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MacBook Pro 13 updated: better keyboard, double memory, more power

Apple recently presented a new version of the MacBook Air 13-inch with a new keyboard and proven scissors mechanism instead of the error-prone butterfly mechanism of the keys, as well as with double memory and more speed (see Notification from mid-March). Now the MacBook Pro has been improved in the same way.

The MacBook Pro (2020) comes with the new keyboard and again has a physical escape key. The model variants are now all delivered with double memory and also received even more modern processors for more performance.

The 13 ″ MacBook Pro, updated with a new Magic Keyboard, double the storage capacity and faster graphics performance. All this is in an aluminum housing in the «Unibody Design» with a weight of 1.36 kg.

While this is good news for Mac users, it was expected that all of these improvements would be in a slightly larger 14-inch model. This 14-inch model was to replace the 13-inch models, as was already the case in November 2019 when the 15-inch model was replaced by the new MacBook Pro 16-inch (see report). As a reminder, the new 16-inch case is only a little bigger than the previously used 15-inch notebooks with a larger screen size thanks to the reduced screen frame.

Details about the new or updated MBPro 13

Apple has the 13 ″ MacBook Pro with the new Magic Keyboard, updated and the storage space doubled in all standard configurations. The new product line also offers 10th generation processors for up to 80 percent faster graphics performance and makes 16 GB faster 3733 MHz memory the standard in selected configurations. With powerful Quad Core processors, the 13 ″ Retina display, Touch Bar and Touch ID, stereo speakers, all-day battery life and the performance of macOS in one portable design.

The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) with Retina Display – here with the image editing program Affinity Photo – is not only extremely mobile, but also packed with performance and advanced technologies and offers all-day battery life.

New keyboard: The updated MBP13 is now equipped with the new Magic Keyboard, which was first integrated in the 16-inch MacBook mentioned and has also been installed in the MacBook Air since March 2020. The Magic Keyboard has a newly designed scissor mechanism with a key stroke of 1 mm for a comfortable and stable key feel, while the new arrangement of the arrow keys with the inverted «T» is easy to find, regardless of whether the user is navigating or playing through spreadsheets. The Magic Keyboard has the Touch Bar and Touch ID in the upper area as well as a physical escape key.

Apple has installed the new Magic Keyboard on the MacBook Pro 13 with the proven scissor mechanism of the keys instead of the error-prone butterfly mechanism of recent years. A physical escape key is integrated again. There is also the touch bar with context-sensitive virtual buttons.

Double mass storage: The MacBook Pro 13 now offers twice as much storage space as the previous generation, with the standard storage starting at 256 GB and reaching up to 1 TB. So users can save even more photos, videos and files. For users who need even more storage capacity for large photo libraries and video projects, there is now optionally up to 4 TB SSD storage. Incidentally, the fast SSDs offer sequential read speeds of up to 3.0 GB / s.

Faster and more RAM: 16 GB faster 3733 MHz RAM is now offered as standard on selected models. For the first time, users can choose a 32 GB storage option with a 13-inch notebook, which is especially useful when working with RAM-intensive applications such as editing gigapixel-sized photo files e.g. with high-resolution photos and montages with many levels ensures up to 50 percent faster performance.

Better performance: The 13 ″ models of the MacBook Pro now offer 10th generation quad-core Intel Core processors with Turbo Boost speeds of up to 4.1 GHz. Users upgrading from a 13 ″ MacBook Pro with a dual core processor will experience up to 2.8 times faster performance.1 The integrated Intel Iris Plus graphics deliver up to 80 percent faster performance than the previous generation of the 13 ″ MacBook Pro for 4K video editing, faster rendering and smoother gameplay. The new graphics also allow users to connect to the Pro Display XDR at full 6K resolution.

Pricing and availability

The new MacBook Pro 13 (2020) can be ordered today (2020-05-04) at an entry-level price of CHF 1499, – including VAT on apple.com and in the Apple Store app. According to Apple, it will arrive at customers later this week (week 19) and will be available in selected Apple stores and from authorized Apple retailers.

The MacBook Pro 13 (2020) is still available in two different housing variants. The cheaper ones only have two combination interfaces made of Thunderbolt 3 and USB 3.1 in the form of USB-C ports. After all, the more expensive ones have four ports. These two or four interfaces are required for all types of peripheral devices (USB sticks, external storage, monitors, scanners, printers) and the power supply.

Further information

Apple MacBook Pro 13 (Product page)

Apple Switzerland (Manufacturer side)

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