Apple announced new MacBook Pro’s with a Touch Bar
The new Apple MacBook Pro is thinner, lighter, and includes an OLED Touch Bar. Apple also killed the MacBook Air, for a Macbook Pro 13-inch without a Touch Bar. The death of the Macbook Air makes sense; the Air was to close in price and specs to the entry-level Retina MacBook. Besides the quite end of the Air, the MacBook Pro refresh is one of the most exciting updates from Apple. While they didn’t drastically improve the design of the Mac, they managed to add a unique spin to the prosumer device.
A base model MacBook Pro 13-inch will set you back $1,500, with a fully spec MacBook Pro 15-inch costing upwards of $4,000.
The laptops have faster SSD, larger trackpad, and improved SkyLake processor. The Mac screen is also brighter, and as Apple says the “best screen on a MacBook yet.” Inside there is an Intel Core i5 backed up with Intel Iris 540 Graphics. The keyboard has a second generation Butterfly keyboard mechanism, and on the 13-inch base model, there are traditional function keys.
The Touch Bar equipped MacBooks have Touch ID on the Touch Bar, allowing you to use Apple Pay securely on the web and app store. The Touch Bar will change based on the app, with Photoshop having custom tools. On stage, Apple demoed music apps and video editing apps using the touch bar to scrub through video or audio. If you’re in iMessage you’ll have an emoji bar, or in xCode you’ll have custom functions. It’ll make accessing quick, common used buttons a breeze but also give emojis a prominent spot on the MacBook.
All-in-all, the update is exciting and refreshing to see, but it also feels like Apple’s unsure where they’re heading. They’ve included USB-C on the Mac’s for charging and data transfer, but the iPhone still uses Lighting port. There is also an absence of an SD card slot, which is used fairly often with anyone who shoots photos and video. They’re still marketing the laptops to prosumers but added consumer appeal at the same time.
Tell us which model MacBook Pro you’re going to get whether it’s the base model 13-inch that doesn’t have the Touch Bar or if it’s the fully speced out 15-inch MacBook Air with the Touch Bar! Personally, I’m going to wait. I have a MacBook Air that gets the job done, and I’m leaning towards buying the Surface Studio for video and photo editing.