Performance: Overall this laptop's performance was Very Good. Tasks like email, word processing and web browsing will be accomplished quickly.
Portability: This laptop is a Very Good choice for traveling. Battery life lasted 16 hours in a light load of web browsing tests, and 7.25 hours in a heavier load of 4K video playback tests. Results were notably longer than many similar laptops, under a workload of mixed use. In heavier loads, the battery lasted shorter than expected, so you're more likely to need a charge as you run more performance intensive tasks. At 3 lbs, weight was typical for a laptop of this size category.
Ergonomics: Some features of the keyboard, touchpad, and labeling, were well-designed, and were comfortable or convenient to use. The keyboard has large keys and was comfortably sized. Its high contrast letters were easy to read, and the backlighting can be useful in dark rooms. The power button was conveniently located, but its labeling was hard to read when the laptop is off. The touchpad was among the largest of those tested, and provides ample space for different touch gestures. The Touch Bar can be used as an alternate input method. Testers liked the sturdy build of the chassis, and the extra-large size and responsiveness of the touchpad.
Display: The display quality was Excellent overall. Colors were accurately reproduced, realistic, and natural looking. The laptop's display was brighter than most and it's anti-reflective, a plus for viewing in a brightly lit room or outdoors. The display has a wide viewing angle, especially important if more than one person needs to see the screen at a time, say, for a video or presentation. Its display produces a wider array of colors than on most other tested laptops.
Useful features and attributes on this model include: The 512GB solid-state drive uses less power and accesses data more quickly than conventional hard-disk drives. You can connect common external devices such as hard drives and Blu-ray burners using Thunderbolt 3 for maximum performance. The fingerprint reader lets you log into your computer without typing in a password.
Downsides: There's no optical drive like a CD or DVD reader, so you'll have to buy an external drive if you need one. There is no memory-card reader, so you'll need to buy an external reader or connect your digital camera directly to this laptop to transfer photos. It has a shorter-than-typical 3 months of free tech support by telephone.
