If you are an Apple and MacBook Pro fan, then you must have been really angry about the keyboard of the 2018 MacBook Pro release. But there is a lot of reasons to be excited today because Apple just announced its 2019 updates to the 13 and 15 inch MacBook Pros. Apple tags its latest editions as the fastest and most secure computers in the market. The new models run Intel’s newest 8th and 9th generation core processors and comes packaged with Apple’s ultra slim butterfly keyboards that looks to solve the “make or make double” issue that Apple users complained about with previous keyboard versions.
The New 15-inch MacBook Pro Comes with an 8-Core Processor Upgrade.
In 2018, Apple made a couple of updates to its MacBook Pro releases. The first update took place right after the World Wide Developer’s conference. The second update brought Vega graphics to MacBook Pros. To make working with MacBook Pros even nicer, smoother and faster, Apple is introducing Intel’s latest 9th generation 45-Watt Core i7 CPUs.
Following tradition, Apple introduced the 13 and 15 inch laptops together, with the 15 inch edging its counterpart in various areas, which increases its price tag. The new 13 inch MacBook Pro starts at $1799 or 630,000 naira, while the 15 inch starts at $2399 or 840,000 naira. There is also a second 15 inch option for $2799 or 980,000 naira. There is a major difference between the two 15 inch MacBook Pros though. The one for $2399 comes with a 6-core i7-9750 CPU with Turbo Boost up to 4.5Ghz, the one for $2799 comes with an 8-core i9-9980 CPU at 4.8GHz.
For the 15 inch MacBook Pro, a custom configuration is available to run Intel’s 8-core i9 processor which clocks 5GHz. Intel announced its new chips just last week and pitched it to bring desktop performance to PCs on the go for “musclebooks” and immersive “content creation” machines.
The new computers retain the most recent Apple screen specifications. The 15 inch comes with a Retina Display which features a 220ppi 2880 by 1800 screen with P3 Wide Color Gamut, 500-nits of brightness, and Apple’s tone display technology. They also come with customizable Radeon Pro 560X or Vega 20 graphics with up to 4GB of HBM2 memory; 16 or 32GB of DDR4 RAM; and 512GB, 1, 2, or 4TB SSD storage options.
Physically, the new MacBook Pros do not look drastically different. They come with four Thunderbolt, 3 ports that support USB-C connectivity of all types and four 4K or two 5K external displays via DisplayPort 1.4.
The New 13-inch MacBook Pro Continues with the Quad-Core Processor
The 13 inch MacBook Pro line with Touch Bar is also getting an upgrade to a more compact build. It was last updated in July of 2018. Starting at 630,000 naira, it features a 300MHz improvement in CPU speed via Intel’s 8th generation 15 Watt Core 15-8355 with Turbo Boost speed of 4.1 GHz. The custom option for an Intel i7 is also getting upgraded to a speed of 300MHz via Intel’s Core i7-8665U.
For screen specifications, the 13 inch retina display features a 227ppi 2560 by 1600 screen with white color gamut, 500-nits of brightness, and Apple’s true tone technology. They also use Intel’s premium-tier Iris Plus integrated graphics with 128 MB eDRAM; offer 8 or 16GB of RAM; and either 256, 512GB, or 1 or 2TB SSD storage options.
It also comes with the usual four thunderbolt-3 ports, and the quartet supports two 4K displays or one 5K external display. Like the previous models it includes the T2 chip, Touch Bar and Touch ID authentication.
Both new models are designed to address the keyboard issues that users faced with the previous models. The improved ultra slim butterfly mechanism hopes to reduce unresponsive typing.
What has not changed.
The new computers continue to use Apple’s T2 chip, which provides a secure host for encrypted keys and allow users to lock the boot process. Apple’s image signal processor continues to provide support for FaceTime, audio use, and the Siri functionality.
After getting several complaints about its new butterfly keyboard in 2018, Apple has maintained that a good number of its users have no issues with the performance of their laptops so far. More so, the company stated that it has continued to work tirelessly to improve overall quality and performance.
Where can you get the new MacBook Pro models?
The new models were announced just yesterday, May 21st, 2019. So you can pre-order through Apple’s official website or through its partners. Discounts may also be available but offers may differ across websites.
Bye for now! Do come back for more tech reviews.
