2017 saw a refresh of Apple’s flagship laptop, the MacBook Pro. And just like previous iterations of this top-end laptop, last year’s remake wasn’t disappointing, rather the opposite. A faster processor, an improved RAM, and the typical splendiferous design of Apple’s devices sum up this laptop. However, Apple is yet to get it right with the battery. In addition, since there are only USB-C ports on this laptop, you’ll be needing adapters for connecting older peripherals.
An interesting feature of this laptop is the ‘Touch Bar’ that has replaced the function keys. This Touch Bar is the distinguishing feature of this ultra-portable laptop.
Design
There are various reasons that Apple continues to be at the top; one of those reasons is the fact that they spend so much on design. As a flagship laptop, the MacBook Pro is a culmination of the tech giant’s design principles.
Riding on the reputation of Apple’s magnitude and the glory of previous MacBook Pros, this latest version performs really well in terms of design. With an aluminum unibody and an 11-inch frame for a 13-inch laptop, this laptop is the real deal. The MacBook Pro is a thin laptop (and will continue to be) and the thinnest MacBook Pro till date, measuring 0.6 inches (14.9 mm) at the thickest places that slim down to 0.33 inches.
On the scales, the MacBook Pro weighs 1.37 kg which makes it one of the lightest MacBooks, and laptop in general. There are two color options for this laptop – space gray and silver.
Display
Apple continues to impress with its Retina displays for the MacBook. This MacBook sports a 13.3-inch IPS display with a 2560 x 1600 native resolution. This screen is very bright with brightness levels reaching up to 500 nits. What this means is that you get a really sharp display with excellent color reproduction. However, in comparison with laptops such as Dell’s XPS 13 or Asus’ ZenBook UX310UA that both feature a QHD display, the Apple MacBook Pro plays second fiddle.
Keyboard and Touchpad
Unlike the standard model that ships with more keys, the MacBook Pro 13 with Touch Bar has a less number of keys. Nevertheless, the keyboard is still sturdy as usual.
Apple’s Force Touch trackpad ensures that you have pinpoint control of the cursor, pressure-sensitive drawing, and multi-touch gestures.
Performance
A high-performing dual-core Intel Core i5 CPU clocked at 3.1GHz runs the MacBook Pro [with Touch Bar]. The RAM is a DDR3 8GB one while internal storage is a 256GB SSD – a 512GB model is also available.
For graphics, Intel’s Iris Plus Graphics 650 GPU runs the show which is not so bad.
Touch Bar and Touch ID
The Touch Bar was originally introduced with the 2016 edition of the MacBook Pro. The OLED touch display which replaces the function keys has a lot to offer, which we are still getting used to. The surface of the Touch Bar has a matte finish instead of a glossy one. Through this Touch Bar, users can quickly control the screen brightness as well as volume level of the MacBook Pro.
The other feature that comes with the Touch Bar is ‘Touch ID’, which we already know about from the iPhones. And just like the Touch ID for Apple’s smartphones is great biometric and secure login tool, it is great on the MacBook Pro as well.
Connectivity Options
This model with Touch Bar comes with four Thunderbolt 3 (type-C USB) ports which provide faster charging and data transfer times as well as can be used for connecting to external displays (via the DisplayPort feature).
IEEE 802.11ac Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.2 are included for wireless connections.
Pricing and Availability
For all the power and beauty that this MacBook holds, you’ll need to part away with at least $1800 to claim it. This is no surprise for anything with Apple’s logo slapped on it.
Specs at a Glance
| Screen Size | 13.3-inches |
| Maximum Screen Resolution | 2560 x 1600 pixels |
| RAM | 8GB DDR3 |
| Internal Storage | 256GB SSD/512GB SSSD |
| CPU | Intel Core i5-7267U |
| Operating System | macOS 10.12.5 Sierra |
| Dimensions | 304.1 x 212.4 x 14.9 mm |
| Weight | 1.37 kg |
Conclusion
A great display, very light and thin body, and a powerful processor are the highlights of the Apple MacBook Pro. When you introduce the Touch Bar feature, it only begins to get exciting. Nonetheless, the battery life on this laptop is disappointing.
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