Monday, May 4th 2020
Apple Updates 13-Inch MacBook Pro with Magic Keyboard, Double the Storage, and Faster Performance
Apple today updated the 13-inch MacBook Pro with the new Magic Keyboard for the best typing experience ever on a Mac notebook and doubled the storage across all standard configurations, delivering even more value to the most popular MacBook Pro. The new lineup also offers 10th-generation processors for up to 80 percent faster graphics performance and makes 16 GB of faster 3733 MHz memory standard on select configurations. With powerful quad-core processors, the brilliant 13-inch Retina display, Touch Bar and Touch ID, immersive stereo speakers, all-day battery life, and the power of macOS, all in an incredibly portable design, the new 13-inch MacBook Pro is available to order today, starting at $1,299, and $1,199 for education.
"Whether you're a college student, a developer, or a creative pro, the 13-inch MacBook Pro delivers powerful performance, a stunning Retina display, and all-day battery life in our most portable pro notebook. Today we're adding the new Magic Keyboard, doubling the standard storage, and boosting performance, making the 13-inch MacBook Pro an even better value for our customers," said Tom Boger, Apple's senior director of Mac and iPad Product Marketing. "With these updates, our entire notebook lineup features the Magic Keyboard for the best typing experience ever on a Mac notebook, offers twice the standard storage than before, and delivers even more performance."
New Magic Keyboard
The updated 13-inch MacBook Pro now features the new Magic Keyboard, first introduced on the 16-inch MacBook Pro and added to MacBook Air in March. Magic Keyboard features a redesigned scissor mechanism with 1 mm of key travel for a comfortable and stable key feel, while the new inverted-"T" arrangement for the arrow keys makes them easier to find, whether users are navigating through spreadsheets or playing games. Magic Keyboard also features a physical Escape key, along with Touch Bar and Touch ID, for a keyboard that delivers the best typing experience ever on a Mac notebook.
Double the Storage
Customers love the superfast SSDs on MacBook Pro, with sequential read speeds of up to 3.0 GB/s. The 13-inch MacBook Pro now comes with double the storage of the previous generation, with standard storage starting at 256 GB all the way up to 1 TB, so customers can store even more photos, videos, and files. And for pro users who need even more storage capacity for large photo libraries and video projects, the 13-inch MacBook Pro now offers up to a 4 TB SSD.
Better Performance
The 13-inch MacBook Pro lineup now offers up to 10th-generation quad-core Intel Core processors with Turbo Boost speeds of up to 4.10 GHz. Customers who are upgrading from a 13-inch MacBook Pro with a dual-core processor will see up to 2.8 times faster performance. The integrated Intel Iris Plus Graphics deliver up to 80 percent faster performance over the previous generation 13-inch MacBook Pro for 4K video editing, faster rendering, and smoother gameplay. The new graphics also enable users to connect to Pro Display XDR at full 6K resolution.
Faster Memory and More Memory
16 GB of faster 3733 MHz memory is now offered as a standard configuration on select models, and for the first time on a 13-inch Mac notebook, customers can choose a 32 GB memory option. With 32 GB of memory, users will experience better performance while running multiple virtual machines and up to 50 percent faster performance when editing gigapixel images in Photoshop.
Portable Design with a Stunning Retina Display
With a sleek aluminium unibody design in space gray or silver and weighing just 3 pounds, the 13-inch MacBook Pro is both highly portable and packed with performance and advanced technologies. Its stunning and brilliant 13-inch Retina display delivers more than 4 million pixels and millions of colors, along with 500 nits of brightness and support for the P3 wide color gamut. And with True Tone technology, the display offers a more natural viewing experience for design and editing workflows, as well as for everyday tasks such as browsing the web and writing email. The 13-inch MacBook Pro also comes with speakers that provide incredibly immersive wide-stereo sound, Touch ID for easy login and secure online purchases, Touch Bar with dynamic and contextual controls, and the industry-best Force Touch trackpad for precise cursor control and Multi-Touch navigation.
Built-in Security and Privacy
The 13-inch MacBook Pro comes with the Apple T2 Security Chip, Apple's own custom-designed second-generation silicon, which checks that software loaded during the boot process has not been tampered with and provides on-the-fly data encryption for everything stored on the SSD. This allows MacBook Pro and any Mac with the T2 chip to deliver the most secure boot process and storage of any computer. The T2 also protects Touch ID information, so whether customers are unlocking their Mac, entering an online password, or making online purchases, their information stays safe.
macOS Catalina
Every new MacBook Pro comes with macOS Catalina, the latest version of the world's most advanced desktop operating system. macOS has always been at the core of the Mac experience, and with apps such as Safari, Mail, Photos, Pages, Numbers, and Keynote, customers have powerful tools to do amazing things. macOS also makes MacBook Pro the perfect companion device to iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch with built-in Continuity features that allow users to make and receive phone calls without picking up their iPhone; automatically unlock their Mac with Apple Watch; copy and paste images, video, and text straight from iPhone or iPad to a nearby Mac; and in macOS Catalina, extend the workspace of their Mac using an iPad and Sidecar. Security features keep users better protected, and Voice Control lets users control their Mac entirely with their voice.
Apple Services
Customers can also enjoy Apple services right on their MacBook Pro, including Mac versions of the Apple Music, Apple Podcasts, and Apple TV apps, as well as Apple News. Apple Arcade℠ is available through the Mac App Store, bringing more than 100 new and exclusive games to Mac customers. And for a limited time, customers who purchase a new MacBook Pro can enjoy one year of Apple TV+ on the Apple TV app for free.
Pricing and Availability
Starting at $1,299 (US), and $1,199 (US) for education, the new 13-inch MacBook Pro is available to order today on Apple.com and in the Apple Store app. It will begin arriving to customers and will be in select Apple Stores and Apple Authorized Resellers later this week.
"Whether you're a college student, a developer, or a creative pro, the 13-inch MacBook Pro delivers powerful performance, a stunning Retina display, and all-day battery life in our most portable pro notebook. Today we're adding the new Magic Keyboard, doubling the standard storage, and boosting performance, making the 13-inch MacBook Pro an even better value for our customers," said Tom Boger, Apple's senior director of Mac and iPad Product Marketing. "With these updates, our entire notebook lineup features the Magic Keyboard for the best typing experience ever on a Mac notebook, offers twice the standard storage than before, and delivers even more performance."
The updated 13-inch MacBook Pro now features the new Magic Keyboard, first introduced on the 16-inch MacBook Pro and added to MacBook Air in March. Magic Keyboard features a redesigned scissor mechanism with 1 mm of key travel for a comfortable and stable key feel, while the new inverted-"T" arrangement for the arrow keys makes them easier to find, whether users are navigating through spreadsheets or playing games. Magic Keyboard also features a physical Escape key, along with Touch Bar and Touch ID, for a keyboard that delivers the best typing experience ever on a Mac notebook.
Double the Storage
Customers love the superfast SSDs on MacBook Pro, with sequential read speeds of up to 3.0 GB/s. The 13-inch MacBook Pro now comes with double the storage of the previous generation, with standard storage starting at 256 GB all the way up to 1 TB, so customers can store even more photos, videos, and files. And for pro users who need even more storage capacity for large photo libraries and video projects, the 13-inch MacBook Pro now offers up to a 4 TB SSD.
Better Performance
The 13-inch MacBook Pro lineup now offers up to 10th-generation quad-core Intel Core processors with Turbo Boost speeds of up to 4.10 GHz. Customers who are upgrading from a 13-inch MacBook Pro with a dual-core processor will see up to 2.8 times faster performance. The integrated Intel Iris Plus Graphics deliver up to 80 percent faster performance over the previous generation 13-inch MacBook Pro for 4K video editing, faster rendering, and smoother gameplay. The new graphics also enable users to connect to Pro Display XDR at full 6K resolution.
Faster Memory and More Memory
16 GB of faster 3733 MHz memory is now offered as a standard configuration on select models, and for the first time on a 13-inch Mac notebook, customers can choose a 32 GB memory option. With 32 GB of memory, users will experience better performance while running multiple virtual machines and up to 50 percent faster performance when editing gigapixel images in Photoshop.
Portable Design with a Stunning Retina Display
With a sleek aluminium unibody design in space gray or silver and weighing just 3 pounds, the 13-inch MacBook Pro is both highly portable and packed with performance and advanced technologies. Its stunning and brilliant 13-inch Retina display delivers more than 4 million pixels and millions of colors, along with 500 nits of brightness and support for the P3 wide color gamut. And with True Tone technology, the display offers a more natural viewing experience for design and editing workflows, as well as for everyday tasks such as browsing the web and writing email. The 13-inch MacBook Pro also comes with speakers that provide incredibly immersive wide-stereo sound, Touch ID for easy login and secure online purchases, Touch Bar with dynamic and contextual controls, and the industry-best Force Touch trackpad for precise cursor control and Multi-Touch navigation.
Built-in Security and Privacy
The 13-inch MacBook Pro comes with the Apple T2 Security Chip, Apple's own custom-designed second-generation silicon, which checks that software loaded during the boot process has not been tampered with and provides on-the-fly data encryption for everything stored on the SSD. This allows MacBook Pro and any Mac with the T2 chip to deliver the most secure boot process and storage of any computer. The T2 also protects Touch ID information, so whether customers are unlocking their Mac, entering an online password, or making online purchases, their information stays safe.
macOS Catalina
Every new MacBook Pro comes with macOS Catalina, the latest version of the world's most advanced desktop operating system. macOS has always been at the core of the Mac experience, and with apps such as Safari, Mail, Photos, Pages, Numbers, and Keynote, customers have powerful tools to do amazing things. macOS also makes MacBook Pro the perfect companion device to iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch with built-in Continuity features that allow users to make and receive phone calls without picking up their iPhone; automatically unlock their Mac with Apple Watch; copy and paste images, video, and text straight from iPhone or iPad to a nearby Mac; and in macOS Catalina, extend the workspace of their Mac using an iPad and Sidecar. Security features keep users better protected, and Voice Control lets users control their Mac entirely with their voice.
Apple Services
Customers can also enjoy Apple services right on their MacBook Pro, including Mac versions of the Apple Music, Apple Podcasts, and Apple TV apps, as well as Apple News. Apple Arcade℠ is available through the Mac App Store, bringing more than 100 new and exclusive games to Mac customers. And for a limited time, customers who purchase a new MacBook Pro can enjoy one year of Apple TV+ on the Apple TV app for free.
Pricing and Availability
Starting at $1,299 (US), and $1,199 (US) for education, the new 13-inch MacBook Pro is available to order today on Apple.com and in the Apple Store app. It will begin arriving to customers and will be in select Apple Stores and Apple Authorized Resellers later this week.
12 Comments on Apple Updates 13-Inch MacBook Pro with Magic Keyboard, Double the Storage, and Faster Performance
Custom Core i5 10 Generation (IceLake)
4/8 Core/Thread
2.0 GHz Base
3.8 GHz Turbo
6 MB L3 Cache
Iris Plus Gen 11 Graphics
20-25W (estimated by Anandtech)
LPDDR4X 3733
vs.
Ryzen 4800U (Zen 2)
8/16 Core/Thread
1.8 GHz Base
4.2 GHz Turbo
8 MB L3 Cache
Radeon Vega Enhanced
10-25W (depending on config)
LPDDR4X 4266
I'll take double the cores/threads for similar IPC/Clock speeds and faster IGP at the same power every time.
Edit: Whoops I forgot to mention LPDDR4 support which is higher for AMD. Added above.
Wasn't there word they were moving to an ARM chip or something other than Intel.
I think they will give devs some time to adapt before ARM Macs are on the shelf, but something like Rosetta should probably be in the works at the same time.
And I recall Steve Jobs eluding to the x86 move publicly when he said "when we get OS X running on intel, then we will be ready for the mainstream" or something to that effect....which was already happening well before anyone outside of Apple was even aware of it.