Apple unveils all new MacBook Pro

It was under the scrutiny of several leaks leading up to the launch, but Apple has finally unveiled a new MacBook Pro, on the 25th anniversary of the company’s very first notebook. The new MacBook Pro will come in 13in and 15in variants in space grey and silver finishes and is lighter and thinner than ever before.

Apple has fitted a new Force Touch trackpad which is twice the size of the trackpad in the previous MacBook Pro and the keyboard has been switched out for a new one with a second generation butterfly mechanism that debuted in the MacBook.

As was previously rumoured, the function keys have been ditched and in their place is a new OLED touch panel, which Apple is calling Touch Bar. You can still do all the same functions as you could with the previous keys, such as changing brightness or volume, but it’s aware of what app you’re in and changes functions appropriately. For example in Safari, it will show up a website search bar and a back button, or in photos you can instantly adjust photos.

And for all the emoji fans out there, the Touch Bar supports them and lets you insert them into messages and emails.

Touch ID has made an appearance on the MacBook for the very first time, letting you log in to your laptop with your fingerprint. If more than one user is registered to the MacBook Pro, if they register their fingerprint you can instantly switch between profiles. You can also use it to make Apple Pay purchases through compatible websites, just like you would on the iPhone.

The screen of the new 15in MacBook Pro is 67 percent brighter than before and has a 67 percent higher contrast ratio.

Inside every 15in model is an Intel Core i7 processor with up to 4GB VRAM and graphics that are 2.3 times faster than the previous model. There’s a new, up to 50 percent faster SSD too which can be specced up to 2TB and can transfer data at up to 3.31Gbps.

The speakers have been given some attention too and now boast improved dynamic range over the old model.

The 13in gets different options, either an Intel Core i5 or i7 processor and Intel Iris graphics, but it too gets the new faster SSD. Apple says the new model is 103 percent faster with gaming than before.

Both models get four Thunderbolt 3 ports, which you can use to connect almost any device or monitor via an array of other connections, you will of course need adapters and dongles. But the cool thing is you can charge the MacBook Pro up using any of the four ports.

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