Inside, there are some small tweaks — but on the surface, the 2018 MacBook Pro looks exactly like the 2017 version.
Sarah Tew/CNET
Apple delivers a bit more for your money with this year’s version of the 13-inch MacBook Pro with Touch Bar. The $1,799 starting price remains unchanged and you now get Intel’s newest eighth-gen quad-core CPU, a bigger SSD and twice as much RAM.
Here is everything that’s new and improved with the 2018 13-inch MacBook Pro with Touch Bar:
- New eighth-gen quad-core Intel CPU (i5 or i7)
- Twice as much RAM (now up to 16GB)
- Twice as much SSD storage capacity (now up to 2TB)
- New display featuring True Tone tech, which optimizes colors to ambient light conditions
- New T2 subprocessor for Touch ID security and encryption
- Hands-free Siri (say, “Hey, Siri” to activate)
- Modest tweaks to the super-flat butterfly keyboard intended to quiet key clack (but not resolve its dust-related issues)
Otherwise, this machine is virtually identical to the version it replaces. Same design, same color schemes, same Touch Bar. Apple has also released a new version of the $2,399 15-inch MacBook Pro, with a similar batch of incrementally upgraded components.
Watch this: Apple’s new six-core Core i9 MacBook Pro
2:49
For now, the remainder of the Mac portfolio remains unchanged, including the entry-level $1,299 13-inch MacBook Pro without the Touch Bar. The rumors suggest that Apple may update the rest of the lineup — the 12-inch MacBooks, the iMacs and the aging MacBook Air — before the end of 2018. Of course, that’s completely unofficial; the company hasn’t announced anything yet.
Alongside the new 2018 MacBook Pro with Touch Bar, Apple also introduced a few new accessories — a $179 13-inch leather laptop case and a $699 Blackmagic external GPU, which features an integrated AMD Radeon Pro 580 card. College students can pick up a free pair of Beats headphones with the purchase of the new 13-inch MacBook Pro under Apple’s annual Back to School program.
Here’s how the new 2018 MacBook Pros with Touch Bar compare with their 2017 predecessors:
2018 vs. 2017 Apple MacBook Pro specs
| 13-inch MacBook Pro with TouchBar (2018) | 13-inch MacBook Pro with TouchBar (2017) | 15-inch MacBook Pro with TouchBar (2018) | 15-inch MacBook Pro with TouchBar (2017) | |
| Starting price (US) | $1,799 | $1,799 | $2,399 | $2,399 |
| Starting price (UK) | £1,749 | £1,749 | £2,349 | £2,349 |
| Starting price (Australia) | AU$2,699 | AU$2,699 | AU$3,499 | AU$3,499 |
| Display | 13.3-inch, 2,560×1,600-pixel | 13.3-inch, 2,560×1,600-pixel | 15.4-inch, 2,880×1,880-pixel | 15.4-inch, 2,880×1,880-pixel |
| Pixel density | 227 ppi | 227 ppi | 220 ppi | 220 ppi |
| Dimensions (imperial) | 11.97 x 8.36 inches | 11.97 x 8.36 inches | 13.75 x 9.48 inches | 13.75 x 9.48 inches |
| Dimensions (metric) | 304 x 212 mm | 304 x 212 mm | 349 x 241 mm | 349 x 241 mm |
| Thickness | 0.59 in (14.9 mm) | 0.59 in (14.9 mm) | 0.61 in (15.5 mm) | 0.61 in (15.5 mm) |
| Weight | 3.02 pounds (1.37 kg) | 3.02 pounds (1.37 kg) | 4.02 pounds (1.83 kg) | 4.02 pounds (1.83 kg) |
| Operating system | MacOS High Sierra | MacOS High Sierra | MacOS High Sierra | MacOS High Sierra |
| Processors | 2.3GHz, 4-core, Intel i5 | 3.1GHz, 2-core, Intel i5 | 2.2GHz, 6-core, Intel Core i7 | 2.8GHz, 4-core, Intel i7 |
| Graphics | Intel Iris Plus 655 | Intel Iris Plus 650 | AMD Radeon Pro 650X (4GB) | AMD Radeon Pro 555 (2GB) |
| Up-spec | 2.7GHz 4-core Intel i7 | 3.5GHz 2-core Intel i7 | 2.9GHz 6-core Intel i9, Radeon Pro 560X (4GB) | 3.1GHz 4-core Intel i7, Radeon 560 (4GB) |
| Storage options | 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, 2TB | 256GB, 512GB, 1TB | 512GB, 1TB, 2TB, 4TB | 256GB, 512GB, 2TB |
| RAM options | 8GB, 16GB | 8GB, 16GB | 16GB, 32GB | 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 | 4x 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 | 4x USB-C (Thunderbolt 3), any can charge; 1x 3.5mm headset |
| Cameras | 720p FaceTime HD | 720p FaceTime HD | 720p FaceTime HD | 720p FaceTime HD |
| Touch Bar/Touch ID | Yes, powered by T2 subprocessor | Yes, powered by T1 subprocessor | Yes, powered by T2 subprocessor | Yes, powered by T1 subprocessor |
| Trackpad | Force Touch | Force Touch | Force Touch | Force Touch |
| Colors | Space gray, silver | Space gray, silver | Space gray, silver | Space gray, silver |
Laptops with the best battery life: See the top 25 laptops and 2-in-1 PCs with the longest battery life.
The best laptop bags and backpacks: From sleek shoulder bags to campus-friendly backpacks, check out these top picks.
