Apple on Tuesday announced major updates to the Retina MacBook Pro, adding new processors and lowering the prices for its laptop lineup.
In addition to those changes, Apple is also simplifying its MacBook Pro lineup, reducing its offerings to two standard configurations. Apple offers customization options for the MacBook Pro, such as faster processors and more storage, but Apple did not discuss this options during the event.
The new $1299 13-inch Retina MacBook has a 2.4GHz dual-core Core i5 processor, 4GB of RAM, Intel’s Iris Graphics, and a 128GB SSD. According to Apple, the new 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro is 3.46 pounds, which is 0.11 ounces lighter than the previous 13-inch model. The new 13-inch model is also 0.71 inches thin, which is 0.04 inches thinner than its predecessor. Apple claims eight hours of battery life.
That $1299 price tag is a $200 drop from what Apple used to charge for its entry-level MacBook Pro.
The $1999 15-inchRetina MacBook Pro—also a $200 price cut from its predecessor—has a 2.0GHz quad-core Core i7 processor, 8GB of RAM, Iris Pro integrated graphics, a GeForce GT 7850M discreet graphics processor, and a 256GB SSD. Apple says the 15-inch model has nine hours of battery life.
Both new Retina MacBook Pro models feature Thunderbolt 2 connectivity and 802.11ac wireless networking; they’ll run on Apple’s newly released OS X Mavericks operating system.
Both new Retina MacBook Pro offerings are now available from apple.
