While it’s good news that the new 16-inch MacBook Pro has a solid, comfortable, and well-designed keyboard, there are other interesting changes to the design as well, as detailed by iFixit’s recent teardown. These alterations include a redesigned cooling system and a bigger battery — which explains why this laptop is 0.7mm thicker than its predecessor.
Comparing the new MacBook Pro to the 15-inch model, iFixit noticed that the laptop’s exhaust holes are larger; the teardown also reveals fans with larger blades which, according to the article, will be able to push 28 percent more air through the system’s innards.
And apparently those fans are needed for the system’s 99.8 Wh battery which, says iFixit, is “the largest battery we’ve ever seen in a MacBook” — each cell of the battery measuring an average 0.8mm thicker than that of the previous model.
This is not a bad thing by any means. If a slightly thicker laptop also means a more efficient cooling system for a battery that will last longer (not to mention room for a keyboard with more travel), then it’s likely that most MacBook Pro enthusiasts will welcome the change.