Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. News

Digital Trends may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Why trust us?

Apple’s new 13-inch MacBook Pro features Magic Keyboard

By

After months of rumors, Apple’s long-awaited refresh of the 13-inch MacBook Pro is now official.

touch ID

As expected, the new MacBook Pro’s biggest upgrade lies in its keyboard. It swaps Apple’s flawed butterfly mechanism with a much more reliable scissor-switch keyboard that was first introduced on the latest 16-inch MacBook Pro last year. More importantly, this launch serves as the final nail in the 5-year-old butterfly keyboard mechanism’s coffin, as all of the company’s MacBook models now feature the new Magic Keyboard.

Apple macbook-pro-13-inch-touch-bar
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Visually, however, the MacBook Pro is identical to its predecessor. Several reports had hinted it may have a bigger 14-inch screen and smaller bezels but that’s not the case here, unfortunately. It comes equipped with the same 13-inch Retina and True Tone display, Touch ID for biometrics authentication, a strip of touchscreen perched above the keyboard, aluminum unibody design in space gray or silver, and an identical set of ports.

apple macbook pro-13-inch
Image used with permission by copyright holder

The rest of the new MacBook Pro’s upgrades are under the hood. Like the MacBook Air, the 2020 MacBook Pro is powered by Intel’s latest 10th-gen quad-core chipsets (on higher-end models) that compared to the previous MacBook Pro’s base variant offers “2.8 times faster performance.” The integrated Intel Iris GPU also supports the Pro Display XDR at full 6K resolution. In addition, Apple has doubled the base internal storage to 256G and for the first time on a 13-inch Mac, added a 32GB RAM option.

Recommended Videos

“Whether you’re a college student, a developer, or a creative pro, the 13-inch MacBook Pro delivers powerful performance, a stunning Retina display, and all-day battery life in our most portable pro notebook. Today we’re adding the new Magic Keyboard, doubling the standard storage, and boosting performance, making the 13-inch MacBook Pro an even better value for our customers,” wrote Tom Boger, Apple’s senior director of Mac and iPad product marketing, in a blog post.

The new MacBook Pro’s base model costs $1,299 ($1,199 for education customers) and comes with an outdated 8th-gen processor, 8GB RAM, and a 256GB SSD. However, you have the option to upgrade to 16GB RAM for $100, which is $200 less than what you would have to pay in prior models. It’s available starting today on Apple’s online store in the United States. It will begin shipping and “will be in select Apple Stores and Apple Authorized Resellers later this week.”

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Shubham Agarwal
Shubham Agarwal
Journalist
Shubham Agarwal is a freelance technology journalist from Ahmedabad, India. His work has previously appeared in Firstpost…
How long do MacBooks last? Here’s when you’ll need to buy again
The M3 MacBook Air in front of a window.

There’s no doubt that Apple’s best MacBooks have a reputation for long-lasting quality, but what sort of longevity can you expect to get out of one? And just how long will Apple continue to support your laptop? Finally, what are the differences between the MacBook Air and the MacBook Pro?

These are no doubt important questions to consider when buying a new MacBook or even considering an upgrade. Here's everything you know about the longevity of your MacBook.
Lifespan of MacBook hardware

Read more
Which iPads does the Apple Pencil Pro work with? Here’s the full list
A photo of someone drawing with the Apple Pencil Pro.

With four new iPad models announced during Apple’s “Let Loose” event, there was plenty for Apple fans to like. A new iPad Pro and iPad Air were announced, with 11-inch and 13-inch models for each. Apple also lowered the price of its 10th-generation iPad, giving it a very welcome $100 price cut.

With all the excitement over the new slates and the OLED iPad Pro, it was probably easy to overlook that accessories weren’t neglected during “Let Loose." There’s a new Apple Pencil Pro that works with several of the tablets that were newly announced, along with a new Magic Keyboard. But which iPads does the new Apple Pencil Pro work with? That's what we're here to clear up.
Which iPads does the Apple Pencil Pro work with?

Read more
Why Samsung’s answer to the MacBook Pro can’t quite compete
The Galaxy Book4 Ultra open on a wooden suruface.

The 16-inch MacBook Pro is the king of the creator laptops, and it's been that way for several years.

But there have been a wave of new Windows laptops attempting to challenge the MacBook Pro on its own terms. The Samsung Galaxy Book4 Ultra is certainly a contender, packing some impressive specs in a portable chassis. When you compare the two straight up, the MacBook Pro 16-inch clearly comes away with the upper hand, even when considering its higher price.
Specs and pricing

Read more