MacBook Pro Retina 2015 - New Model Out in July? [Specs, Features, Reviews & Price]
The Apple Watch has enjoyed its moment under the spotlight in Apple's recent "Spring Forward" event, but it must be noted that the occasion gave rise to other notable products as well. For one, the 12-inch Retina MacBook has been introduced, now known as the thinnest MacBook ever built.
The Cupertino giant has also updated the MacBook Air line and 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro, The Verge reported.
With the upgrade, both laptops are now powered by faster Intel processors, particularly fifth-generation i5 and i7 chips. Thunderbolt 2 ports have also been packed.
According to MacRumors, the 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro's processors cover Turbo Boost Speeds of up to 3.4 GHz, 2 times faster flash and "faster integrated" Intel Iris Graphics 6100. Battery life, on the other hand, has been improved to last for 10 hours.
The 13-inch Pro notebook has also received Apple's new Force Touch trackpad, the similar feature sported by the 12-inch Retina MacBook.
Powered by four sensors, Force Touch allows the trackpad to be clicked anywhere, CNET said. It features a taptic engine that provides tactile feedback, including special Force Touch "gestures."
While prospects of the smaller MacBook Pro took delight in Apple's announcements, there has been no mention of upgrades set for its larger, 15-inch counterpart. Nevertheless, expectations for another Pro model is high, International Business Times noted.
As told by the outlet, a refresh is pegged to arrive "around July," with Intel's Skylake processor aimed under its hood. The chip reportedly provides better GPU performance, among other "promising features."
If this holds truth, the new Retina MacBook Pro could face steaming competition against the likewise-rumored Microsoft Surface Pro 4. Though not technically a laptop, the alleged "laplet" is touted to pack the similar Skylake chips, not to mention the potential it holds brings under Windows 10.
Interestingly, the new Surface Pro device is purported to come in 12 and 14 inches, which look to be very good matches when facing the MacBook Pros (13 and 15 inches).
Meanwhile, Macworld reviewed the upgraded 13-inch Pro, citing "faster" processors, "fantastic" battery life and "good array of ports" as "pros." The outlet, however, listed the lack of physical design changes under its "cons" list.
Macworld provided verdict, "It's not as glamorous as the super-slim new 12-inch MacBook, yet we're pleased by the quiet but significant updates in the new 13-inch MacBook Pro."
The Verge noted key differences in the 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro models below, along with their corresponding prices:
Option A: $1,299 - 2.7 GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 processor, 8GB RAM, 128GB flash storage
Option B: $1,499 - 2.7 GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 processor, 8GB RAM, 256GB flash storage
Option C: $1,799 - 2.9 GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 processor, 8GB RAM, 512GB flash storage
What do you think of upgrades in the 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro? What changes would you like to see in the 15-inch model? Sound off in the comments section.