Apple Announces New 13-inch MacBook Pro With Magic Keyboard

Apple has updated its 13-inch MacBook Pro (2020) packing it with a new Magic Keyboard, new Intel processor, up to 32GB RAM, 4TB inbuilt storage

The highlight of the laptop is the Magic Keyboard, which adopts the tried and tested scissor-style keys for a more comfortable use and easy maintenance. Even the recently launched MacBook Air has the same keyboard. For those unaware, the Butterfly keys that came in MacBooks until last year failed to get a positive feedback from customers due to several issues.

“Magic Keyboard features a redesigned scissor mechanism with 1mm of key travel for a comfortable and stable key feel, while the new inverted-“T” arrangement for the arrow keys makes them easier to find, whether users are navigating through spreadsheets or playing games,” says Apple.

MacBook Pro 13-inch pricing and availability

You can order the MacBook Pro 13-inch on Apple's website today. The laptop starts at $1,299 for a model with an 8th Gen Core i5 CPU, 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD. Doubling storage to 512GB brings to price up to $1,499.

As previously mentioned, you'll need to spend $1,799 to get 10th Gen Intel Core CPUs. The cheapest model with those chips has a Core i5 CPU and comes with 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD. If you need more power, you can spend another $200 for a 10th Gen Core i7 CPU. By opting for these higher-end models, you also get two additional Thunderbolt 3 ports for a total of four.

One benefit of the new model is that you can equip it with 32GB of RAM. That's a nice option for power users but it'll run them an extra $400. The MacBook Pro can also pack a generous amount of storage. Going from 512GB to 1TB costs $200 extra. From there, you'll spend another $400 for 2TB of storage and $1,000 for 4TB.

MacBook Pro 13-inch design and ports

Apple didn't make any major changes to the MacBook Pro's design. There were several rumors claiming Apple would move to a 14-inch display in the same way the 15.6-inch MacBook was updated with a 16-inch display.

Apple chose to keep the MacBook Pro at 13 inches, so the new model has the same dimensions (0.59 x 11.97 x 8.36 inches) and weight (3.1 pounds) as the previous version. And since Apple didn't update the design, the 13-inch MacBook Pro retains the chunky bezels of its predecessor.

Ports remain as limited as before. Lower-end models come with only two Thunderbolt 3 inputs and a headphone jack while the $1,799 model and up have four Thunderbolt 3 ports.

Key Features

New Magic Keyboard: This model comes with a new Magic Keyboard, first introduced on the 16-inch MacBook Pro and added to MacBook Air. Magic Keyboard features a redesigned scissor mechanism with 1mm of key travel for a comfortable and stable key feel, while the new inverted-“T” arrangement for the arrow keys makes them easier to find, whether users are navigating through spreadsheets or playing games.

Improved Performance: The 13-inch MacBook Pro lineup now offers up to 10th-generation quad-core Intel Core processors with Turbo Boost speeds of up to 4.1GHz. The integrated Intel Iris Plus Graphics deliver up to 80 percent faster performance over the previous generation 13-inch MacBook Pro for 4K video editing, faster rendering, and smoother gameplay. The new graphics also enable users to connect to Pro Display XDR at full 6K resolution.

Increased Storage: The model comes with standard storage starting at 256GB all the way up to 1TB and for pro users they can get up to 4TB SSD.

Design, Display: the 13-inch Retina display delivers more than 4 million pixels and millions of colors, along with 500 nits of brightness and support for the P3 wide color gamut. And with True Tone technology, the display offers a more natural viewing experience for design and editing workflows. The model also comes with speakers that provide incredibly immersive wide-stereo sound, Touch ID for easy login and secure online purchases, Touch Bar with dynamic and contextual controls, and the industry-best Force Touch trackpad for precise cursor control and Multi-Touch navigation.

More RAM: For the first time on a 13-inch Mac notebook, customers can choose a 32GB memory option, 16GB of faster 3733MHz memory is now offered as a standard configuration on select models.

Security and Privacy: The 13-inch MacBook Pro comes with the Apple T2 Security Chip which checks that software loaded during the boot process has not been tampered with and provides on-the-fly data encryption for everything stored on the SSD. It also protects Touch ID information, so whether customers are unlocking their Mac, entering an online password, or making online purchases, their information stays safe.

Overall, the new MacBook Pro seems to be a conservative update, but one that should satisfy, if fail to impress, Apple fans.

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