Should I upgrade my MacBook Pro (16-inch, 2019)?
nearly 7 years old · Not on the current macOS; last is macOS Tahoe 26
Quick look
| Figure | MacBook Pro1 | MacBook Pro M5 Pro2 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £2,3993launch price | £2,9994Apple UK store |
| Chip | Core i72.6GHz 6-core Intel | M5 Prochip |
| CPU | 6-coreCPU | 18-coreCPU |
| GPU | Not available5GPU | 20-coreGPU |
| Memory | 16GBmemory, base | 24GBunified memory, base |
| Storage | 512GBstorage, base | 1TBstorage, base |
| Battery life | Up to11 hrsvideo playback, claimed | Up to24 hrsvideo playback, claimed |
| Released | 13 November 20196Available online; Apple gave no in-store day | 11 March 20267ReleasedIn Apple Stores; pre-order from 4 March 2026. |
| Security updates | Not available8Security updates | Not available8Security updates |
Software support
- Security updates
- Not available8
- macOS
- macOS Tahoe 26, not the current macOSThe MacBook Pro (16-inch, 2019) is not on the current macOS (macOS 27 Golden Gate); the newest it runs is macOS Tahoe 26. Apple has historically shipped security updates to the two releases before the newest, which would put the end of its updates around autumn 2028; that is Apple’s past pattern, not a commitment.
MacBook Pro and the MacBook Pro M5 Pro
The newest Pro-tier Mac in this line that Apple still sells.
Specifications
Body
| Specification | MacBook Pro1 | MacBook Pro M5 Pro2 |
|---|---|---|
| Dimensions | 16.2 x 357.9 x 245.9 mm | 16.8 x 355.7 x 248.1 mm |
| Weight | 2 kg | 2.14 kg |
| Colours | Silver, Space Gray | Space Black, Silver |
| Ports | Four Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) ports, 3.5 mm headphone jack | Three Thunderbolt 5 (USB-C) ports, HDMI port, SDXC card slot, MagSafe 3 port, 3.5mm headphone jack |
| Thunderbolt ports9 | 4 | 3 |
| Thunderbolt version | Thunderbolt 3 | Thunderbolt 5 |
| USB-A ports | No USB-A ports.10 | No USB-A ports.11 |
| HDMI | No HDMI port.12 | HDMI port |
| SD card slot | No SD card slot.12 | Yes |
| Headphone jack | Yes | Yes |
| MagSafe | No MagSafe port.10 | Yes |
| Keyboard | Backlit Magic Keyboard with Touch Bar and Touch ID | Backlit Magic Keyboard with Touch ID |
| Touch ID | Yes | Yes |
| Touch Bar | Yes | No Touch Bar.13 |
Display
| Specification | MacBook Pro1 | MacBook Pro M5 Pro2 |
|---|---|---|
| Display size | 16 in | 16.2 in |
| Resolution | 3072 x 1920 | 3456 x 2234 |
| Pixel density | 226 ppi | 254 ppi |
| Display type | Retina display | Liquid Retina XDR display |
| Brightness | 500 nits | Not available14 |
| Brightness (SDR, outdoor) | Not available15 | 1,000 nits16 |
| Peak brightness (HDR) | Not available17 | 1,600 nits |
| Refresh rate | 60 Hz | 120 Hz |
| Wide colour (P3) | Yes | Yes |
| Nano-texture option | Not available5 | Yes |
Chip and memory
| Specification | MacBook Pro1 | MacBook Pro M5 Pro2 |
|---|---|---|
| Chip | 2.6GHz 6-core Intel Core i7 | Apple M5 Pro chip |
| Apple silicon | Intel processor, not Apple silicon.10 | Yes |
| CPU cores | 6 | 18 |
| Super cores | Not available18 | 616 |
| Performance cores | Not available18 | 1216 |
| GPU cores | Not available5 | 20 |
| Graphics | AMD Radeon Pro 5300M with 4GB of GDDR6 memory | 20-core GPU19 |
| Neural Engine cores | Not available20 | 16 |
| Chip options | 2.6GHz 6-core Intel Core i7, 2.3GHz 8-core Intel Core i9 or 2.4GHz 8-core Intel Core i9 | M5 Pro with 18-core CPU and 20-core GPU16 |
| Memory (base) | 16GB | 24GB |
| Memory (maximum) | 64GB | 64GB16 |
| Memory options | 16GB, 32GB or 64GB | 24GB, 48GB or 64GB16 |
| Memory upgradeable by user | No, as Apple documents21 | No, as Apple documents21 |
| Memory bandwidth | Not available22 | 307 GB/s |
| Storage (base) | 512GB | 1TB |
| Storage (maximum) | 8TB | 4TB16 |
| Storage options | 512GB, 1TB, 2TB, 4TB or 8TB | 1TB, 2TB or 4TB16 |
| Media engine | Not available20 | Hardware-accelerated H.264, HEVC, ProRes and ProRes RAWvideo decode enginevideo encode engineProRes encode and decode engineAV1 decode |
Battery and power
| Specification | MacBook Pro1 | MacBook Pro M5 Pro2 |
|---|---|---|
| Battery capacity | 100 Wh | 100 Wh |
| Rated charge cycles | 1,000 cycles23 | 1,000 cycles23 |
| Video playback (claimed)24 | 11 h | 24 h |
| Wireless web (claimed) | 11 h | 17 h |
| Included power adapter | 96 W | No power adapter in the box.13 |
| Fast charging | No fast charging.12 | Yes |
Connectivity
| Specification | MacBook Pro1 | MacBook Pro M5 Pro2 |
|---|---|---|
| Wi-Fi | 802.11ac Wi-Fi | Wi‑Fi 7 (802.11be) |
| Bluetooth | 5.0 | 6 |
| Ethernet | No Ethernet port.12 | No Ethernet port.13 |
| External displays (base) | 4 | 3 |
Camera and audio
| Specification | MacBook Pro1 | MacBook Pro M5 Pro2 |
|---|---|---|
| Camera | 720p FaceTime HD camera | 12MP Center Stage camera with support for Desk View |
| Camera resolution | Not available25 | 12 MP |
| Speakers | High-fidelity six-speaker system with force-cancelling woofers | High-fidelity six-speaker sound system with force-cancelling woofers |
| Microphones | Studio-quality three-mic array with high signal-to-noise ratio and directional beamforming | Studio-quality three-mic array with high signal-to-noise ratio and directional beamforming26 |
Platform
| Specification | MacBook Pro1 | MacBook Pro M5 Pro2 |
|---|---|---|
| Shipped with | macOS Catalina27 | Not available28 |
| Newest macOS | macOS Tahoe 2629 | macOS 27 Golden Gate30 |
| Model identifier | MacBookPro16,1, MacBookPro16,431 | Mac17,6, Mac17,832 |
| Model year | 2019 | 2026 |
The rest of the range at the price
Macs from other lines with a price read from Apple’s UK store, released within a year of the MacBook Pro M5 Pro (16-inch) and priced within a quarter of its £2,999 at Apple’s UK price as read on 22 September 2026, nearest price first. Each links to its side-by-side table, with your MacBook Pro (16-inch, 2019) or, where that pair is not one this site indexes, with the MacBook Pro M5 Pro (16-inch).
- Mac Studio M5 Max vs MacBook Pro M5 Pro (16-inch)Mac Studio M5 Max is £2,499 at Apple’s UK price as read on 22 September 2026The Mac Studio M5 Max is a desktop; the MacBook Pro M5 Pro (16-inch) is a laptop. The MacBook Pro M5 Pro (16-inch) has a built-in 16.2-inch display, a camera and a battery, whereas the Mac Studio M5 Max has none of them.
- MacBook Pro M5 Pro (14-inch) vs MacBook Pro M5 Pro (16-inch)MacBook Pro M5 Pro (14-inch) is £2,499 at Apple’s UK price as read on 22 September 2026
Trade-in and used prices
No used or trade-in figures for the MacBook Pro (16-inch, 2019): we have not matched it to a CeX listing we can confirm is this exact Mac, and we would rather show nothing than a near miss.
The MacBook Pro M5 Pro (16-inch) is £2,999 new at Apple’s UK price as read on 22 September 2026; we hold no trade-in figure for the MacBook Pro (16-inch, 2019) yet.
More
Sources
Apple Support (UK) — MacBook Pro (16-inch, 2019) - Technical Specifications ·
↩Apple Support (UK) — MacBook Pro (16-inch, M5 Pro or M5 Max) - Tech Specs ·
↩Apple Newsroom (UK) — Apple introduces 16-inch MacBook Pro, the world’s best pro notebook ·
↩Apple UK store — 16-inch MacBook Pro M5 Pro, 18-core CPU, 20-core GPU — From £2,999 ·
↩Not published by Apple.
↩Apple Newsroom (UK) — Apple introduces 16-inch MacBook Pro, the world’s best pro notebook ·
↩Apple Newsroom (UK) — Apple introduces MacBook Pro with all-new M5 Pro and M5 Max ·
↩Apple publishes no date for the end of updates, and this site does not guess one.
↩Different Thunderbolt generations. MacBook Pro: Thunderbolt 3. MacBook Pro M5 Pro: Thunderbolt 5.
↩MacBook Pro (16-inch, 2019): No USB-A ports. No MagSafe port. Intel processor, not Apple silicon.
↩MacBook Pro (16-inch, M5 Pro): No USB-A ports.
↩MacBook Pro (16-inch, 2019): No HDMI port. No SD card slot. No fast charging. No Ethernet port.
↩MacBook Pro (16-inch, M5 Pro): No Touch Bar. No power adapter in the box. No Ethernet port.
↩Doesn’t apply: Apple’s one SDR brightness figure is the outdoor one
↩Doesn’t apply: Apple lists no outdoor brightness for this display
↩Apple Support (UK) — MacBook Pro (16-inch, M5 Pro or M5 Max) - Tech Specs ·
↩Doesn’t apply: Apple lists no separate HDR peak for this display
↩Doesn’t apply: this is an Intel processor, and Apple lists a total core count only
↩Apple Support (UK) — MacBook Pro (16-inch, M5 Pro or M5 Max) - Tech Specs ·
↩Doesn’t apply: Apple silicon feature; this Mac has an Intel processor
↩Apple Support (UK) — MacBook Pro: how to remove or install memory ·
↩Doesn’t apply: Apple publishes it only for Apple silicon
↩Apple Support (UK) — Determine battery cycle count for Mac laptops ·
↩Two different Apple tests. MacBook Pro: Apple TV app movie playback. MacBook Pro M5 Pro: Video streaming.
↩Not published by Apple (Apple states resolution: 720p FaceTime HD camera)
↩Apple Support (UK) — MacBook Pro (16-inch, M5 Pro or M5 Max) - Tech Specs ·
↩Apple Newsroom (UK) — Apple introduces 16-inch MacBook Pro, the world’s best pro notebook ·
↩Not published by Apple.
↩Apple Support (UK) — macOS Tahoe 26 is compatible with these computers ·
↩Apple Support (UK) — macOS 27 Golden Gate is compatible with these computers ·
↩Apple Support (UK) — Identify your MacBook Pro model ·
↩Apple Support (UK) — Identify your MacBook Pro model ·
↩Geekbench Browser (Primate Labs) ·
↩
Not published by Apple
MacBook Pro. Apple doesn’t publish for this Mac: storage upgradeable by user. Geekbench 7 Metal: the Mac chart has no Metal score for this Mac (chart read 10 Oct 2026). Pages checked: Apple Support (UK) — MacBook Pro (16-inch, 2019) - Technical Specifications; Apple Newsroom (UK) — Apple introduces 16-inch MacBook Pro, the world’s best pro notebook; Apple Support (UK) — Identify your MacBook Pro model, read 9 Oct 2026.
MacBook Pro M5 Pro. Apple doesn’t publish for this Mac: storage upgradeable by user. Pages checked: Apple Support (UK) — MacBook Pro (16-inch, M5 Pro or M5 Max) - Tech Specs; Identify your MacBook Pro model; Apple Newsroom (UK) — Apple introduces MacBook Pro with all-new M5 Pro and M5 Max, read 9 Oct 2026.
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