What's the difference between the new MacBook Pros and the old ones?
Apple unveiled a new crop of MacBook Pros. Here's what's new and different from the older models.
After years without a new MacBook Pro, Apple has unveiled a brand new line of them. What's the big deal?
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Well, in addition to being slimmer, lighter, faster and yadda yadda yadda -- the typical updates everyone expects -- the new MacBook Pros feature a fancy Retina touchscreen on the top of the keyboard that replaces the function keys.
It's called the Touch Bar.
The Touch Bar has an integrated Touch ID sensor and Apple exhaustively demoed how advantageous it can be for photo and video editing, as well as for DJs. The downside to the new MacBook Pros is that they also come at a high price.
Below is a breakdown of the differences between the old MacBook Pro models and the new ones, broken down by size. If you're interested in a new model, but not completely sold on the idea, the cheaper pricing of an older model might sway you.
Old 13-inch MacBooks vs. New 13-inch MacBooks
| 13-inch MacBook Pro (2015) | 13-inch MacBook Pro (2015) | 13-inch MacBook Pro (2015) | 13-inch MacBook Pro (2016, No Touch Bar) | 13-inch MacBook Pro (2016, w/Touch Bar) | 13-inch MacBook Pro (2016, w/Touch Bar) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $1,299, £1,249, AU$1,999 | $1,499, £1,429, AU$2,319 | $1,799, £1,699, AU$2,799 | $1,499, £1,449, AU$2,199 | $1,799, £1,749, AU$2,699 | $1,999, £1,949, AU$2,999 |
| Materials | Aluminum | Aluminum | Aluminum | Aluminum | Aluminum | Aluminum |
| Display | 13.3-inch 2,560x1,600-pixel | 13.3-inch 2,560x1,600-pixel | 13.3-inch 2,560x1,600-pixel | 13.3-inch 2,560x1,600-pixel | 13.3-inch 2,560x1,600-pixel | 13.3-inch 2,560x1,600-pixel |
| Pixel density | 227 PPI | 227 PPI | 227 PPI | 227 PPI | 227 PPI | 227 PPI |
| Dimensions (imperial) | 12.35 x 8.62 inches | 12.35 x 8.62 inches | 12.35 x 8.62 inches | 11.97x 8.36 inches | 11.97 x 8.36 inches | 11.97 x 8.36 inches |
| Dimensions (metric) | 314 x 219mm | 314 x 219mm | 314 x 219mm | 304 x 212mm | 304 x 212mm | 304 x 212mm |
| Thickness | .71 in (18mm) | .71 in (18mm) | .71 in (18mm) | 0.59 in (14.9mm) | 0.59 in (14.9mm) | 0.59 in (14.9mm) |
| Weight | 3.48 lb (1.58kg) | 3.48 lb (1.58kg) | 3.48 lb (1.58kg) | 3.02 lb (1.37kg) | 3.02 lb (1.37kg) | 3.02 lb (1.37kg) |
| Operating system | Mac OS Sierra | Mac OS Sierra | Mac OS Sierra | Mac OS 10.12 Sierra | Mac OS 10.12 Sierra | Mac OS 10.12 Sierra |
| Processors | 2.7GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 (Haswell) | 2.7GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 (Haswell) | 2.9GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 (Haswell) | 2.0GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 (Skylake) | 2.9GHz 2-core Intel Core i5 (Skylake) | 2.9GHz 2-core Intel Core i5 (Skylake) |
| Graphics | Intel Iris Graphics 6100 | Intel Iris Graphics 6100 | Intel Iris Graphics 6100 | Intel Iris 540 | Intel Iris 550 | Intel Iris 550 |
| Up-spec | 2.9GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 | 2.9GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 | 3.1GHz dual-core Intel Core i7 | 2.4GHz dual-core Intel Core i7 | 3.3GHz 2-core Core i7 | 3.3GHz 2-core Core i7 |
| Storage | 128GB | 256GB | 512GB/1TB | 256GB/512GB/1TB | 256GB/512GB/1TB | 256GB/512GB/1TB |
| RAM | 8GB/16GB | 8GB/16GB | 8GB/16GB | 8GB/16GB | 8GB/16GB | 8GB/16GB |
| Battery | 10 hours (mfgr. estimate) | 10 hours (mfgr. estimate) | 10 hours (mfgr. estimate) | 10 hours (mfgr. estimate) | 10 hours (mfgr. estimate) | 10 hours (mfgr. estimate) |
| Networking | 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.0 | 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.0 | 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.0 | 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.2 | 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.2 | 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.2 |
| Ports | 2x Thunderbolt 2, 2x USB, HDMI | 2x Thunderbolt 2, 2x USB, HDMI | 2x Thunderbolt 2, 2x USB, HDMI | 2x USB-C (Thunderbolt 3), any can charge | 4x USB-C (Thunderbolt 3), any can charge | 4x USB-C (Thunderbolt 3), any can charge |
| Cameras | 720p FaceTime HD | 720p FaceTime HD | 720p FaceTime HD | 720p FaceTime HD | 720p FaceTime HD | 720p FaceTime HD |
| Extras | Force Touch trackpad | Force Touch trackpad | Force Touch trackpad | Force Touch trackpad | Touch Bar secondary screen, Touch ID fingerprint sensor, Force Touch trackpad | Touch Bar secondary screen, Touch ID fingerprint sensor, Force Touch trackpad |
Old 15-inch MacBooks vs. New 15-inch MacBooks
| 15-inch MacBook Pro (2015) | 15-inch MacBook Pro (2015) | 15-inch MacBook Pro (2016) | 15-inch MacBook Pro (2016) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starting price (USD) | $1,999, £1,899, AU$2,999 | $2,099, £1,989, AU$3,159 | $2,399, £2,349, AU$3,599 | $2,799, £2,699, AU$4,249 |
| Materials | Aluminum | Aluminum | Aluminum | Aluminum |
| Display | 15.4-inch 2,880x1,800-pixel | 15.4-inch 2,880x1,800-pixel | 15.4-inch 2,880x1,800-pixel | 15.4-inch 2,880x1,800-pixel |
| Pixel density | 220 PPI | 220 PPI | 220 PPI | 220 PPI |
| Dimensions (imperial) | 14.13 x 9.73 inches | 14.13 x 9.73 inches | 13.75 x 9.48 inches | 13.75 x 9.48 inches |
| Dimensions (metric) | 359 x 247mm | 359 x 247mm | 349 x 241mm | 349 x 241mm |
| Thickness | .71 in (18mm) | .71 in (18mm) | 0.61 in (15.5mm) | 0.61 in (15.5mm) |
| Weight | 4.49 lb (2.04kg) | 4.49 lb (2.04kg) | 4.02 lb (1.83kg) | 4.02 lb (1.83kg) |
| Operating system | Mac OS Sierra | Mac OS Sierra | Mac OS 10.12 Sierra | Mac OS 10.12 Sierra |
| Processors | 2.2GHz quad-core Intel Core i7 (Haswell) | 2.5GHz quad-core Intel Core i7 processor (Haswell) | 2.6GHz quad-core Intel Core i7 (Skylake) | 2.7GHz quad-core Intel Core i7 (Skylake) |
| Graphics | Intel Iris Pro Graphics | Intel Iris Pro Graphics,AMD Radeon R9 M370X (2GB) | AMD Radeon Pro 450 (2GB) | AMD Radeon Pro 455 (2GB) |
| Up-spec | 2.5GHz quad-core Intel Core i& | 2.8GHz quad-core Intel Core i7 | 2.9GHz Core i7, Radeon 460 (4GB) | 2.9GHz quad-core Intel Core i7, Radeon 460 (4GB) |
| Storage | 256GB/512GB/1TB | 256GB/512GB/1TB | 256GB/512GB/1TB/2TB | 512GB/1TB/2TB |
| RAM | 16GB | 16GB | 16GB | 16GB |
| Battery | 9 hours (mfgr. estimate) | 9 hours (mfgr. estimate) | 10 hours (mfgr. estimate) | 10 hours (mfgr. estimate) |
| Networking | 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.0 | 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.0 | 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.2 | 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.2 |
| Ports | 2x Thunderbolt 2, 2x USB, HDMI | 2x Thunderbolt 2, 2x USB, HDMI | 4x USB-C (Thunderbolt 3), any can charge | 4x USB-C (Thunderbolt 3), any can charge |
| Cameras | 720p FaceTime HD | 720p FaceTime HD | 720p FaceTime HD | 720p FaceTime HD |
| Extras | Force Touch trackpad | Force Touch trackpad | Touch Bar secondary screen, Touch ID fingerprint sensor, Force Touch trackpad | Touch Bar secondary screen, Touch ID fingerprint sensor, Force Touch trackpad |
What you'll get from the latest MacBook Pros is faster, smoother and more efficient performance. All house updated Intel Core processors, however not all offer the Touch Bar; it's missing from the $1,499 13-inch model.
You won't find this feature on any other laptop.
The innovative new feature sets the MacBooks apart from the bevy of competition out there, and if you want a new laptop for heavy-duty video editing or gaming, the difference between the old and new models will benefit you the most.
However, if you just need a laptop for streaming Youtube videos, checking Facebook or writing term papers, settling for a discounted older model (or one of these) is a more affordable option.