Of all the updates to Apple's laptop lineup made at WWDC 2017, the 13-inch MacBook Pro was perhaps the most interesting.
The entry-level MacBook Pro -- the one without the special Touch Bar strip that replaces the function keys -- was updated with a newer seventh-generation Intel Core i5 processor (Kaby Lake) and related integrated graphics. But Apple also lowered the starting price $200 to $1,299 by reducing the SSD storage from 256GB to 128GB. (See chart below for UK and Australian prices.)
Shop for Apple MacBook Pro (13-inch, space gray, 2017)
See all pricesThat in and of itself isn't particularly fascinating. However, that new starting price makes it the same as the more streamlined, but less powerful 12-inch MacBook. Basically, for the same amount of money, you can now choose mobility over performance or vice versa whereas before you had to spend a minimum of $1,500 to get the extra performance.
Here's how all the 2017 MacBooks compare:
2017 Apple MacBooks
| 12-inch MacBook | 13-inch MacBook Pro | 13-inch MacBook Pro (w/TouchBar) | 15-inch MacBook Pro (w/TouchBar) | |
| Starting price (USD) | $1,299 | $1,299 | $1,799 | $2,399 |
| Starting price (GBP) | £1,249 | £1,249 | £1,749 | £2,349 |
| Starting price (AUD) | AU$1,899 | AU$1,899 | AU$2,699 | AU$3,499 |
| Materials | Aluminum | Aluminum | Aluminum | Aluminum |
| Display | 12-inch 2304x1440-pixel | 13.3-inch 2,560x1,600-pixel | 13.3-inch 2,560x1,600-pixel | 15.4-inch 2,880x1,800-pixel |
| Pixel density | 226 PPI | 227 PPI | 227 PPI | 220 PPI |
| Dimensions (imperial) | 11.04 x 7.74 inches | 11.97 x 8.36 inches | 11.97 x 8.36 inches | 13.75 x 9.48 inches |
| Dimensions (metric) | 28 x 20 mm | 304 x 212 mm | 304 x 212 mm | 349 x 241 mm |
| Thickness | 0.14–0.52 in (3.56-13.2mm) | 0.59 in (14.9mm) | 0.59 in (14.9mm) | 0.61 in (15.5mm) |
| Weight | 2.03 lbs (0.92kg) | 3.02 lb (1.37kg) | 3.02 lb (1.37kg) | 4.02 lb (1.83kg) |
| Operating system | Mac OS Sierra | Mac OS Sierra | Mac OS Sierra | Mac OS Sierra |
| Processors | 1.2GHz 2-core Intel m3 | 2.3GHz 2-core Intel i5 | 3.1GHz 2-core Intel i5 | 2.8GHz 4-core Intel i7 |
| Graphics | Intel HD Graphics 615 | Intel Iris Plus 640 | Intel Iris Plus 650 | AMD Radeon Pro 555 (2GB) |
| Up-spec | 1.4GHz 2-core Intel i7 | 2.5GHz 2-core Intel i7 | 3.5GHz 2-core Intel i7 | 3.1GHz 4-core Intel i7, Radeon 560 (4GB) |
| Storage | 256GB / 512GB | 128GB/256GB / 512GB / 1TB | 256GB / 512GB / 1TB | 256GB / 512GB / 1TB / 2TB |
| RAM | 8GB / 16GB | 8GB / 16GB | 8GB / 16GB | 16GB |
| Battery (Apple estimate) | 10 hours | 10 hours | 10 hours | 10 hours |
| Networking | 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.2 | 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.2 | 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.2 | 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.2 |
| Ports | 1x USB-C, can charge; 1x 3.5mm headset | 2x USB-C (Thunderbolt 3), any can charge; 1x 3.5mm headset | 4x USB-C (Thunderbolt 3), any can charge; 1x 3.5mm headset | 4x USB-C (Thunderbolt 3), any can charge; 1x 3.5mm headset |
| Cameras | 480p FaceTime HD | 720p FaceTime HD | 720p FaceTime HD | 720p FaceTime HD |
| Touch Bar/Touch ID | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Trackpad | Force Touch | Force Touch | Force Touch | Force Touch |
| Colors | Rose Gold, Space Gray, Gold, Silver | Space Gray, Silver | Space Gray, Silver | Space Gray, Silver |