Apple’s new line of MacBook Pros was finally revealed at the ‘hello again’ presentation on Thursday, October 27th, and the initial first impressions with smaller form factor, new Touch Bar, and upgraded specs are stunning.
Apple is sticking to its gun with both the 13-inch and 15-inch sizes in its lineup, and in this post, we’ll outline the spec differences between each of them for you.
Technical specifications of the 2016 MacBook Pro line
Price:
13-inch MacBook Pro (entry-level)
- $1,499
13-inch MacBook Pro with Touch Bar
- $1,799 (basic specs)
- $1,999 (upgraded specs)
15-inch MacBook Pro with Touch Bar
- $2,399 (basic specs)
- $2,799 (upgraded specs)
Touch Bar:
13-inch MacBook Pro (entry-level)
- N/A
13-inch MacBook Pro with Touch Bar
- Included
15-inch MacBook Pro with Touch Bar
- Included
Finish:
All models
- Silver
- Space gray
Display:
13-inch MacBook Pro (all versions)
- 13.3-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit Retina display with IPS technology; 2560-by-1600 native resolution at 227 pixels per inch with support for millions of colors
- Supported scaled resolutions:
- 1680 x 1050
- 1440 x 900
- 1024 x 640
- 500 nits brightness
- Wide color gamut (P3)
15-inch MacBook Pro with Touch Bar
- 15.4-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit Retina display with IPS technology; 2880-by-1800 native resolution at 220 pixels per inch with support for millions of colors
- Supported scaled resolutions:
- 1920 by 1200
- 1680 x 1050
- 1280 x 800
- 1024 x 640
- 500 nits brightness
- Wide color gamut (P3)
Processor:
13-inch MacBook Pro (entry-level)
- 2.0GHz dual-core Intel Core i5, Turbo Boost up to 3.1GHz, with 4MB shared L3 cache
- Configurable to 2.4GHz dual-core Intel Core i7, Turbo Boost up to 3.4GHz, with 4MB shared L3 cache
13-inch MacBook Pro with Touch Bar
- 2.9GHz dual-core Intel Core i5, Turbo Boost up to 3.3GHz, with 4MB shared L3 cache
- Configurable to 3.1GHz dual-core Intel Core i5, Turbo Boost up to 3.5GHz, with 4MB shared L3 cache; or 3.3GHz dual-core Intel Core i7, Turbo Boost up to 3.6GHz, with 4MB shared L3 cache
15-inch MacBook Pro with Touch Bar
- 2.6GHz
- 2.6GHz quad-core Intel Core i7, Turbo Boost up to 3.5GHz, with 6MB shared L3 cache
- Configurable to 2.9GHz quad-core Intel Core i7, Turbo Boost up to 3.8GHz, with 8MB shared L3 cache
- 2.7GHz
- 2.7GHz quad-core Intel Core i7, Turbo Boost up to 3.6GHz, with 8MB shared L3 cache
- Configurable to 2.9GHz quad-core Intel Core i7, Turbo Boost up to 3.8GHz, with 8MB shared L3 cache
Storage:
13-inch MacBook Pro (entry-level)
- 256GB PCIe-based onboard SSD
- Configurable to 512GB or 1TB SSD
13-inch MacBook Pro with Touch Bar
- 256GB
- 256GB PCIe-based onboard SSD
- 512GB
- 512GB PCIe-based onboard SSD
- Configurable to 1TB SSD
15-inch MacBook Pro with Touch Bar
- 256GB
- 256GB PCIe-based onboard SSD
- Configurable to 512GB, 1TB, or 2TB SSD
- 512GB
- 512GB PCIe-based onboard SSD
- Configurable to 1TB or 2TB SSD
Memory:
13-inch Macbook Pro (entry-level)
- 8GB of 1866MHz LPDDR3 onboard memory
- Configurable to 16GB of memory
13-inch MacBook Pro with Touch Bar
- 8GB of 2133MHz LPDDR3 onboard memory
- Configurable to 16GB of memory
15-inch MacBook Pro with Touch Bar
- 16GB of 2133MHz LPDDR3 onboard memory
Graphics:
13-inch MacBook Pro (entry-level)
- Intel Iris Graphics 540
13-inch MacBook Pro with Touch Bar
- Intel Iris Graphics 550
15-inch MacBook Pro with Touch Bar
- Option 1:
- Radeon Pro 450 with 2GB of GDDR5 memory and automatic graphics switching
- Intel HD Graphics 530
- Configurable to Radeon Pro 460 with 4GB of GDDR5 memory and automatic graphics switching
- Option 2:
- Radeon Pro 455 with 2GB of GDDR5 memory and automatic graphics switching
- Intel HD Graphics 530
- Configurable to Radeon Pro 460 with 4GB of GDDR5 memory and automatic graphics switching
Charging & expansion:
13-inch MacBook Pro (entry-level)
- Two Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) ports
- Support for Charging, DisplayPort, Thunderbolt (up to 40 Gbps), USB 3.1 Gen 2 (up to 10 Gbps)
13-inch MacBook Pro with Touch Bar
- Four Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) ports
- Support for Charging, DisplayPort, Thunderbolt (up to 40 Gbps), USB 3.1 Gen 2 (up to 10 Gbps)
15-inch MacBook Pro with Touch Bar
- Four Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) ports
- Support for Charging, DisplayPort, Thunderbolt (up to 40 Gbps), USB 3.1 Gen 2 (up to 10 Gbps)
Keyboard & trackpad:
13-inch MacBook Pro (entry-level)
- Full-size backlit keyboard with 78 (U.S.) or 79 (ISO) keys including 12 function keys and 4 arrow keys
- Ambient light sensor
- Force Touch trackpad for precise cursor control and pressure-sensing capabilities; enables Force clicks, accelerators, pressure-sensitive drawing, and Multi-Touch gestures
13-inch MacBook Pro with Touch Bar
- Full-size backlit keyboard with 64 (U.S.) or 65 (ISO) keys including 4 arrow keys
- Touch Bar with integrated Touch ID sensor
- Ambient light sensor
- Force Touch trackpad for precise cursor control and pressure-sensing capabilities; enables Force clicks, accelerators, pressure-sensitive drawing, and Multi-Touch gestures
15-inch MacBook Pro with Touch Bar
- Full-size backlit keyboard with 64 (U.S.) or 65 (ISO) keys including 4 arrow keys
- Touch Bar with integrated Touch ID sensor
- Ambient light sensor
- Force Touch trackpad for precise cursor control and pressure-sensing capabilities; enables Force clicks, accelerators, pressure-sensitive drawing, and Multi-Touch gestures
Wireless:
All models
- Wi-Fi
- 802.11ac Wi-Fi wireless networking; IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n compatible
- Bluetooth
- Bluetooth 4.2 wireless technology
Camera:
All models
-
720p FaceTime HD camera
Video support:
13-inch MacBook Pro (entry-level) & with Touch Bar
- Simultaneously supports full native resolution on the built-in display at millions of colors and:
- One display with 5120-by-2880 resolution at 60Hz at over a billion colors
- Up to two displays with 4096-by-2304 resolution at 60Hz at over a billion colors
- Thunderbolt 3 digital video output
- Native DisplayPort output over USB‑C
- VGA, HDMI, and Thunderbolt 2 output supported using adapters (sold separately)
15-inch MacBook Pro with Touch Bar
- Simultaneously supports full native resolution on the built-in display at millions of colors and:
- Up to two displays with 5120-by-2880 resolution at 60Hz at over a billion colors
- Up to four displays with 4096-by-2304 resolution at 60Hz at over a billion colors
- Thunderbolt 3 digital video output
- Native DisplayPort output over USB‑C
- VGA, HDMI, and Thunderbolt 2 output supported using adapters (sold separately)
Audio:
13-inch MacBook Pro (entry-level)
- Stereo speakers with high dynamic range
- Two microphones
- 3.5 mm headphone jack
13-inch MacBook Pro with Touch Bar
- Stereo speakers with high dynamic range
- Three microphones
- 3.5 mm headphone jack
15-inch MacBook Pro with Touch Bar
- Stereo speakers with high dynamic range
- Three microphones
- 3.5 mm headphone jack
Battery:
13-inch MacBook Pro (entry-level)
- Up to 10 hours wireless web
- Up to 10 hours iTunes movie playback
- Up to 30 days of standby time
- Built-in 54.5-watt-hour lithium-polymer battery
- 61W USB-C Power Adapter
13-inch MacBook Pro with Touch Bar
- Up to 10 hours wireless web
- Up to 10 hours iTunes movie playback
- Up to 30 days of standby time
- Built-in 49.2-watt-hour lithium-polymer battery
- 61W USB-C Power Adapter
15-inch MacBook Pro with Touch Bar
- Up to 10 hours wireless web
- Up to 10 hours iTunes movie playback
- Up to 30 days standby time
- Built-in 76.0-watt-hour lithium-polymer battery
- 87W USB-C Power Adapter
Electrical and operating requirements:
All models
- Line voltage: 100V to 240V AC
- Frequency: 50Hz to 60Hz
- Operating temperature: 50° to 95° F (10° to 35° C)
- Storage temperature: –13° to 113° F (–24° to 45° C)
- Relative humidity: 0% to 90% noncondensing
- Operating altitude: tested up to 10,000 feet
- Maximum storage altitude: 15,000 feet
- Maximum shipping altitude: 35,000 feet
Size & weight:
13-inch MacBook Pro (entry-level) & with Touch Bar
- Height: 0.59 inch (1.49 cm)
- Width: 11.97 inches (30.41 cm)
- Depth: 8.36 inches (21.24 cm)
- Weight: 3.02 pounds (1.37 kg)
15-inch MacBook Pro with Touch Bar
- Height: 0.61 inch (1.55 cm)
- Width: 13.75 inches (34.93 cm)
- Depth: 9.48 inches (24.07 cm)
- Weight: 4.02 pounds (1.83 kg)
Operating system:
All models
- macOS Sierra
In the box:
13-inch MacBook Pro (entry-level) & with Touch Bar
- 13-inch MacBook Pro
- 61W USB-C Power Adapter
- USB-C Charge Cable (2 m)
15-inch MacBook Pro with Touch Bar
- 15-inch MacBook Pro
- 87W USB-C Power Adapter
- USB-C Charge Cable (2 m)
The differences between the machines are clearly illustrated with steep changes in prices, as is typical with Apple’s Mac lineup. In essence, you get what you pay for.
In our opinion, the best bang for your buck is somewhere in the middle, either with the higher-end 13-inch MacBook Pro with Touch Bar, or with the lower-end 15-inch MacBook Pro with Touch Bar.