery life
The 16-inch MacBook Pro lasted an eye-popping 20 hours and 51 minutes in our video rundown test. In other words, this laptop nearly lasts 21 hours on a single charge.
Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable
As mentioned at the outset, it doesn’t quite beat our reigning champ (i.e., Microsoft Surface Laptop 7), but it’s nipping at its heels.
Is the Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch (M4 Pro, 2024) worth it?
The 16-inch M4 Pro MacBook Pro didn’t come to play. With jaw-dropping performance, impressive battery life, and a gorgeous nano-texture display option, this laptop is geared for professionals who need powerhouse specs and are willing to pay for them. If you’re a video editor, a 3D designer, or someone who needs serious firepower, this MacBook is as good as it gets.
Even if you’re just an internet surfer and a Netflix browser, get it for the 20-hour+ battery life — if you have the money to blow, of course.
Either way, the M4 Pro is a future-proof machine that won’t leave you disappointed, as long as you’ve got the budget for it.
Entertainment
Best Mothers Day gifts: Show mom some love
Mother figures are the backbone of the world. Yours may be your biological mother, or maybe she’s your mother-in-law, your best friend’s mom, or simply someone whose motherly instinct has helped you through hard times.
Moms teach you the adulting necessities, give advice even if the problem is your fault, and above all, they put up with your shit and (almost) never complain.
The game plan here isn’t just to snag the last bouquet at CVS just so you’re not the kid who forgot Mother’s Day (but definitely also get flowers). And you don’t even need to spend a lot of money. (Peep our list of Mother’s Day gifts that cost less than $50. Want even more cheap gift ideas?
Skip the generic mugs and show your appreciation with a gift picked just for her: Whether it’s something to make a part of her life easier, something she’s mentioned wanting in passing, or simply something to make her feel like a damn queen, you can’t put a price on everything she’s done for you, but heartfelt gifts certainly help.
After all, they say “No matter how hard you try, you always end up like your mother.” But is that even a bad thing?
Entertainment
Ban subscriptions and get Microsoft Office 2024 for life for just £121
TL;DR: Grab Microsoft Office 2024 Home and Business for PC or Mac for just £120.54 through June 1.
You wouldn’t keep paying for Netflix if you could own your favorite shows, right? So why are you still subscribing to Office apps you use every day? Microsoft 365’s price keeps going up, but there’s finally a way to break free — and it’ll cost you way less in the long run.
Microsoft Office 2024 is the answer you’ve been looking for. Instead of monthly payments, simply pay £120.54 once and be set for life (reg. £188.37). It’s that simple. And, yes, this lifetime download works for PC or Mac.
What’s included?
This license comes with:
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Word
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Excel
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PowerPoint
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Outlook
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OneNote
The newest version of Microsoft Office is a little different from Microsoft 365. But just because you’re switching to a lifetime license doesn’t mean you’ll miss out on some of the most recent updates. Word and Excel both still have AI integrations for text suggestions and smart data analysis, and PowerPoint still has improved tools for recorded presentations.
Once you’ve redeemed your purchase, you can install your apps on one computer. After that, they’re yours to use however you want. No more subscription fees or sudden price hikes to worry about.
Why rent when you can own?
Mashable Deals
Get a Microsoft Office lifetime license on sale for £120.54 with no coupon needed.
StackSocial prices subject to change.
Entertainment
Wordle today: Answer, hints for May 9, 2025
Oh hey there! If you’re here, it must be time for Wordle. As always, we’re serving up our daily hints and tips to help you figure out today’s answer.
If you just want to be told today’s word, you can jump to the bottom of this article for today’s Wordle solution revealed. But if you’d rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.
Where did Wordle come from?
Originally created by engineer Josh Wardle as a gift for his partner, Wordle rapidly spread to become an international phenomenon, with thousands of people around the globe playing every day. Alternate Wordle versions created by fans also sprang up, including battle royale Squabble, music identification game Heardle, and variations like Dordle and Quordle that make you guess multiple words at once.
Wordle eventually became so popular that it was purchased by the New York Times, and TikTok creators even livestream themselves playing.
What’s the best Wordle starting word?
The best Wordle starting word is the one that speaks to you. But if you prefer to be strategic in your approach, we have a few ideas to help you pick a word that might help you find the solution faster. One tip is to select a word that includes at least two different vowels, plus some common consonants like S, T, R, or N.
What happened to the Wordle archive?
The entire archive of past Wordle puzzles was originally available for anyone to enjoy whenever they felt like it, but it was later taken down, with the website’s creator stating it was done at the request of the New York Times. However, the New York Times then rolled out its own Wordle Archive, available only to NYT Games subscribers.
Is Wordle getting harder?
It might feel like Wordle is getting harder, but it actually isn’t any more difficult than when it first began. You can turn on Wordle‘s Hard Mode if you’re after more of a challenge, though.
Here’s a subtle hint for today’s Wordle answer:
Gibberish.
Mashable Top Stories
Does today’s Wordle answer have a double letter?
There are no recurring letters.
Today’s Wordle is a 5-letter word that starts with…
Today’s Wordle starts with the letter T.
The Wordle answer today is…
Get your last guesses in now, because it’s your final chance to solve today’s Wordle before we reveal the solution.
Drumroll please!
The solution to today’s Wordle is…
TRIPE.
Don’t feel down if you didn’t manage to guess it this time. There will be a new Wordle for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we’ll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.
Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today’s Strands.
Reporting by Chance Townsend, Caitlin Welsh, Sam Haysom, Amanda Yeo, Shannon Connellan, Cecily Mauran, Mike Pearl, and Adam Rosenberg contributed to this article.
If you’re looking for more puzzles, Mashable’s got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
Not the day you’re after? Here’s the solution to yesterday’s Wordle.
