Apple upgrades MacBook Pros, top-end device costs $6,700
On Thursday, Apple's 13-inch and 15-inch Touch Bar MacBook Pros received a midsummer upgrade, and will now come with the latest Intel CPUs, new RAM and storage options, True Tone screens, a new T2 sub-processor for security and encryption, and hands-free Siri. While the base prices for both devices have been kept the same, a fully-upgraded MacBook Pro will now cost a ludicrous $6,700!
Apple has pushed the upper limits of the 15-inch device
The 15-inch MacBook Pro, like last year's version, will start at $2,399, but will feature updated eighth-gen hexa-core Intel Core i7 or Core i9 processors running at 2.9GHz, and going up to 4.8GHz with Turbo Boost. Unlike the 2017 version, however, the 2018 15-inch device will support upto 32GB of DDR4 RAM, upto 4TB of SSD storage, and a 4GB VRAM Radeon Pro GPU.
Notable hardware upgrades to the 13-inch MacBook Pro
Meanwhile, the upgraded 13-inch device will have a base price of $1,799, while featuring upgraded eighth-gen quad-core Intel Core i5 and Core i7 processors running at 2.7GHz and going up to 4.5GHz on Turbo Boost. This device, however, will use Intel Iris Plus 655 integrated graphics, up to 16GB of DDR4 RAM, and up to 2TB SSD storage.
Features common to both the devices
Both the devices will use True Tone, the Touch Bar, Touch ID, and the T2 sub-processor that allows the "Hey Siri" functionality, thereby making them the first-ever MacBooks that don't need a keyboard shortcut to activate Siri. Apple has also updated the keyboards to make typing quieter. However, neither of the devices will have USB Type-A ports, SD Card slots, DisplayPort, or HDMI output.
But, what's with the $6,700 price tag?
While Apple hasn't really changed the prices of anything from last year to this year, the massive $6,700 price tag for the top-of-the-line MacBook Pro is resultant of Apple offering two new options. Namely, Apple is offering 32GB RAM for an extra $400, and 4TB SSD storage for a whopping $3,200, over-and-above the $2,799 'high-end' but basic 15-inch MacBook Pro device.
