However, we do expect two new MacBook Pro models are arriving, fashioned with new screens, new keyboards, thinner and lighter bodies; and this highly discussed touch-sensitive Touch Bar and Touch ID will be featured on the 15-inch MacBook Pro. The 13-incher is the entry-level option, and a better option for the price conscious. Weighing 3 pounds and measuring just .58-inches thick, it’s more comparable to the MacBook Air than anything. Still, it’s sporting a higher quality display, an updated Intel processor, and fast Thunderbolt ports. The keyboard, which has been argued as “too thin” with low-travel keys by some, is, on the other hand, gaining a quick reputation of being MacBook Pro-like, with a nice thickness, and no difference in the keys traveling any farther. This model does not include said Touch Bar, which is expected to reside in the 15-inch model.
One issue Apple had to tackle was whether or not the lack of extra memory (Apple opted for LPDDR3 RAM instead of DDR4, and stuck with the 16GB cap that past generations were limited to) would be worth focusing on upping battery life. This smaller-capacity battery, at 54.5Wh, compares to the early 2015 model at 74.9Wh, which is said to be downgraded due to Apple’s focus on efficiency in its display, and processing power. Either way, Apple quotes the same amount of battery life as before- 10 hours, and tests are proving it true.
Imagine how many Apple users could be quickly turned off by these features and put their wallets back in their pockets? That’s a lot to say for Apple fans, because face it, plenty of MacBook Pro owners have been waiting for that beautiful upgrade to make their eyes and mouths water. But it looks like what they have been waiting for may arguably be just a 2016 MacBook Air. What we must be waiting for, in terms of some real change made by Apple, is the 15-inch iteration of the MacBook Pro, featuring the Touch Bar and Touch ID features that are lacking here.