Apple announced a new 13-inch MacBook Pro model with Retina Display on Tuesday, Oct. 23, which joins the 15-inch version launched back in June.
The much-anticipated 13-inch MacBook is thinner and lighter than previous models, at 0.75 inches and 3.57 pounds, with a much higher screen resolution. When it came out, the 15-inch Retina MacBook Pro immediately topped Apple's laptop line as the high-end flagship, leaving the 13-inch model behind. Unlike the late 17-inch MacBook Pro, however, the 13-inch version held its own and survived, but its thickness compared to ultrabooks and its low screen resolution barely justified its $1,199 price.
Retina Display Resolution
The new 13-inch Retina Pro starts at $1,699, and brings a slew of additional features for the extra $500. The laptop's display now sports a native resolution of 2,560 x 1,600 pixels, coming in only slightly lower than the 15-inch Pro's 2,880 x 1,800-pixel resolution. The previous, non-retina 13-inch Pro had a 1,280 x 800-pixel resolution.
Port Layout
As previous leaks had already suggested, the 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro has an expanded port layout similar to that on the 15-inch model, with dual Thunderbolt/DisplayPort jacks and an HDMI out.
Two Base Models
Apple's new 13-inch MacBook Pro with retina Display will be available in two base models for $1,699 and $1,999, respectively. Both models have a 2,560 x 1,600-pixel native resolution.
The $1,699 model packs a 2.5GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 chip, 8GB of RAM, Intel HD Graphics 4000, and a 128GB solid state drive (SSD). Meanwhile, the $1,999 version packs the same 2.5GHz dual-core Intel Core i5, 8GB of RAM, Intel HD Graphics 400, but has a larger SSD of 256GB.
Options
Going up from the base model, users can choose to upgrade their machine based on their preferences or necessities. Customers can add a dual-core 2.9GHz Core i7 CPU for $200 and a 512GB or 768GB SSD for $500 or $1,000, respectively.
"The 13-inch MacBook Pro is our most popular Mac, and today it gets completely reinvented with a new thin and light design, fast flash storage and a gorgeous Retina display," Phillip Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing, touted in the press release.
"With vivid colors, razor sharp text and more pixels than anyone else's 15 or 17-inch notebooks, the Retina display completely changes what you expect from a notebook."
