By Dan Moren
May 4, 2020 6:06 AM PT
Apple updates 13-inch MacBook Pro with new processors, Magic Keyboard
Note: This story has not been updated for several years.
If the 16-inch MacBook Pro was too heavy for your liking, but the new MacBook Air too light on power, you’re now in luck: Apple has revamped its 13-inch MacBook Pro with the new Magic Keyboard design, as well as a host of improved processor options. The new models are available for order as of today and start shipping next week.
The most prominent change, aside from the very welcome keyboard, is that Apple has doubled the base storage across the line; higher configurations now use Intel’s 10th generation processors and make 16GB of RAM standard.
As on the 16-inch model, the keyboard includes a physical Escape key and inverted-T arrow key layout, as well as the Touch Bar and a Touch ID sensor.
Aside from the doubling of storage and new keyboard, the $1299 and $1499 models of the 13 inch MacBook Pro remain largely untouched. They feature the same 8th-generation Core i5 processor running at 1.4 GHz as their predecessors. They can be configured with an 8th-generation 1.7GHz Core i7 processor, 16GB of RAM, and up to 2TB of SSD storage.
The $1799 and $1999 models, on the other hand, now feature the 10th-generation Core i5 processor at 2.0GHz. Additional options include a bump to a 10th-generation Core i7 processor at 2.3GHz, 32 GB of RAM, and up to 4TB of SSD storage–the latter two options are available on this model for the first time. This model can also drive an external display at up to 6K resolution; the lower-end models are limited to one external 5K display or two external 4K displays.
All models feature the same wide stereo sound and Dolby Atmos support as their 16-inch counterpart, though the 13-inch models lack the six-speaker array. They also feature the beamforming three-mic setup.
The new models are also slightly thicker at .61 inches instead of .59 inches, and slightly heavier, at 3.1 pounds instead of 3.02 pounds.
These updates mean that all of Apple’s laptops–as well as the iPad Pro–now use the new Magic Keyboard design. Which means it’s just Apple’s desktop Mac line that is now left out in the cold. Here’s hoping an update for the external Magic Keyboard isn’t far off.
[Dan Moren is the East Coast Bureau Chief of Six Colors. You can find him on Mastodon at @dmoren@zeppelin.flights or reach him by email at dan@sixcolors.com. His latest novel, the supernatural detective story All Souls Lost, is out now.]
If you appreciate articles like this one, support us by becoming a Six Colors subscriber. Subscribers get access to an exclusive podcast, members-only stories, and a special community.