Apple’s new-generation of MacBook Pros pack heaps of contemporary, high-end hardware and are for that reason the most powerful laptops the company has ever produced. Available now in both 15- and 13-inch form factors, the new MacBook Pros come equipped with Intel’s eighth-generation processors, up to 32GB of memory, as much as 4TB of solid state storage, and what is said to be an “improved” keyboard.
Available in the same “Space Gray” and “Silver” color configurations of their immediate predecessors, the new 2018 MacBook Pros start at $1,800 for the 13-inch version with a quad-core Core i5 CPU, 8GB of LPDDR3 memory, an onboard Intel Iris Plus graphics 655 core, and 256GB of storage. You can configure that design with a faster CPU, double the memory, and up to eight times the storage space. The 15-inch version can be even more powerful though. It starts at $2,400 and can be equipped with six-core Core i7 or i9 CPUs, 16 or 32GB of memory, Radeon Pro graphics, and up to 4TB of storage.
All configurations of the new laptops come with what we’re told is a new “third-generation” keyboard design. While 9to5Mac notes that Apple has only cited the new keyboard for being quieter than its predecessors, potential buyers will be more interested in learning whether it is more reliable than the designs that have been so problematic in MacBook and MacBook Pros over the past few years. According to the Verge, the upgrades may not fix the problems at all.
Both the 13- and 15-inch models are still equipped with the gimmicky touch bar interface, with no sign of non-touch-bar versions of the laptops just yet. However, the 2016 13-inch MacBook Pros are still available for those who are less interested in new hardware or want to buy one without a touch bar.
What is not available anymore are the 2015 MacBook Pros. While few would find the hardware they offered too enticing, one aspect that may be missed is their support for legacy ports like USB-A. Both the 2016 and 2018 MacBook Pros offer Thunderbolt 3 ports only, meaning any other device will require an adaptor for use. However, the 13-inch version of the new-generation MacBook Pros features four Thunderbolt 3 ports, where its predecessors had only two.
Alongside the new MacBook Pros, Apple also debuted some leather cases (similar to the ones for the 12-inch MacBook) to help protect the new and existing MacBook Pros. The sleeves are available now in 13- and 15-inch form factors, as per 9to5Mac, and there are color options of Saddle Brown, Midnight Blue, and Black. Prices start at $180 for the 13-inch sleeve, while the 15-inch versions cost $200.
While we’re sure those are fine, these are our favorite MacBook cases.
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