Apple revealed the upgraded MacBook Pro variants at the WorldWide Developers Conference (WWDC 2017), sporting bumped-up chips from Intel Skylake to Intel Kaby Lake SoCs. While the modifications made seem minor, they do play a vital role when it comes to faster processing power.
While some MacBook Pro 2016 owners are likely to sound off, the good news is that the prices hardly differ. In fact, there is one that was priced a bit conspicuously – the 13-inch MacBook Pro 2017 without a Touch Bar for $1,299.
What makes it mysterious is the fact that it carries the same pricing standpoint of the 12-inch variant.
At the same price, Apple seems to be enticing potential buyers to get the 13-inch version. If size does matter, that could be a wise choice. But how about the processing speed?
Surprisingly faster
The debate has been going on in terms of the change in chipset. With an Intel Kaby Lake SoC, things are bound to be faster on the MacBook Pro. Compared to its predecessor, the 2017 model is expected to perform better. Thanks to tests performed by Geekbench, it was shown that the latest model outperformed its predecessor by 20 to 30 percent.
The improvement may not be glaring but it does address the concerns of buyers for a (slightly) more powerful MacBook. As most know, there are several other elements people have been disappointed about -- including the dreaded 16 GB limit which is apparently sticking.
The solid-state-drive (SSD) is faster, but may not factor in heavily in terms of power. Processor and RAM are still what counts for most, leaving buyers to ponder purchasing the 2017 MacBook Pro edition or not.
Price will drive purchases
Folks who were able to buy the MacBook Pro 2016 version would be best sticking to that model.
There is no need for an immediate upgrade unless they want the slight bump in chipset and SSD improvements. The curious price offer of $1,299 would be tempting so aspiring buyers may consider other factors. Despite a faster SSD, you get a device with half the storage space (from 256 to 128 GB) compared to the 2016 edition.
While it initially seemed to be because it lacked the touch bar feature (getting the traditional function keys instead), the 13-inch MacBook Pro would make sense only for first-time buyers.
An inch bigger goes a long way unless people opt for something smaller to carry around. If so, that makes the 12-inch version the obvious buy.
So, while some folks may be disregarding the MacBook Pro 2017 model for having meager upgrades, it seems that they were made for new customers. Upgrading is an option, but not necessary for those who already have the 2016 version.
