Apple MacBook Pro: Hands-on with the new Magic Keyboard version

Even if you can no longer work from home, you can still be affected by the upgrade error. That’s why I eagerly chose the new 13-inch MacBook Pro when it landed in the socially remote, wooded hideaway where I’ve been hiding for two months. In many ways, the 13-inch Pro has always been the most practical MacBook – less compromises than that MacBook Air, cheaper and more portable than the massive ones 16-inch (and previously 15-inch) MacBook Pro.

But this case had been more difficult to make lately. Both the 16-inch Pro and 13-inch Air have recently been upgraded from the highly malicious butterfly-style keyboard to the newer Magic Keyboard design – a name now found in laptops, standalone Mac accessories, and the new iPad Pro – Keyboard sleeve is used. Newer Intel CPUs were available in these other systems. Neither of them would dare to charge you more than $ 1,000 for a meager 128 GB SSD. And when Apple lowered the price of the 13-inch Air back to $ 999 (yes, really – $ 1,099 with the Core i5 option), the 13-inch MacBook Pro felt like it started at $ 1,299 like a strange man.

Perhaps Apple knew I was sitting outside in the woods thinking about such things and has now updated the 13-inch MacBook Pro to make it much better suited to its other laptop offerings. The main differences from the previous model include a Magic Keyboard upgrade, new 10th generation Intel processor options for some models, and double base memory for everyone.

In addition to the keyboard, memory is probably the most practical change, taking the two cheapest models from 128 GB of memory to 256 GB. the mid-tier model from 256 GB to 512 GB and the high-end basic configuration from 512 GB to 1 TB. The new top-end storage cap is now 4 TB compared to the previous 2 TB. The prices for the four standard configurations remain at $ 1,299. $ 1,499; $ 1,799 and $ 1,999. They start at £ 1,299 in the United Kingdom and AU $ 1,999 in Australia.

But before you buy, there are a few precautions to take. The two cheapest models remain with eighth generation Intel CPUs. An upgrade to the 10th generation chip is currently only possible when you have reached the $ 1,799 level. This is the model I’m currently testing, with a 10th generation 2.0GHz quad-core Intel Core i5 processor, 16GB of fast DDR4 RAM, a 512GB SSD, and Intel Iris Pro graphics. For an additional $ 200, you can double the storage to 1 TB. For $ 400, you can increase memory from 16 GB to 32 GB, which is currently the upper limit for the 13-inch MacBook (the 16-inch Pro supports up to 64 GB of RAM).

In hand it looks and feels like a MacBook Pro. No discernible physical differences apart from the keyboard. And you would have to have a MacBook with a butterfly keyboard nearby to compare a real difference and at least see it visually. Tapping on it is another story.

I have sometimes failed to defend the butterfly keyboard exactly over the years, but I have occasionally pointed out that it was not as terrible as leagues of professional Internet complainants would think. Yes, I may have an article called “In defense of the Apple MacBook keyboard, “but it was pretty cheeky, or at least that’s how I connect it now.

When I tested the new 13-inch MacBook Air a few months ago, which too added the new magic keyboard, I said::

The new Magic keyboard in particular makes the latest Air such a winner. Yes, it solves a problem that was largely Apple-made, but the end result is very satisfactory … The new keyboard is positively appealing, which I don’t praise lightly.

I now hope that every Mac has access to the same great keyboard design. We can stop talking about it as much, except to say that it is indeed pretty good. The best Windows laptops have also largely caught up (although this doesn’t apply to Windows touchpads). Therefore, finding a great typing experience is much easier than ever. For something similar, I like the 2020 keyboard Dell XPS 13 also a lot.

And one thing that you won’t find on any of these Windows laptops or on the MacBook Air is Apple’s touch bar. This slim secondary OLED touch display is still located above the keyboard and offers contextual controls for many system tasks and certain apps. It’s not a big selling point, though I often use it to control volume and brightness. Many MacBook buyers would rather have their traditional function keys back, and I can’t really argue with that. The touch bar has evolved at least over time, giving up a little space for the return of the physical escape key on one side and the very useful fingerprint reader on the other.

This means that every MacBook has been updated since last fall, though this may not be the end of the line in the short term either. Earlier leaks and rumors had pointed to the 10th generation Intel switch. but also a 14-inch displaySimilar to the old 15-inch MacBook Pro, the screen has been replaced by a 16-inch screen, while maintaining the overall space requirement. That shouldn’t be, at least not this time. Apple is said to be on the sidelines forever Replace Intel CPUs completely with a processor of its own design.

I am currently testing this new 13-inch MacBook Pro and will provide benchmark results and battery life in an upcoming test.

TL; DR

• The 13-inch MacBook Pro offers 10th generation Intel CPU options for the two high-end configurations.
• All models double their basic memory.
• Every current MacBook now has the new Magic Keyboard design. Yes, that means the butterfly keyboard is officially dead.
• Cost: $ 1,299 (£ 1,299, AU $ 1,999) and above, available to order now.