Apple’s Entry-Level 13-Inch MacBook Pro Gets Quad-Core CPU & Touch Bar
by Anton Shilov on July 9, 2019 3:00 PM EST- Posted in
- Laptops
- Mac
- Apple
- MacBook Pro
- MacBook
- Notebooks
- Coffee Lake
Apple on Tuesday introduced a new version of its entry-level 13-inch MacBook Pro notebook, which has not seen an update since mid-2017. The new model continues to feature the renowned form-factor along with two Thunderbolt 3 ports, but it now comes with a quad-core CPU, a True Tone Retina display, a Touch Bar and Touch ID. The upgraded versions will replace existing cheap MBPs and therefore Apple will no longer offer its latest MacBook Pros without a Touch Bar.
The mid-2019 entry-level 13-inch MacBook Pro is based on Intel’s 8th Generation quad-core Core i5/i7 processor with Iris Plus Graphics 645 integrated GPU. It is accompanied by 8 or 16 GB of LPDDR3 memory as well as an SSD offering 128 GB – 2 TB capacity. These machines are placed between the more advanced MacBook Pros with four Thunderbolt 3 connectors and the new MacBook Airs (introduced earlier today). The more expensive 13-inch MBP models introduced earlier this year come with considerably faster quad-core processors equipped with Iris Plus Graphics 655, whereas the cheaper MacBook Air notebooks feature dual-core CPUs along with UHD Graphics 617.
Unlike the previous-generation 13-inch MacBook Pro laptops, these new models have the same features as the higher-end SKUs, as they are equipped with Touch Bar, Touch ID fingerprint reader, and the Apple T2 Security Chip. Essentially, all new MacBook Pro machines will now have a Touch Bar (and no function keys), an indicator that the device turned out to be popular with software developers. Of course it remains to be seen whether Apple’s customers will be satisfied with such a design choice as many still need F keys for various special-purpose software (e.g., specific Windows programs).
| MacBook Pro 13-Inch 2019 (Base Models) | ||||
| Model | 2019 13-Inch Higher-End |
2018 13-Inch Entry-Level |
||
| CPU | 2.4 GHz/4.1 GHz Core i5-8???U 4 CPU Cores (Coffee Lake) |
1.4 GHz/3.9 GHz Core i5-8???U 4 CPU Cores (Coffee Lake) |
||
| GPU | Intel Iris Plus 655 (128MB eDRAM) |
Intel Iris Plus 645 (? eDRAM) |
||
| Display | 13" 2560 x 1600 IPS LCD DCI-P3 Gamut True Tone |
|||
| Memory | 8 GB LPDDR3-2133 | |||
| SSD | 256 GB PCIe SSD | 128 GB PCIe SSD | ||
| Touch Bar | Yes | |||
| I/O | 4x Thunderbolt 3 (supports DP1.2 & USB 3.1 Gen 2 modes), 3.5mm Audio |
2x Thunderbolt 3 (supports DP1.2 & USB 3.1 Gen 2 modes), 3.5mm Audio |
||
| Battery Capacity | 58 Wh | 58.2 Wh | ||
| Battery Life | 10 Hours | |||
| Dimensions | 1.49 cm x 30.41 cm x 21.24 cm | |||
| Weight | 3.02 lbs (1.37 kg) | |||
| Price | $1799 | $1299 | ||
When it comes to I/O capabilities, the new reasonably-priced 13-inch MacBook Pro notebooks also have the same features as the fully-fledged models (with the exception of two TB3 ports vs. four TB3 ports), including 802.11ac Wi-Fi + Bluetooth 5.0, a 720p HD webcam, a 3.5-mm headset jack, stereo speakers, a large touchpad.
Since cheaper versions of Apple’s 13-inch MacBook Pro laptops use the same chassis as other notebooks in the series, they feature the same weight and thickness (i.e., 1.37 kilograms and 1.49 cm). The machines are outfitted with a 58.2 Wh battery that enables up to 10 hours of operation on one charge.
Apple’s new entry-level 13-inch MacBook Pro notebooks with two Thunderbolt 3 ports are available today directly from Apple for $1,299 and $1,499 depending on the configuration. College students in the US can get a new MacBook Pro starting at $1,199.
Related Reading:
- Apple Refreshes 13 & 15-Inch MacBook Pros for 2019: Adds 8-Core Intel CPUs & Revised Keyboard
- Apple Updates MacBook Pro Family for 2018: More CPU Cores, DDR4, & Same Form Factors
- Apple Refreshes Mac Laptops: Pro, Vanilla, & Air All Get New CPUs
Source: Apple
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PeachNCream - Tuesday, July 9, 2019 - link
People do. It's just that certain people do not understand that a comment about a lack of LPDDR4 may not be directed at Apple. :)Skeptical123 - Tuesday, July 9, 2019 - link
PeachNCream your the one who does "not understand".Your comment "New for you in 2019...LPDDR3...because fk you, that's why." on a post about the lunch of a new Apple product means you are talking about the said product unless otherwise stated.
Also, regardless your commit sounds like anyonther person complaining about ldpddr3 launching on a product directed at a party other than Intel.
PeachNCream - Wednesday, July 10, 2019 - link
I was concerned that the lunch of a new Apple product was not going to be tasty enough as well due mostly to ldpddr3 so I had to make a commit about the said product. (Sorry, I can't help myself! My posts sometimes make no sense as well, but this is an entirely different level. Kudos for getting butchered by auto correct to such a degree.)tipoo - Tuesday, July 9, 2019 - link
"New for you in 2019...LPDDR3...because fk you", was about the state of mobile x86 products in general, and not this specific Apple launch?I mean, ok, but it doesn't seem anyone read it the way you intended.
PeachNCream - Wednesday, July 10, 2019 - link
I probably should have been more specific about poking a little fun at Intel. I should have realized how it could have caused some distress in the Apple department. People are already a little bit defensive about buying and using those things to the point where I've had random end users that used to jump on me years ago while I was fixing some stupid computer problem at someone else's desk so they could start a conversation about how much better Apple laptops and iPads were. It usually bothered those sorts even more when I said I didn't have any particular brand loyalty or overly strong feelings about operating systems and hardware. In a way, it seemed that not caring was even more disturbing to the brand loyalists than taking an oppositional and aggressive stand. *shrugs* People can get weird about super trivial stuff.TEAMSWITCHER - Tuesday, July 9, 2019 - link
Dell XPS 13 is still using LPDDR3.Microsoft Surface Laptop is using LPDDR3.
PeachNCream - Wednesday, July 10, 2019 - link
Yeah, sucks doesn't it? Microsoft we can kind of expect that out of since the Surface line is meant to emulate the Apple product stack of semi-useful status symbols for the MS brand crowd, but I'm not sure what Dell has in the way of reasoning for not just using a CPU that can handle DDR4 at this point. Its not like they're bound up by the thin-at-the-expense-of-functionality limits of the Apple-chasers.Sttm - Tuesday, July 9, 2019 - link
$1800 laptop with 8gb of RAM... and its a "Pro" model. Hahhahahasing_electric - Tuesday, July 9, 2019 - link
And an SSD barely big enough to install some "pro" applications. I know its not a 1:1 comparison (particularly with speed), but it's nuts that Apple's MacBook Pros come start with the same amount of standard storage as some phones (like Samsung's S10).nikon133 - Tuesday, July 9, 2019 - link
Oh, c'mon. I am not Apple fan, in fact my cup of tea for computing on the go is Surface Pro... and they had 4GB/128GB for ages. Only SP6 has finally - I think? - ditched 4GB SKU and starts with 8GB/128GB as an entry model.