APPLE MACBOOK PRO 14IN (M3 MAX)
Apple’s flagship laptop is now even flagshippier, with a powerful new chip and a goth-friendly colour option that would look right at home in the Batcave
from £3299 /go.stuff.tv/ProM3Max
Apple unveiled its new MacBook Pros and M3 chips at an event it called Scary Fast. Well, that must make the model it sent us for this review the scary fastest: an M3 Max specced to the point that would send the average bank account flying into the red at astonishing speed.
It slots in at the top of a range that includes the M3-powered MacBook Pro (ideal for students and people who’d mostly be fine with a MacBook Air but need a cooling system that allows for sustained power); and the one with the M3 Pro (for creatives craving extra clout). That leaves the M3 Max catering for the most extreme workflows, in a largely familiar form factor – one you can set to work pretty much anywhere, whether or not there’s a plug socket available.
But does it genuinely have the performance muscle to frighten other laptops? And is that new Space Black finish a case of “Ooh, ahh!” or “Oh, ARGH!”?
Black arts This Mac feels expensive. Which is just as well, because it is. It’s chunkier than a MacBook Air, but curved corners and chamfered edges mean it’s not boxy (1). The hinge is stable; there’s a satisfying snap when the cover shuts, and it’s easy to open the lid with a finger.
Black beauty The new Space Black colour (only available on the M3 Pro and M3 Max models) is really a very, very dark grey (2). Apple’s done fancy things with the anodisation seal to foil fingerprints, but don’t expect magic: smudges and smears are less noticeable than on an Air, but they’re still there.
Black watch The 120Hz ProMotion screen is gorgeous (3), with excellent colour in everything from image editing to films. SDR now maxes out at 600 nits, up from 500… but the notch that hides the webcam is a lot more noticeable. It doesn’t impinge on work space, but some will still find its presence irritating.
Black current You still get three Thunderbolt 4 ports plus MagSafe charging (4), HDMI, a headphone port and an SDXC card reader. We’re delighted to be able to charge an expensive laptop via a system that won’t see it catapulted across the room should a dog, child or adult human drag a cable with them.
Black box recorder The built-in webcam (5) remains great. It lacks the face-tracking Centre Stage mode, but it’s so far ahead of the Studio Display camera that it’s embarrassing. We’re less keen on the continuing absence of Face ID, even if having Touch ID integrated into the p
