Apple MacBook Pro: More storage, new CPUs, Magic Keyboard in the updated 13-inch model
The 13-inch MacBook Pro adds 10th-gen Intel options and storage from 256GB all the way up to 4TB.
- Author of the award-winning, NY Times-reviewed nonfiction book The Tetris Effect; Longtime consumer technology expert for CBS Mornings
Apple has updated the 13-inch MacBook Pro. Major differences from the previous model include new 10th-generation Intel processor options for some models and double the base storage for all, Apple announced Monday. That takes the two lowest-priced models from 128GB of storage to 256GB; the midtier model from 256GB to 512GB and the high-end base configuration from 512GB to 1TB. Prices for the four default configurations remain at $1,299, $1,499, $1,799 and $1,999. They start at £1,299 in the UK and AU$1,999 in Australia.
The two lowest-priced models go from 128GB of storage to 256GB; the midtier model from 256GB to 512GB; and the high-end base configuration from 512GB to 1TB. The new top-end cap for storage is now 4TB, up from the previous 2TB.
Key facts
- The 13-inch MacBook Pro adds 10th-gen Intel CPU options for the two highest-end configs.
- All models double their base storage.
- Every current MacBook now has the new Magic Keyboard design. Yes, that means the butterfly keyboard is officially dead.
- Cost: $1,299 (£1,299, AU$1,999) and up, available to order today.
But note that the two lowest-priced models are keeping their old eighth-gen Intel CPUs. Upgrading to the 10th-gen chip is not currently an option until you hit the $1,799 level.
Also new to the 2020 13-inch Pro is Apple's Magic Keyboard, the latest reworking of the MacBook keyboard, as already found in the 16-inch MacBook Pro and 13-inch MacBook Air.
See how the new configurations break down in the chart below:
New MacBook Pro 13 configurations
| Price | $1,299 | $1,499 | $1,799 | $1,999 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CPU | 1.4GHz quad-core 8th-generation Intel Core i5 processor | 1.4GHz quad-core 8th-generation Intel Core i5 processor | 2.0GHz quad-core 10th-generation Intel Core i5 processor | 2.0GHz quad-core 10th-generation Intel Core i5 processor |
| RAM | 8GB 2133MHz LPDDR3 | 8GB 2133MHz LPDDR3 | 16GB 3733MHz LPDDR4X | 16GB 3733MHz LPDDR4X |
| Storage | 256GB SSD storage | 512GB SSD storage | 512GB SSD storage | 1TB SSD storage |
In March, I tested the Magic Keyboard version of the MacBook Air and said:
More than anything else, the new Magic Keyboard is what makes the latest Air such a winner. Yes, it solves a problem largely of Apple's own making, but the end result is highly satisfying ... The new keyboard is positively delightful, which is not praise I offer lightly.
This is the first new Mac announcement since the MacBook Air added an updated keyboard and new CPU options in March.
Previous leaks and rumors had pointed to the 10th-gen Intel switch, but also a 14-inch display, much like the old 15-inch MacBook Pro replaced its screen with a 16-inch one, while keeping the same general footprint. That was not to be, at least not this time. Apple is also endlessly rumored to be on the verge of replacing Intel CPUs entirely with a processor of its own design.