MacBook Pro

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MacBook Pro

MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2016)
Developer	Apple Inc.
Manufacturer	Foxconn[1] Pegatron[2]
Product family	MacBook family
Type	Notebook
Release date	January 10, 2006; 15 years ago (2006-01-10) (Original) October 26, 2021 (2021-10-26) (Current)
Operating system	macOS
System on a chip	Apple M1 (13-inch, M1, 2020) (current release) Apple M1 Pro and M1 Max (14-inch and 16-inch, 2021) (current release)
CPU	Intel Core i5, i7, i9 (discontinued)
Predecessor	PowerBook
Related articles	MacBook MacBook Air iMac
Website	www.apple.com/macbook-pro/

The MacBook Pro is a line of Macintosh notebook computers introduced in January 2006 by Apple Inc. It is the higher-end model of the MacBook family, sitting above the consumer-focused MacBook Air, and is currently sold with 13-inch, 14-inch, and 16-inch screens. All current models of the MacBook Pro use variants of the Apple-designed M1 system on a chip.

The first-generation MacBook Pro used the design of the PowerBook G4, but replaced the PowerPC G4 chips with Intel Core processors, added a webcam, and introduced the MagSafe power connector. The 15-inch model was introduced in January 2006; the 17-inch model in April. Later revisions added Intel Core 2 Duo processors and LED-backlit displays.

The second-generation model debuted in October 2008 in 13- and 15-inch variants, with a 17-inch variant added in January 2009. Called the "unibody" model because its case was machined from a single piece of aluminum, it had a thinner flush display, a redesigned trackpad whose entire surface consisted of a single clickable button, and a redesigned keyboard. Updates brought Intel Core i5 and i7 processors and introduced Intel's Thunderbolt.

The third-generation MacBook Pro was released in 2012: the 15-inch in June 2012, a 13-inch model in October. It is thinner than its predecessor, made solid-state storage (SSD) standard, added HDMI, and included a high-resolution Retina display. It eliminated Ethernet and FireWire ports and the optical drive.

The fourth-generation MacBook Pro, released in October 2016, adopted USB-C for all data ports and power and included a shallower "butterfly"-mechanism keyboard. On all but the base model, the function keys were replaced with a touchscreen strip called the Touch Bar with a Touch ID sensor integrated into the power button.

A November 2019 revision to the fourth-generation MacBook Pro^[3] introduced the Magic Keyboard, which uses a scissor-switch mechanism. The initial 16-inch model with a screen set in narrower bezels was followed by a 13-inch model in May 2020.

Another revision to the fourth generation was released in November 2020; it was the first MacBook Pro to feature an Apple-designed system on a chip, the Apple M1.

The fifth-generation MacBook Pro was released in October 2021 in 14- and 16-inch sizes. Built around M1 Pro or M1 Max chips, they are the first to be available only with an Apple silicon system on a chip.

1st generation (Aluminum)[]

The original 15-inch MacBook Pro was announced on January 10, 2006, by Steve Jobs at the Macworld Conference & Expo.^[4] The 17-inch model was unveiled on April 24, 2006.^[5] The first design was largely a carryover from the PowerBook G4, but uses Intel Core CPUs instead of PowerPC G4 chips.^[6] The 15-inch MacBook Pro weighs the same as the 15-inch aluminum PowerBook G4, but is 0.1 inches (0.25 cm) deeper, 0.4 inches (1.0 cm) wider, and 0.1 inches (0.25 cm) thinner.^[7] Other changes from the PowerBook include a built-in iSight webcam and the inclusion of MagSafe, a magnetic power connector designed to detach easily when yanked. These features were later brought over to the MacBook. The optical drive was shrunk to fit into the slimmer MacBook Pro; it runs slower than the optical drive in the PowerBook G4 and cannot write to dual-layer DVDs.^[6][8]

Both the original 15- and 17-inch model MacBook Pro computers come with ExpressCard/34 slots, which replace the PC Card slots found in the PowerBook G4. All first-generation 15-inch models have two USB 2.0 ports and one FireWire 400 port,^[9] while the 17-inch models have three USB 2.0 ports as well as one FireWire 400 port.^[10] When first introduced, the MacBook Pro did not come with FireWire 800 or S-Video ports,^[7][9] although FireWire 800 was added in the next 15-inch model revision^[11] and is present in every version of the 17-inch design.^[10] S-Video capability can be attained through the use of a DVI to S-Video adapter.^[7] External displays with up to a 2560 × 1600 pixel resolution are supported through a dual-link DVI port.^[12] All models include a built-in Gigabit Ethernet port, Bluetooth 2.0, and 802.11a/b/g.^[9][10] Later models include support for the draft 2.0 specification of 802.11n^[13] and Bluetooth 2.1.

Updates[]

Apple refreshed the entire MacBook Pro line on October 24, 2006, to include Intel Core 2 Duo processors which was the first MacBook Pro model to be 64 bit.^[11] Memory capacity was doubled for each model, to 1 GB on the low-end 15-inch and 2 GB for the high-end 15- and 17-inch models.^[11] FireWire 800 was added to the 15-inch models. Hard drive capacity was increased, although video card options stayed the same.^[11] The MacBook Pro line received a second update on June 5, 2007, with new Nvidia Geforce 8600M GT video cards and faster processor options.^[14][15] LED backlighting was added to the 15-inch model's screen, and its weight was reduced from 5.6 pounds (2.5 kg) to 5.4 pounds (2.4 kg).^[15] Furthermore, the speed of the front-side bus was increased from 667 to 800 MHz. On November 1, 2007, Apple added the option of a 2.6 GHz Santa Rosa platform Core 2 Duo CPU as well as reconfigured hard drive options.^[15]

On February 26, 2008, the MacBook Pro line was updated once more.^[16][17] LED backlighting was added as an option for the 17-inch model.^[16] Processors were updated to "Penryn" cores, which are built on the 45 nm process (65 nm "Merom" cores were previously used), and hard drive and memory capacities were increased.^[16] Multi-touch capabilities, first introduced with the MacBook Air earlier that year, were brought over to the MacBook Pro's trackpad.^[16] When the 15-inch unibody MacBook Pro was introduced on October 14, 2008, the pre-unibody model with the same screen size was discontinued, while the 17-inch pre-unibody model continued to be sold.^[18] The original case design was discontinued on January 6, 2009, when the 17-inch MacBook Pro was also updated with unibody construction.^[19]

Reception[]

Some reviewers applauded the MacBook Pro for its doubling or tripling the speed of the PowerBook G4 in some areas.^[6] For example, the 3D rendering program Cinema 4D XL was 3.3 times as fast (2.3 times faster),^[6] and its boot-up time was more than twice as quick.^[7] The MacBook Pro generally outperformed the PowerBook G4 in performance analyzer utility tests XBench and Cinebench.^[7] Reviewers lauded the screen's maximum brightness, 67% brighter than the PowerBook G4; the excellent horizontal viewing angles; the matte options; and the bright, crisp, and true colors.^[8] Although the screen offered fewer vertical pixels (1440 × 900 in the MacBook Pro instead of 1440 × 960 in the PowerBook), one reviewer called the screen "nothing less than stellar".^[7] Reviewers praised the new MagSafe power adapter,^[6] although one reviewer said it disconnected too easily in some instances.^[7] They also praised the backlit keyboard, large trackpad, and virtually silent operation of the machine.^[6][8] The new notebook also offered better wireless performance.

One reviewer criticized the decision to underclock the ATI Mobility Radeon X1600 graphics card by about 30% its original speed.^[8] The notebook was also noted for running hot.^[6][8] Users complained that upgrading system memory was harder than in older Apple notebooks.^[7] Since the dimensions for the 15-inch MacBook Pro were tweaked slightly from the 15-inch PowerBook G4, older accessories such as notebook sleeves did not work with the new models.^[7] Some users noted a slight flickering when the screen was on lower brightness settings.^[7] Apple increased the battery capacity by 10 Wh, going from 50 in the PowerBook G4 to 60,^[7] but the more powerful Core Duo CPU required more power.^[7] Battery life therefore remained about the same as in previous models, at three-plus hours.^[7]

2007–2008 model GPU problems[]

Models of the MacBook Pro built from 2007-early 2008 (15") / late 2008 (17") using the Nvidia 8600M GT chip reportedly exhibited failures where the GPU die would detach from chip carrier, or where the chip detach from the logic board.^{[20][unreliable source?]} The issue has been mitigated by some users by keeping the notebook cooler by means of less intensive use or alternative fan settings.^{[citation needed]} Apple initially ignored reports, before admitting to the fault and replacing logic boards free of charge for up to 4 years after the purchase date.^[21] NVIDIA also confirmed the issue, and previously manufactured replacement GPUs, which some users have replaced themselves.^[22]

Technical specifications[]

Obsolete[23]

Table of 1st-generation MacBook Pro models
Component	Intel Core Duo	Intel Core 2 Duo
Model	Early 2006[9][10][24]	Late 2006[13]	Mid 2007[25]	Late 2007[26]	Early 2008[12]	Late 2008
Release date(s)	January 10, 2006 (15"),[4] April 24, 2006 (17")[5]	October 24, 2006[11]	June 5, 2007[15]	November 1, 2007[27]	February 26, 2008[16]	October 14, 2008[28]
Apple order number(s)	MA463*/A or MA464*/A; MA600* or MA601*; MA092*/A	MA609*, MA610*, or MA611*/A	MA895*, MA896*, or MA897*	MA895*/A, MA896*/A, or MA897*/A	MB133*/A, MB134*/A, or MB166*/A	MB766*/A
Model number(s)	A1150 (15"), A1151 (17")	A1211 (15"), A1212 (17")	A1226 (15"), A1229 (17")		A1260 (15"), A1261 (17")	A1261
Model identifier(s)	MacBookPro1,1, MacBookPro1,2	MacBookPro2,1, MacBookPro2,2	MacBookPro3,1		MacBookPro4,1	MacBookPro4,1 (re-listed)
Widescreen Display (matte or glossy)[note 1]	15.4", LCD, 1440 × 900		15.4", LCD, 1440 × 900, with LED backlighting			N/A
	17", LCD, 1680 × 1050		17", LCD, 1680 × 1050 Optional 1920 × 1200		17", LCD, 1680 × 1050 Optional 1920 × 1200, with LED backlighting	17", LCD, 1920 × 1200, with LED backlighting
Processor	1.83 GHz (T2400), 2.0 GHz (T2500) or 2.16 GHz (T2600) Intel Core Duo Yonah with 2 MB on-chip L2 cache	2.16 GHz (T7400) or 2.33 GHz (T7600) Intel Core 2 Duo Merom with 4 MB on-chip L2 cache	2.2 GHz (T7500) or 2.4 GHz (T7700) Intel Core 2 Duo Merom with 4 MB on-chip L2 cache	2.2 GHz (T7500) or 2.4 GHz (T7700) Intel Core 2 Duo Merom with 4 MB on-chip L2 cache Optional 2.6 GHz (T7800) with 4 MB on-chip L2 cache	2.4 GHz (T8300) Intel Core 2 Duo Penryn with 3 MB on-chip L2 cache, or 2.5 GHz (T9300) with 6 MB on-chip L2 cache Optional 2.6 GHz (T9500) with 6 MB on-chip L2 cache	2.5 GHz (T9300) Intel Core 2 Duo Penryn with 6 MB on-chip L2 cache Optional 2.6 GHz (T9500) with 6 MB on-chip L2 cache
Front-side bus	667 MHz		800 MHz
Memory Two slots for PC2-5300 DDR2 SDRAM (667 MHz)	512 MB (two 256 MB) or 1 GB (two 512 MB) Expandable to 2 GB[note 2]	1 GB (two 512 MB) or 2 GB (two 1 GB) Expandable [note 2] to 4 GB, but only 3 GB addressable [29]	2 GB (two 1 GB) Expandable[note 2] to 6 GB[note 3][30]			4 GB (two 2 GB) Expandable[note 2]to 6 GB [note 3] [30]
Graphics with dual-link DVI	ATI Mobility Radeon X1600 with 128 or 256 MB of GDDR3 SDRAM		Nvidia Geforce 8600M GT with 128 or 256 MB of GDDR3 SDRAM		Nvidia Geforce 8600M GT with 256 or 512 MB of GDDR3 SDRAM	Nvidia Geforce 8600M GT with 512 MB of GDDR3 SDRAM[31]
Hard drive[note 4]	80, 100, or 120 GB serial ATA, 5,400-rpm Optional 100 GB 7,200-rpm or 120 GB 5,400-rpm.	120, 160, or 200 GB serial ATA, 5,400-rpm Optional 100 GB, 7,200-rpm.	120 or 160 GB serial ATA, 5,400-rpm Optional 250 GB, 4,200-rpm or 160 GB, 7,200-rpm.	120 or 160 GB serial ATA, 5,400-rpm Optional 250 GB, 5,400-rpm or 200 GB, 7,200-rpm.	200 or 250 GB serial ATA, 5,400-rpm Optional 200 GB 7,200-rpm or 300 GB 4,200-rpm.	250 GB serial ATA, 5,400-rpm Optional 320 GB, 7,200-rpm or 128 GB SSD.
	SATA I (1.5 Gbit/s)
Optical disc drive[note 5]	Combo drive:8× DVD read, 24× CD-R and 10× CD-RW recording SuperDrive:8× DVD-DL discs reads. 4× DVD+/-R & RW recording. 24× CD-R and 10× CD-RW recording (optional for 15-inch) SuperDrive: 4× DVD+R writes, 8× DVD+/-R read, 4× DVD+/-RW writes, 24× CD-R, and 10× CD-RW recording (17-inch)	SuperDrive:2.4× DVD+R DL writes, 6× DVD+/-R read, 4× DVD+/-RW writes, 24× CD-R, and 10× CD-RW recording or 4× DVD+R DL writes, 8× DVD+/-R read/write, 4× DVD+/-RW writes, 24× CD-R, and 10× CD-RW recording	SuperDrive:4× DVD+R DL writes, 8× DVD+/-R read/write, 4× DVD+/-RW writes, 24× CD-R, and 10× CD-RW recording			SuperDrive:4× DVD+R DL writes, 8× DVD+/-R read/write, 8× DVD+RW writes, 6× DVD-RW writes, 24× CD-R, and 16× CD-RW recording
Connectivity	Integrated Wi-Fi 3 (802.11a/b/g) (Qualcomm Atheros AR5007 chipset)	Integrated Wi-Fi 4 (802.11a/b/g and draft-n, n disabled by default)[note 6][32][33] (Qualcomm Atheros AR5008 chipset)	Integrated Wi-Fi 4 (802.11a/b/g and draft-n) (Qualcomm Atheros AR5008 or Broadcom BCM4322 chipset, depending on revision)
	Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR				Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR
	Gigabit Ethernet
Peripheral connections	2x USB 2.0 (15") or 3x USB 2.0 (17")					3x USB 2.0
	1x FireWire 400 (15") or 1x FireWire 400 and 1x FireWire 800 (17")	1x FireWire 400 and 1x FireWire 800
	ExpressCard/34, DVI, audio line in/out
Minimum operating system	Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger			Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard
Latest release operating system	Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard	Mac OS X 10.7 Lion	OS X 10.11 El Capitan
Battery (lithium-polymer, removable)	60 Wh (15")					N/A
	68 Wh (17")
Weight	5.6 lb (2.5 kg) (15")		5.4 lb (2.4 kg) (15")			N/A
	6.8 lb (3.1 kg) (17")
Dimensions (width × depth × thickness)	14.1 in (36 cm)×9.6 in (24 cm)×1.0 in (2.5 cm) (15")					N/A
	15.4 in (39 cm)×10.4 in (26 cm)×1.0 in (2.5 cm) (17")

2nd generation (Unibody)[]

On October 14, 2008, in a press event at company headquarters, Apple officials announced a new 15-inch MacBook Pro featuring a "precision aluminum unibody enclosure" and tapered sides similar to those of the MacBook Air.^[34][35] Designers shifted the MacBook Pro's ports to the left side of the case, and moved the optical disc drive slot from the front to the right side, similar to the MacBook. The new MacBook Pro computers had two video cards that the user could switch between: the Nvidia GeForce 9600M GT with either 256 or 512 MB^[36] of dedicated memory and a GeForce 9400M with 256 MB of shared system memory.^[34] Although the FireWire 400 port was removed, the FireWire 800 port remained. The DVI port was replaced with a Mini DisplayPort receptacle.^[34] The original unibody MacBook Pro came with a user-removable battery; Apple claimed five hours of use,^[34] with one reviewer reporting results closer to four hours on a continuous video battery stress test.^[37] Apple said that the battery would hold 80% of its charge after 300 recharges.^[38]

Design[]

The unibody-construction MacBook Pro largely follows the styling of the original aluminum iMac and the MacBook Air and is slightly thinner than its predecessor, albeit wider and deeper due to the widescreen display.^[34] The screen is high-gloss, covered by an edge-to-edge reflective glass finish, while an anti-glare matte option is available in the 15- and 17-inch models in which the glass panel is removed.^[39] The entire trackpad is usable and acts as a clickable button.^[39] The trackpad is also larger than that of the first generation, giving more room for scrolling and multi-touch gestures.^[39] When the line was updated in April 2010, inertial scrolling was added, making the scrolling experience much like that of the iPhone and iPad.^[40][41][42] The keys, which are still backlit, are now identical to those of Apple's now-standard sunken keyboard with separated black keys.^[40] The physical screen release latch from the previous generation is replaced with a magnetic one.

Updates[]

During the MacWorld Expo keynote on January 6, 2009, Phil Schiller announced a 17-inch MacBook Pro with unibody construction. This version diverged from its 15-inch sibling with an anti-glare "matte" screen option (with the glossy finish standard) and a non user-removable lithium polymer battery.^[43] Instead of traditional round cells inside the casing, the lithium-ion polymer batteries are shaped and fitted into each notebook to maximally utilize space. Adaptive charging, which uses a chip to optimize the charge flow to reduce wear and tear, extends the battery's overall life.^[43] Battery life for the 17-inch version is quoted at eight hours, with 80 percent of this charge remaining after 1,000 charge-discharge cycles.^[43]

At Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) on June 8, 2009, it was announced that the 13-inch unibody MacBook would be upgraded and re-branded as a MacBook Pro,^[44] leaving only the white polycarbonate MacBook in the MacBook line.^[45] It was also announced that the entire MacBook Pro line would use the non user-removable battery first introduced in the 17-inch MacBook Pro.^[46] The updated MacBook Pro 13- and the 15-inch would each have up to a claimed 7 hours of battery life, while the 17-inch would keep its 8-hour capacity.^[44][46] Some sources even reported up to eight hours of battery life for the 13- and 15-inch MacBook Pro computers during casual use,^[47] while others reported around six hours.^[39] Like the 17-inch MacBook Pro, Apple claims that they will last around 1,000 charge cycles while still containing 80% of their capacity.^[48] Graphics card options stayed the same from the previous release, although the 13-inch^[49] and the base model 15-inch, came with only the GeForce 9400M GPU.^[50] The screens were also improved, gaining a claimed 60 percent greater color gamut.^[49][50] All of these mid-2009 models also included a FireWire 800 port and all except the 17-inch models would receive an SD card slot.^[35] The 17-inch model would retain its ExpressCard/34 slot.^[46] For the 13-inch MacBook Pro, the Kensington lock slot was moved to the right side of the chassis.^[51] In August 2009, Apple extended the "matte" anti-glare display option to the 15-inch MacBook Pro.^[52]

On April 13, 2010,^[53] Intel Core i5 and Core i7 CPUs were introduced in the 15- and 17-inch models, while the 13-inch retained the Core 2 Duo with a speed increase.^[53] The power brick was redesigned^[40] and a high-resolution display (of 1680 × 1050) was announced as an option for the 15-inch models.^[41] The 13-inch gained an integrated Nvidia GeForce 320M graphics processing unit (GPU) with 256 MB of shared memory, while the 15- and 17-inch models were upgraded to the GeForce GT 330M, with either 256 or 512 MB of dedicated memory.^[53] The 15- and 17-inch models also have an integrated Intel GPU that is built into the Core i5 and i7 processors.^[53] The 15-inch model also gained 0.1 pounds (0.045 kg).^[41] Save for a third USB 2.0 slot, all the ports on the 17-inch MacBook Pro are the same in type and number as on the 15-inch version.^[54] All models come with 4 GB of system memory that is upgradeable to 8 GB.^[53] Battery life was also extended further in this update, to an estimated 10 hours for the 13-inch and 8–9 hours on the 15- and 17-inch MacBook Pro computers.^[53] This was achieved through both greater power efficiency and adding more battery capacity.^[53] One reviewer reported about 6 hours of battery life through a continuous video battery stress test in the 15-inch^[42] and another, who called the battery life "unbeatable", reported nearer to 8 in the 13-inch through their "highly demanding battery drain test".^[40]

Thunderbolt technology, Sandy Bridge dual-core Intel Core i5 and i7 (on the 13-inch model) or quad-core i7 (on the 15- and 17-inch models) processors, and a high definition FaceTime camera were added on February 24, 2011. Intel HD Graphics 3000 come integrated with the CPU, while the 15- and 17-inch models also utilize AMD Radeon HD 6490M and Radeon HD 6750M graphics cards. Later editions of these models, following the release of OS X Lion, replaced the Expose (F3) key with a Mission Control key, and the Dashboard (F4) key with a Launchpad key. The chassis bottoms are also engraved differently from the 2010 models.^[55] The Thunderbolt serial bus platform can achieve speeds of up to 10 Gbit/s,^[56] which is up to twice as fast as the USB 3.0 specification, 20 times faster than the USB 2.0 specification, and up to 12 times faster than FireWire 800.^[57] Apple says that Thunderbolt can be used to drive displays or to transfer large quantities of data in a short amount of time.^[57]

On June 11, 2012, Apple showcased its upgraded Mac notebooks, OS X Mountain Lion, and iOS 6 at the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in San Francisco.^[58] The new MacBook Pro models were updated with Ivy Bridge processors and USB 3.0 ports, and the default RAM on premium models was increased to 8 GB.^[59] Following this announcement, the 17-inch model was discontinued.^{[citation needed]} After a media event on October 22, 2013, Apple discontinued all second-generation MacBook Pro computers except for the entry-level 2.5 GHz 13-inch model.^[60] Apple discontinued the 13-inch second-generation MacBook Pro on October 27, 2016. Prior to its discontinuation it was Apple's only product to still include an optical drive and a FireWire port, and only notebook with a hard disk drive and Ethernet port.^[61]

Reception[]

Some reviewers praised the new notebook's performance and compact size,^[37] the quality of the screen, and sturdy unibody build,^[37] which allowed easier upgrading of internal components as compared to the original models.^[37] Some reviewers also noted that the new MacBook Pro ran more quietly and at cooler temperatures than first-generation machines.^[37] Others, however, criticized the amount of heat generated by the new design.^[62][63]

The Reviewers lamented the loss of a matte screen option for the 2008 unibody MacBook Pro, noting the reflectiveness of the screen in sunlight, even when its brightness was turned all the way up.^[37] CNET's Dan Ackerman commented of the mid-2009 models: "According to Apple, the new display offers a wider color gamut, and the screen certainly looks bright and colorful, but we wish the same matte-screen option offered on the 17-inch MacBook Pro was available across the line... While the LED screen means a thinner lid and some battery life benefits, the edge-to-edge glass covering the entire display panel grabs stray light rays with ease, making the glossy screen hard to see in some lighting conditions."^[39] By 2011, matte screens were offered for both the 15" and 17" models. Furthermore, the addition of Mini DisplayPort instead of the more popular HDMI was criticized.^[37] The relatively low number of ports and lower end technical specifications when compared to similarly priced laptops from other brands were also bemoaned.^[37]

Laptop Magazine's Michael Prospero praised the 2010 15-inch model's display, calling it "bright and crisp". He further commented, "While reflections from the glossy display weren't overwhelming, it's also nice to know there's an antiglare option—though only for the higher resolution display. Still, colors were bright, blacks were deep and dark, and viewing angles were excellent both vertically and horizontally." He also lauded the quality of the iSight webcam, the responsiveness of the trackpad, the microphone and speakers, as well as the performance of the new CPUs for the 15" model and the long battery life. Complaints included the price of the notebook, the low number of USB ports, and the lack of HDMI.^[41]

CNET praised the automatic graphics switching features of the 15- and 17-inch 2010 models as well as the graphics cards themselves. Acclaim was also given to the Core i5 and i7 CPUs, the multi-touch trackpad, and the addition of audio capabilities to the Mini DisplayPort video output.^[42] They also called for the addition of HDMI and the Blu-ray optical disc format, saying that most other computers in the MacBook Pro's price range possessed these features.^[42] CNET also criticized the option of a higher-resolution screen in the 15-inch model, saying that "the higher-resolution screen should be included by default."^[42]

Technical specifications[]

Obsolete[23]

Vintage

Table of 2nd-generation MacBook Pro models
Component	Intel Core 2 Duo			Intel Core 2 Duo, Core i5, Core i7	Intel Core i5, Core i7
Model[64]	Late 2008[65]	Early 2009[66]	Mid 2009[67][68][69]	Mid 2010[70][71][72]	Early 2011[73][74][75]	Late 2011 [76][77][78]	Mid 2012[79]	Mid 2012[80]
Release date	October 14, 2008[34]	January 6, 2009 (17")[19] March 3, 2009 (15")[81]	June 8, 2009[82]	April 13, 2010[53]	February 24, 2011[83]	October 24, 2011[84]	June 11, 2012[85][86]
Apple order number(s)	MB470*/A or MB471*/A	MB470*/A, MC026*/A, MB604*/A	MB990*/A, MB991*/A, MC118*/A, MB985*/A, MB986*/A, MC226*/A	MC374*/A, MC375*/A, MC371*/A, MC372*/A, MC373*/A, MC024*/A	MC700*/A, MC724*/A, MC721*/A, MC723*/A, MC725*/A	MD311*/A, MD313*/A, MD314*/A, MD318*/A, MD322*/A, MD385*/A	MD101*/A, MD102*/A	MD103*/A, MD104*/A
Model number(s)	A1286 (15")	A1286 (15"), A1297 (17")	A1278 (13"), A1286 (15"), A1297 (17")				A1278 (13")	A1286 (15")
Model identifier(s)	MacBookPro5,1 (15")	MacBookPro5,1(15") MacBookPro5,2(17")	MacBookPro5,1(15") MacBookPro5,2(17") MacBookPro5,3(15") MacBookPro5,4(15") MacBookPro5,5(13")	MacBookPro6,1(17") MacBookPro6,2(15") MacBookPro7,1(13")	MacBookPro8,1 (13") MacBookPro8,2 (15") MacBookPro8,3 (17")		MacBookPro9,2 (13")	MacBookPro9,1 (15")
LED-backlit widescreen glossy display (16:10)	N/A		13.3", 1280 × 800					N/A
	15.4", 1440 × 900		15.4", 1440 × 900 Optional matte screen	15.4", 1440 × 900 Optional 1680 × 1050 (glossy or matte)			N/A	15.4", 1440 × 900 Optional 1680 × 1050 (glossy or matte)
	N/A	17", 1920 × 1200 Optional matte screen					N/A
Video camera	iSight (480p)				FaceTime HD (720p)
Processor	N/A		2.26 GHz (P8400) or 2.53 GHz (P8700) Intel Core 2 Duo Penryn with 3 MB on-chip L2 cache	2.4 GHz (P8600) or 2.66 GHz (P8800) Intel Core 2 Duo Penryn with 3 MB on-chip L2 cache	2.3 GHz (2415M) Intel Core i5 Sandy Bridge with 3 MB on-chip L3 cache or 2.7 GHz (2620M) Intel Core i7 Sandy Bridge with 4 MB on-chip L3 cache	2.4 GHz (2435M) Intel Core i5 Sandy Bridge with 3 MB on-chip L3 cache or 2.8 GHz (2640M) Intel Core i7 Sandy Bridge with 4 MB on-chip L3 cache	2.5 GHz (3210M) Intel Core i5 Ivy Bridge with 3 MB on-chip L3 cache or 2.9 GHz (3520M) Intel Core i7 Ivy Bridge with 4 MB on-chip L3 cache	N/A
	2.4 GHz (P8600) with 3 MB on-chip L2 cache or 2.53 GHz (T9400) Intel Core 2 Duo Penryn with 6 MB on-chip L2 cache Optional 2.8 GHz (T9600) with 6 MB on-chip L2 cache	2.4 GHz (P8600) with 3 MB on-chip L2 cache (15" only) or 2.53 GHz (T9400) with 6 MB on-chip L2 cache (15" only) or 2.66 GHz (T9550) (17" only) Intel Core 2 Duo Penryn with 6 MB on-chip L2 cache Optional 2.8 GHz (T9600) with 6 MB on-chip L2 cache (15" only) or 2.93 GHz (T9800) with 6 MB on-chip L2 cache (17" only)''	2.53 GHz (P8700) or 2.66 GHz (P8800) (15" only) with 3 MB on-chip L2 cache or 2.8 GHz (T9600) (15" and 17" only) Intel Core 2 Duo Penryn with 6 MB on-chip L2 cache Optional 3.06 GHz (T9900) with 6 MB on-chip L2 cache (15" and 17" only)	2.4 GHz (520M) (15" only) or 2.53 GHz (540M) (15" and 17" only) with 3 MB on-chip L3 cache or 2.66 GHz (620M) (15" and 17" only) Intel Core i7 Arrandale with 4 MB on-chip L3 cache Optional 2.8 GHz (640M) with 4 MB on-chip L3 cache (15" and 17" only)	2.0 GHz quad-core (2635QM) (15" only) or 2.2 GHz quad-core (2720QM) (15" and 17" only) Intel Core i7 Sandy Bridge with 6 MB on-chip L3 cache Optional 2.3 GHz (2820QM) with 8 MB on-chip L3 cache (15" and 17" only)	2.2 GHz quad-core (2675QM) (15" only) or 2.4 GHz quad-core (2760QM) (15" and 17" only) Intel Core i7 Sandy Bridge with 6 MB on-chip L3 cache Optional 2.5 GHz (2860QM) with 8 MB on-chip L3 cache (15" and 17" only)	N/A	2.3 GHz quad-core (3615QM) (15" only) or 2.6 GHz quad-core (3720QM) (15" only) Intel Core i7 Ivy Bridge with 6 MB on-chip L3 cache Optional 2.7 GHz (3820QM) with 8 MB on-chip L3 cache (15" only)
System bus	N/A		1,066 MHz front-side bus (13")		DMI 5 GT/s
	1,066 MHz front-side bus	1,066 MHz front-side bus (15" and 17")		Intel DMI 2.5 GT/s (15" and 17")
Memory (two slots)	2 GB (two 1 GB) or 4 GB (two 2 GB) Expandable to 4 GB by default, expandable to 8 GB with the latest EFI update[87]	4 GB (two 2 GB) Expandable to 8 GB.[note 2] 2.66 and 2.93 GHz models expandable to 8 GB	2 GB (two 1 GB) or 4 GB (two 2 GB) Expandable to 8 GB	4 GB (two 2 GB) Expandable to 8 GB 16 GB on 13" models	4 GB (two 2 GB) Expandable to 16 GB		4 GB (two 2 GB) or 8 GB (two 4 GB) Expandable to 16 GB
	1066 MHz PC3-8500 DDR3 SDRAM				1333 MHz PC3-10600 1.5V DDR3 SDRAM[88][89] Expandable to 16 GB of 1600 MHz PC3-12800 DDR3 SDRAM[90][91]		1600 MHz PC3-12800 1.35 V DDR3 SDRAM[92]
Graphics	N/A		Nvidia GeForce 9400M with 256 MB of DDR3 SDRAM shared with main memory (13" and some 15" models)	Nvidia GeForce 320M with 256 MB of DDR3 SDRAM shared with main memory (13" models only)	Intel HD Graphics 3000 with 384 MB (512 MB with 8 GB of RAM installed)[93] DDR3 SDRAM shared with main memory (13" models only)		Intel HD Graphics 4000 with DDR3 SDRAM shared with main memory	N/A
	Nvidia GeForce 9400M with 256 MB of DDR3 SDRAM shared with main memory and Nvidia GeForce 9600M GT with 256 or 512 MB of GDDR3 SDRAM Can switch between the two (but cannot use both)		Nvidia GeForce 9400M with 256 MB of DDR3 SDRAM shared with main memory and Nvidia GeForce 9600M GT with 256 MB or 512 MB of GDDR3 SDRAM (some 15" or 17" models) Can switch between the two (but cannot use both)	Intel HD Graphics with 256 MB of DDR3 SDRAM shared with main memory and Nvidia GeForce GT 330M with 256 MB or 512 MB of GDDR3 SDRAM (15" and 17" models) Automatically switches between graphics hardware when running OS X	Intel HD Graphics 3000 with 384 MB DDR3 SDRAM shared with main memory(15" and 17" models) and AMD Radeon HD 6490M with 256 MB GDDR5 memory (15" models) or AMD Radeon HD 6750M with 1 GB GDDR5 memory (15" and 17" models) Automatically switches between graphics hardware when running OS X	Intel HD Graphics 3000 with 384 MB DDR3 SDRAM shared with main memory(15" and 17" models) and AMD Radeon HD 6750M with 512 MB GDDR5 memory (15" models) or AMD Radeon HD 6770M with 1GB GDDR5 memory (15" and 17" models) Automatically switches between graphics hardware when running OS X	N/A	Intel HD Graphics 4000 with DDR3 SDRAM shared with main memory and Nvidia GeForce GT 650M with 512 MB GDDR5 memory (base 15" model) or 1 GB GDDR5 memory Automatically switches between graphics hardware when running OS X
Storage[note 4]	250 or 320 GB SATA at 5,400 RPM Optional 250 or 320 GB at 7,200 RPM, 128 GB SSD	250 or 320 GB SATA at 5,400 RPM Optional 250 or 320 GB at 7,200 RPM, 128 or 256 GB SSD	160, 250, 320 or 500 GB SATA at 5,400 RPM Optional 320 or 500 GB at 5,400 or 7,200 RPM (15" and 17" only) or 128 or 256 GB SSD	250, 320, or 500 GB SATA at 5,400 RPM. Optional 320 or 500 GB at 5,400 RPM or 7,200 RPM, or 128, 256, or 512 GB SSD.	320 (13" only), 500, or 750 GB SATA at 5,400 RPM. Optional 500 or 750 GB at 5,400 RPM or 500 GB at 7,200 RPM (15" and 17" only), or 128, 256, or 512 GB SSD	500 or 750 GB SATA at 5,400 RPM (13" and base 15" models) or 750 GB SATA at 5,400 RPM (high-end 15" and 17" models) Optional 750 GB at 5,400 or 7,200 RPM (15" and 17" only), or 128, 256, or 512 GB SSD	500 or 750 GB SATA at 5,400 RPM Optional 750 GB at 5,400 or 7,200 RPM or 1 TB at 5,400 RPM or 128, 256, 512 GB SSD
	SATA 3 Gbit/s				SATA 6 Gbit/s
Optical disc drive[note 5]	SuperDrive: 4× DVD±R DL writes, 8× DVD+/−R read/write, 8× DVD+RW writes, 6× DVD-RW writes, 24× CD-R, and 16× CD-RW recording
Connectivity	Integrated AirPort Extreme (802.11a/b/g/draft-n) (Broadcom BCM4322 2 × 2 chipset, up to 300 Mbit/s)				Integrated AirPort Extreme (802.11a/b/g/n) (Broadcom BCM4331 3 × 3 chipset, up to 450 Mbit/s)
	Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR						Bluetooth 4.0
	Gigabit Ethernet
Peripheral connections	ExpressCard/34		SDXC card slot (13" and 15") or ExpressCard/34 (17")				SDXC card slot
	USB 2.0 (two ports on 13" and 15", three ports on 17")						USB 3.0 (two ports)
	Mini DisplayPort (without audio support)			Mini DisplayPort (with audio support)	Thunderbolt port
	Firewire 800
Audio	Built-in stereo speakers
	Audio line-in/out
Minimum operating system	Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard			Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard		Mac OS X 10.7 Lion
Latest release operating system	OS X 10.11 El Capitan			macOS 10.13 High Sierra			macOS 10.15 Catalina
Battery (lithium polymer, non-removable except in original 15")	N/A		58 Wh (13")	63.5 Wh (13")				N/A
	50 Wh removable lithium-polymer (15")		73 Wh (15")	77.5 Wh (15")			N/A	77.5 Wh (15")
	N/A	95 Wh (17")					N/A
Weight	N/A		4.50 lb (2.04 kg) (13")					N/A
	5.5 lb (2.5 kg) (15")			5.6 lb (2.5 kg) (15")			N/A	5.6 lb (2.5 kg) (15")
	N/A	6.6 lb (3.0 kg) (17")					N/A
Dimensions (width × depth × thickness)	N/A		12.78 in × 8.94 in × 0.95 in (32.5 cm × 22.7 cm × 2.4 cm) (13")					N/A
	14.35 in × 9.82 in × 0.95 in (36.4 cm × 24.9 cm × 2.4 cm) (15")						N/A	14.35 in × 9.82 in × 0.95 in (36.4 cm × 24.9 cm × 2.4 cm) (15")
	N/A	15.47 in × 10.51 in × 0.98 in (39.3 cm × 26.7 cm × 2.5 cm) (17")					N/A

Since the RAM and the hard drive on some generations of MacBook Pro are user-serviceable parts, there are aftermarket modifications to enhance the system with up to 16 GB of DDR3-1600 RAM (although maximum capacity and frequency depend on the hardware in question), 7200 RPM hard drives or third-party SSDs. A third-party caddy was also made, allowing the internal optical drive to be replaced with a second internal SATA 2.5-inch hard drive.

Early and Late-2011 model GPU problems[]

Early and Late 2011 models with a GPU; 15" & 17"; reportedly suffer from manufacturing problems leading to overheating, graphical problem, and eventually complete GPU and logic board failure. A similar but nonidentical problem affected iMac GPUs which were later recalled by Apple.^[94] The problem was covered by many articles in Mac-focused magazines, starting late 2013 throughout 2014.^{[95][96][97][98][99]} In August 2014 the law firm Whitfield Bryson & Mason LLP had begun investigating the problem to determine if any legal claim exists.^[100] On October 28, 2014, the firm announced that it has filed a class-action lawsuit in a California federal court against Apple. The lawsuit will cover residents residing in both California and Florida who have purchased a 2011 MacBook Pro notebook with an AMD graphics card. The firm is also investigating similar cases across the United States.^[101] On February 20, 2015, Apple instituted the "MacBook Pro Repair Extension Program for Video Issues". This "will repair affected MacBook Pro systems, free of charge". The program covered affected MacBook Pro models until December 31, 2016 or four years from original date of sale.^[102]

3rd generation (Retina)[]

On June 11, 2012, at the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference in San Francisco, Apple introduced the third generation MacBook Pro, marketed as the "MacBook Pro with Retina display" to differentiate it from the previous model.^[58] The new model includes Intel's third-generation Core i7 processors (Ivy Bridge microarchitecture), USB 3.0, and a high-resolution 15.4" IPS 2880 × 1800 Retina Display.^[59] Other new or changed features include a second Thunderbolt port, an HDMI port, and a thinner MagSafe port, dubbed the "MagSafe 2".^[103] The MacBook Pro with Retina display was one of only two Macs that feature a built-in HDMI port (the other being the Mac Mini). Apple introduced a 13-inch version on October 23, 2012 with specifications similar but slightly inferior to the 15-inch version's, such as less powerful processors.^[104]

The new models omit Ethernet and FireWire 800 ports, though Apple offers Thunderbolt adapters for both interfaces.^[105] They also omit a SuperDrive, making the 15-inch model Apple's first professional notebook since the PowerBook 2400c to ship without a built-in optical drive.^[106] Instead of a hard disk drive, the new models ship with a solid state drive housed in a proprietary flash module design rather than a 2.5-inch notebook drive. Apple also claims improved speakers and microphones and a new system for cooling the notebook with improved fans.^[103] The new case design does not have a Kensington lock slot, so alternative products are required to physically secure the computer.^[107]

The Retina models also have fewer user-accessible upgrade or replacement options than previous MacBooks. Unlike in previous generations, the memory is soldered onto the logic board and is therefore not upgradable. The solid state drive is not soldered and can be replaced by users, although it has a proprietary connector and form factor.^[108] The battery is glued into place; attempts to remove it may destroy the battery and/or trackpad.^[109] The entire case uses proprietary pentalobe screws and cannot be disassembled with standard tools. While the battery is glued in, recycling companies have stated that the design is only "mildly inconvenient" and does not hamper the recycling process.^[110] In any case, Apple offers a free recycling service via any of their stores and has no problem with separating the materials.

On February 13, 2013, Apple announced updated prices and processors and increased the memory of the high-end 15-inch model to 16 GB.^[111]

On October 22, 2013, Apple updated the line with Intel's Haswell processors and Iris Graphics, 802.11ac Wi-Fi, Thunderbolt 2, and PCIe-based flash storage.^[112] The chassis of the 13-inch version was slightly slimmed to 0.71 inches (18 mm) to match the 15-inch model. The lower-end 15-inch model only included integrated graphics while the higher-end model continued to include a discrete Nvidia graphics card in addition to integrated graphics.^[113] Support for 4K video output via HDMI was added but limited the maximum number of external displays from three to two.^[114] On July 29, 2014 Apple announced new models with updated prices and processors.^[115]

On March 9, 2015, the 13-inch model was updated with Intel Broadwell processors, Iris 6100 graphics, faster flash storage (based on PCIe 2.0 × 4 technology), faster RAM (upgraded from 1600MHZ to 1866MHZ), increased battery life (extended to 10 hours), and a Force Touch trackpad.^[116][117] On May 19, 2015, 15-inch model added Force Touch and changed the GPU to AMD Radeon R9 M370X, SSD based on PCIe 3.0 × 4 technology, the battery life was extended to 9 hours, and the rest of the configuration remained unchanged.^[118][119] The higher-end 15-inch model also added support for dual-cable output to 5120 × 2880 displays.^[120] The 15-inch models were released with the same Intel Haswell processors and Iris Pro graphics as the 2014 models due to a delay in shipment of newer Broadwell quad-core processors.^[121] Apple continued to sell the 2015 15-inch model until July 2018.^[122]

Design[]

The most apparent body changes are a thinner chassis and a display with a redesigned hinge and thinner bezel, and the removal of the internal optical drive and the battery indicator button and light on the side of the chassis. The power button is moved from the upper right corner of the chassis onto the keyboard, taking the place of the optical disc eject button.^[123] At 0.71 inches (18 mm) thick, the 15-inch model is 25% thinner than its predecessor. The model name is no longer placed at the bottom of the screen bezel; instead, it is found on the underside of the chassis, similar to an iOS device. It is the first Macintosh notebook to not have its model name visible during normal use, as every prior notebook had its model name on the screen bezel or keyboard.^[124]

Reception[]

The Retina MacBook Pro received positive reviews of the Retina Display, flash storage and power. It was criticized, however, for its high price and lack of an Ethernet port and optical drive. Roman Loyola of Macworld said that the Retina MacBook Pro was "groundbreaking" and made people "rethink how they use technology". He praised the inclusion of USB 3.0 and the slimmer body.^[125] Dan Ackerman of CNET commented "I've previously called the 15-inch MacBook Pro one of the most universally useful all-around laptops you can buy. This new version adds to that with HDMI, faster ports, and more portability. But it also subtracts from that with its exclusion of an optical drive and Ethernet port, plus its very high starting price. The Pro and Retina Pro are clearly two laptops designed for two different users, and with the exception of all-day commuters who need something closer to a MacBook Air or ultrabook, one of the two branches of the MacBook Pro family tree is still probably the most universally useful laptop you can buy."^[126]

Joel Santo Domingo of PC Magazine gave the MacBook Pro an "Editor's Choice" rating. He praised its "brilliant Retina display", the thin design, port selection and speedy storage, and highlighted the expandability via Thunderbolt ports which support up to seven devices each.^[127] David Pogue of The New York Times praised the 15-inch model's screen, keyboard, sound, start-up time, cosmetics, battery life, storage, and RAM capacity. They criticized the lack of a SuperDrive, pricing, and the MagSafe 2 power connector's lack of backwards compatibility with the older MagSafe design.^[128]

The Retina Display on the MacBook Pro have been criticized for "image retention", specifically for displays manufactured by LG.^[129][130] Many users also complained the anti-reflective coating on their screens could wear off easily, which is an issue known as "staingate".^[131]

In 2017, one year after the introduction of the fourth generation of the MacBook Pro, the original lead developer of Tumblr Marco Arment wrote an evocative article in which he declared the Retina MacBook Pro the best laptop ever made.^[132] The sentiment was shared by many users of various social platforms.^[133]

Repairability and environmental concerns[]

Apple was criticized for gluing the battery into the case, making it harder to be recycled (ease of disassembly is an EPEAT criterion). Greenpeace spokesman Casey Harrell said Apple "has pitted design against the environment—and chosen design. They're making a big bet that people don't care, but recycling is a big issue."^[134] Wired also criticized Apple's recyclability claims: "[t]he design may well be comprised of 'highly recyclable aluminum and glass'—but my friends in the electronics recycling industry tell me they have no way of recycling aluminum that has glass glued to it like Apple did with both this machine and the recent iPad."^[135]

Battery problems[]

In June 2019, Apple announced a worldwide recall for certain 2015 15" MacBook Pro computers after receiving at least 26 reports of batteries becoming hot enough to produce smoke and inflict minor burns or property damage. The problem affected some 432,000 computers, mostly sold between September 2015 and February 2017. The company asked customers to stop using their computers until Apple could replace the batteries.^{[136][137][138]}

In September 2019, India's Directorate General of Civil Aviation said MacBook Pro computers could dangerously overheat, leading the national carrier Air India to ban the model on its flights.^[139]

Technical specifications[]

Obsolete[23]

Vintage

Discontinued

Table of 3rd-generation Retina MacBook Pro models
Component	Intel Core i5, Core i7
Model	Mid 2012[140]	Late 2012[141]	Early 2013[142][143]	Late 2013 [144][145]	Mid-2014[146][147]	Early 2015[148]	Mid 2015[149]
Release date	June 11, 2012 (15") [85][86]	October 23, 2012 (13")[104]	February 13, 2013[111]	October 22, 2013[112]	July 29, 2014[115]	March 9, 2015(13") [117]	May 19, 2015 (15")[119]
Apple order number(s)	MC975*/A or MC976*/A or MD831*/A	MD212*/A or MD213*/A	ME664*/A, ME665*/A, ME698*/A, ME662*/A, ME663*/A, ME697*/A	ME864*/A, ME865*/A, ME866*/A, ME293*/A, ME294*/A	MGX72*/A, MGX82*/A, MGX92*/A, MGXA2*/A, MGXC2*/A	MF839*/A, MF840*/A, MF841*/A	MJLQ2*/A, MJLT2*/A
Model number(s)	A1425 (13"), A1398 (15")			A1502 (13"), A1398 (15")
Model identifier(s)	MacBookPro10,1	MacBookPro10,2	MacBookPro10,2	MacBookPro11,1		MacBookPro12,1	MacBookPro11,4 MacBookPro11,5
			MacBookPro10,1	MacBookPro11,2 MacBookPro11,3
LED-backlit widescreen Retina Display	13.3", 2560 × 1600 (16∶10), 227 px/in
	15.4", 2880 × 1800 (16∶10), 220 px/in
Video camera	FaceTime HD (720p)
Processor	2.3 GHz (i7-3615QM) 4-core Intel Core i7 Ivy Bridge with 6 MB on-chip L3 cache (15") Optional 2.6 GHz (i7-3720QM) with 6 MB on-chip L3 cache Optional 2.7 GHz (i7-3820QM) with 8 MB on-chip L3 cache	2.5 GHz (i5-3210M) 2-core Intel Core i5 Ivy Bridge processor with 3 MB shared L3 cache (13") Optional 2.9 GHz (i7-3520M) dual-core Intel Core i7 Ivy Bridge processor with 4 MB shared L3 cache	2.6 GHz (i5-3230M) 2-core Intel Core i5 Ivy Bridge processor with 3 MB shared L3 cache (13") Optional 3.0 GHz (i7-3540M) 2-core Intel Core i7 Ivy Bridge with 4 MB shared L3 cache	2.4 GHz (i5-4258U) 2-core Intel Core i5 Haswell processor with 3 MB shared L3 cache (13") Optional 2.6 GHz (i5-4288U) 2-core Intel Core i5 Haswell with 3 MB shared L3 cache or 2.8 GHz (i7-4558U) 2-core Intel Core i7 Haswell with 4 MB shared L3 cache	2.6 GHz (i5-4278U) 2-core Intel Core i5 Haswell processor with 3 MB shared L3 cache (13") Optional 2.8 GHz (i5-4308U) 2-core Intel Core i5 Haswell with 3 MB shared L3 cache or 3.0 GHz (i7-4578U) 2-core Intel Core i7 Haswell with 4 MB shared L3 cache	2.7 GHz (i5-5257U) 2-core Intel Core i5 Broadwell processor with 3 MB shared L3 cache (13") Optional 2.9 GHz (i5-5287U) 2-core Intel Core i5 Broadwell with 3 MB shared L3 cache or 3.1 GHz (i7-5557U) 2-core Intel Core i7 Broadwell with 4 MB shared L3 cache	2.2 GHz (i7-4770HQ) 4-core Intel Core i7 Haswell with 6 MB on-chip L3 and 128 MB L4 cache (Crystalwell) (15") Optional 2.5 GHz (i7-4870HQ) with 6 MB on-chip L3 cache and 128 MB L4 cache (Crystalwell) or 2.8 GHz (i7-4980HQ) with 6 MB on-chip L3 cache and 128 MB L4 cache (Crystalwell)
			2.4 GHz (i7-3635QM) 4-core Intel Core i7 Ivy Bridge with 6 MB on-chip L3 cache (15")[150][151] Optional 2.7 GHz (i7-3740QM) with 6 MB on-chip L3 cache or 2.8 GHz (i7-3840QM) with 8 MB on-chip L3 cache	2.0 GHz (i7-4750HQ) 4-core Intel Core i7 Haswell with 6 MB on-chip L3 and 128 MB L4 cache (Crystalwell) (15") Optional 2.3 GHz (i7-4850HQ) with 6 MB on-chip L3 cache and 128 MB L4 cache (Crystalwell) or 2.6 GHz (i7-4960HQ) with 6 MB on-chip L3 cache and 128 MB L4 cache (Crystalwell)	2.2 GHz (i7-4770HQ) 4-core Intel Core i7 Haswell with 6 MB on-chip L3 and 128 MB L4 cache (Crystalwell) (15") Optional 2.5 GHz (i7-4870HQ) with 6 MB on-chip L3 cache and 128 MB L4 cache (Crystalwell) or 2.8 GHz (i7-4980HQ) with 6 MB on-chip L3 cache and 128 MB L4 cache (Crystalwell)
System bus	Intel DMI 5 GT/s
Memory	8 GB built-in onboard RAM (not upgradeable) (15") Optional 16 GB RAM configuration available at time of purchase only	8 GB built-in onboard RAM (not upgradeable) (13")	8 GB built-in onboard RAM (not upgradeable) (13")	4 GB built-in onboard RAM (not upgradeable) (13", 128 GB) Optional 8 and 16 GB RAM configuration available at time of purchase only	8 GB built-in onboard RAM (not upgradeable) (13") Optional 16 GB RAM configuration available at time of purchase only	8 GB built-in onboard RAM (not upgradeable) (13") Optional 16 GB RAM configuration available at time of purchase only	16 GB built-in onboard RAM (15")
				8 GB built-in onboard RAM (not upgradeable) (13", 256 and 512 GB) Optional 16 GB RAM configuration available at time of purchase only
			8 GB built-in onboard RAM (not upgradeable) (15", 2.4 GHz) Optional 16 GB RAM configuration available at time of purchase only	8 GB built-in onboard RAM (not upgradeable) (15", 2.0 GHz) Optional 16 GB RAM configuration available at time of purchase only	16 GB built-in onboard RAM (15")
			16 GB built-in onboard RAM (15", 2.7 GHz)	16 GB built-in onboard RAM (15", 2.3 GHz)
	1600 MHz PC3-12800 DDR3L SDRAM					1866 MHz PC3-14900 LPDDR3 SDRAM (13")	1600 MHz PC3-12800 DDR3L SDRAM (15")
Graphics	Intel HD Graphics 4000 with DDR3L SDRAM shared with main memory and Nvidia GeForce GT 650M with 1 GB GDDR5 memory. (15") Automatically switches between graphics hardware when running OS X	Intel HD Graphics 4000 with DDR3L SDRAM shared with main memory (13")	Intel HD Graphics 4000 with DDR3L SDRAM shared with main memory (13")	Intel Iris 5100 Graphics with DDR3L SDRAM shared with main memory (13")		Intel Iris 6100 Graphics with LPDDR3 SDRAM shared with main memory (13")	Intel Iris Pro 5200 Graphics with 128 MB eDRAM (15", 2.2 GHz)
			Intel HD Graphics 4000 with DDR3L SDRAM shared with main memory and Nvidia GeForce GT 650M with 1 GB GDDR5 memory. (15") Automatically switches between graphics hardware when running macOS	Intel Iris Pro 5200 Graphics with 128 MB eDRAM(15", 2.0 GHz)	Intel Iris Pro 5200 Graphics with 128 MB eDRAM (15", 2.2 GHz)		Intel Iris Pro 5200 Graphics with 128 MB eDRAM or Intel Iris Pro 5200 Graphics with 128 MB eDRAM and AMD Radeon R9 M370X with 2 GB GDDR5 memory. (15", 2.5 and 2.8 GHz) Automatically switches between graphics hardware when running OS X
				Intel Iris Pro 5200 Graphics with 128 MB eDRAM and Nvidia GeForce GT 750M with 2 GB GDDR5 memory. (15", 2.3 GHz) Automatically switches between graphics hardware when running OS X	Intel Iris Pro 5200 Graphics with 128 MB eDRAM and Nvidia GeForce GT 750M with 2 GB GDDR5 memory. (15", 2.5 and 2.8 GHz) Automatically switches between graphics hardware when running macOS
Storage[note 4]	256 GB, 512 GB, or 768 GB SSD (15", 2.3 GHz)	128, 256, 512, or 768 GB SSD (13")	128, 256, 512, or 768 GB SSD (13", 2.5 GHz)	128 or 256 GB (13", 2.4 GHz)	128 or 256 GB (13", 2.6 GHz)	128 GB or 256 GB (13", 2.7 GHz)	256, 512 GB, or 1 TB SSD (15", 2.2 GHz)
			256, 512, or 768 GB SSD (13", 2.6 GHz)	512 GB or 1 TB SSD (13", 2.6 GHz)	512 GB or 1 TB SSD (13", 2.8 GHz)
	512 GB or 768 GB SSD (15", 2.6 GHz)		256, 512, or 768 GB SSD (15", 2.4 GHz)	256, 512 GB, or 1 TB SSD (15", 2.0 GHz)	256, 512 GB, or 1 TB SSD (15", 2.2 GHz)	512 GB or 1 TB SSD (13", 2.9 GHz)	512 GB or 1 TB SSD (15", 2.5 and 2.8 GHz)
			512 or 768 GB SSD (15", 2.7 GHz)	512 GB or 1 TB SSD (15", 2.3 GHz)	512 GB or 1 TB SSD (15", 2.5 GHz)
	mSATA 6 Gbit/s			PCIe 2.0 ×2 5.0 GT/s (8 Gbit/s)		PCIe 2.0 ×4 5.0 GT/s (16 Gbit/s)[152]	PCIe 3.0 ×4 8.0 GT/s (31.5 Gbit/s)
Wi-Fi	Integrated Wi-Fi 4 (802.11a/b/g/n) (2.4 and 5 GHz, up to 450 Mbit/s) (Broadcom BCM4331 3 × 3 chipset)			Integrated Wi-Fi 5 (802.11a/b/g/n/ac) (2.4 and 5 GHz, up to 1.3 Gbit/s) (Broadcom BCM4360 3 × 3 chipset)
Bluetooth	Bluetooth 4.0 wireless technology
Peripheral connections	SDXC card slot
	2 USB 3.0
	2 Thunderbolt ports Supports two 2560 × 1600 displays			2 Thunderbolt 2 ports Supports two 2560 × 1600 displays (13") or two 3840 × 2160 (15")		2 Thunderbolt 2 ports Supports two 3840 × 2160 displays	2 Thunderbolt 2 ports Supports two 3840 × 2160 displays (Iris Graphics) or one 5120 × 2880 dual-cable display (Radeon R9)
	HDMI port Supports 1920 × 1200 output[153]			HDMI port Supports 3840 × 2160 @ 30 Hz or 4096 × 2160 @ 24 Hz output[114]
	Audio line out (analog/optical)
Battery (Li-Poly Battery, non-removable)	74 Wh (13")			71.8 Wh (13")		74.9 Wh (13")
	95.0 Wh (15")					99.5 Wh (15")
Minimum operating system	Mac OS X 10.7 Lion	OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion		OS X 10.9 Mavericks		OS X 10.10 Yosemite
Latest release operating system	macOS 10.15 Catalina			macOS 11 Big Sur		macOS 12 Monterey
Weight	3.57 lb (1.62 kg) (13")			3.46 lb (1.57 kg) (13")		3.48 lb (1.58 kg) (13")
	4.46 lb (2.02 kg) (15")					4.49 lb (2.04 kg) (15")
Dimensions (width × depth × thickness)	12.35 in × 8.62 in × 0.75 in (31.4 cm × 21.9 cm × 1.9 cm) (13")			12.35 in × 8.62 in × 0.71 in (31.4 cm × 21.9 cm × 1.8 cm) (13")
	14.13 in × 9.73 in × 0.71 in (35.9 cm × 24.7 cm × 1.8 cm) (15")

4th generation (Touch Bar)[]

Apple unveiled fourth-generation 13- and 15-inch MacBook Pro models during a press event at their headquarters on October 27, 2016. All models, except for the baseline 13-inch model, featured the Touch Bar, a new multi-touch-enabled OLED strip built into the top of the keyboard in place of the function keys. The Touch Bar is abutted on its right by a sapphire-glass button that doubles as a Touch ID sensor and a power button. The models also introduced a "second-generation" butterfly-mechanism keyboard whose keys have more travel than the first iteration in the Retina MacBook. The 13-inch model has a trackpad that is 46% larger than its predecessor while the 15-inch model has a trackpad twice as large as the previous generation.

All ports have been replaced with either two or four combination Thunderbolt 3 ports that support USB-C 3.1 Gen 2 and dual DisplayPort 1.2 signals,^[154] any of which can be used for charging.^[155] The MacBook Pro is incompatible with some older Thunderbolt 3-certified peripherals,^[156][157] including Intel's own reference design for Thunderbolt 3 devices.^[158] Furthermore, macOS on MacBook Pro blacklists (prevents from working) certain classes of Thunderbolt 3-compatible devices.^[159] Support for Thunderbolt 3 external graphics processing units (eGPU) was added in macOS High Sierra 10.13.4.^[160] Devices using HDMI, previous-generation Thunderbolt, and USB need an adapter to connect to the MacBook Pro.^{[155][161][162]} The models come with a 3.5 mm headphone jack; the TOSLINK functionality of older-generation MacBook Pro computers has been removed.

Other updates to the MacBook Pro include dual- and quad-core Intel "Skylake" Core i5 and i7 processors, improved graphics, and displays that offer a 25% wider color gamut, 67% more brightness, and 67% more contrast. All versions can output to a 5K display; the 15-inch models can drive two such displays. The 15-inch models include a discrete Radeon Pro 450, 455 or 460 graphics card in addition to the integrated Intel graphics. The base 13-inch model has function keys instead of the Touch Bar, and just two USB-C ports. The flash storage in the Touch Bar models is soldered to the logic board and is not upgradeable, while in the 13-inch model without Touch Bar, it is removable, but difficult to replace, as it is a proprietary format of SSD storage.^[163][164]

On June 5, 2017, Apple updated the line with Intel Kaby Lake processors and newer graphics cards. A 128 GB^[a] storage option was added for the base 13-inch model, down from the base 256 GB^[a] storage.^[165] New symbols were introduced to the control and option keys. On July 12, 2018, Apple updated the Touch Bar models with Intel Coffee Lake quad-core processors in 13-inch models and six-core processors in 15-inch models, updated graphics cards, third-generation butterfly keyboards that introduced new symbols for the control and option keys, Bluetooth 5, T2 SoC Chip, True Tone display technology, and larger-capacity batteries. The 15-inch model can also be configured with up to 4 TB^[a] of storage, 32 GB of DDR4 memory and a Core i9 processor.^[166] In late November the higher-end 15-inch model could be configured with Radeon Pro Vega graphics. On May 21, 2019 Apple announced updated Touch Bar models with newer processors, with an eight-core Core i9 standard for the higher-end 15-inch model, and an updated keyboard manufactured with "new materials" across the line.^[167] On July 9, 2019, Apple updated the 13-inch model with two Thunderbolt ports with newer quad-core 8th-generation processors and Intel Iris Plus graphics, True Tone display technology, and replaced the function keys with the Touch Bar.^[168] macOS Catalina added support for Dolby Atmos, Dolby Vision, and HDR10 on 2018 and newer models.^[169] macOS Catalina 10.15.2 added support for 6016x3384 output on 15-inch 2018 and newer models to run the Pro Display XDR at full resolution.^[170]

The 2019 MacBook Pro was the final model that could run macOS Mojave 10.14, the final MacOS version that can run 32-bit applications such as Microsoft Office for Mac 2011.

Design and usability[]

The fourth generation MacBook Pro follows the design of the previous two generations with an all-metal unibody enclosure and separated black keys. A few apparent design changes are a thinner chassis, thinner screen bezel, larger trackpad, the OLED Touch Bar, and shallower butterfly mechanism keyboard with less key separation than the previous models. The speakers grilles have been relocated to the sides of the keyboard on the 13-inch variant. Tear downs show that the speaker grilles on the 13-inch model with Touch Bar are "largely cosmetic", and that sound output mostly comes through the side vents.^[171] The fourth generation MacBook Pro comes in two finishes, the traditional silver color and a darker "space gray" color. The MacBook Pro model name returns to the bottom of the screen bezel in Apple's San Francisco font after being absent from the second generation with Retina display. As with the Retina MacBook, the new models replace the backlit white Apple logo on the rear of the screen, a feature dating back to the 1999 PowerBook G3, with a glossy black opaque version.^[172]

MagSafe, a magnetic charging connector, has been replaced with USB-C charging.^[155] Unlike MagSafe, which provided an indicator light within the user's field of view to indicate the device's charging status, the USB-C charger has no visual indicator. Instead, the MacBook Pro emits a chime when connected to power.^[155] The Macintosh startup chime that has been used since the first Macintosh in 1984 is now disabled by default. The notebook now boots automatically when the lid is opened.^[155]

Battery life[]

The battery life of the new models also received mixed reception, with outlets reporting inconsistent battery life and inaccurate estimates of time remaining on battery by the operating system. After the latter reports, Apple used a macOS update to hide the display of estimated battery time.^[173][174] Consumer Reports did not initially recommend the 2016 MacBook Pro models, citing inconsistent and unpredictable battery life in its lab testing (which involves the consecutive loading of multiple websites). However, Apple and Consumer Reports found that the results had been affected by a bug caused by disabling caching in Safari's developer tools. Consumer Reports performed the tests again with a patched macOS, and retracted its original assessment.^[175][176]

Repairability[]

iFixit scored the models 1 out of 10 for repairability, noting that memory, the processor, and flash storage are soldered to the logic board, while the battery is glued to the case. The entire assembly uses proprietary pentalobe screws and cannot be disassembled with standard tools.^[163]

Keyboard reliability[]

A report by AppleInsider has claimed that the updated fails twice as often as previous models, often due to particles stuck beneath the keys.^[177] Repairs for stuck keys have been estimated to cost more than $700.^[178] In May 2018, two class action lawsuits were filed against Apple regarding the keyboard problem; one alleged a "constant threat of nonresponsive keys and accompanying keyboard failure" and accusing Apple of not alerting consumers to the problem.^[179][180] In June 2018, Apple announced a Service Program to "service eligible MacBook and MacBook Pro keyboards, free of charge".^[181] The 2018 models added a membrane underneath keys to prevent malfunction from dust.^[182] As of early 2019, there were reports of problems with the same type of keyboards in the 2018 MacBook Air.^[183][184] In May 2019, Apple modified the keyboard for the fourth time and promised that any MacBook keyboard with butterfly switches will be repaired or replaced free during four years after the date of sale.^[185]

Thermal throttling[]

PC Magazine said "the Core i9 processor Apple chose to use inside the MacBook Pro (i9-8950K) has a base clock frequency of 2.9GHz, which is capable of bursting up to 4.8GHz when necessary. However, testing carried out by YouTuber Dave Lee showed that the Core i9 couldn't even maintain 2.9GHz, let alone 4.8GHz. And it ended up running at 2.2GHz due to the heat generated inside the chassis forcing it to throttle. Lee found the 2018 i9 MacBook Pro was slower than the 2017 MacBook Pro and stated, "This isn't a problem with Intel's Core i9, it's Apple's thermal solution."^[186] When Lee put the i9 MacBook Pro inside a freezer, the render times were over 30% faster.^[187]

On July 24, 2018, Apple released a software fix for the new 2018 MacBook Pro computers which addressed the thermal throttling problem. Apple said "there is a missing digital key in the firmware that impacts the thermal management system and could drive clock speeds down under heavy thermal loads on the new MacBook Pro".^[188]

Other problems[]

A "limited number" of 13-inch MacBook Pro units without Touch Bar, manufactured between October 2016 and October 2017, saw the built-in battery swell. Apple created a free replacement program for eligible units.^[189]

A "limited number" of 128 and 256 GB solid-state drives used in 13-inch MacBook Pro (non-Touch Bar) units can lose data and fail. 13-inch MacBook Pro units with affected drives were sold between June 2017 and June 2018. This resulted in Apple launching a repair program for those affected – the repair involves the update of firmware.^[190]

Some users are reporting kernel panics on 2018 models, because of the T2 chip. Apple is already aware of the problem and performing an investigation.^[191] There are also user reports about the speaker crackling problems on the 2018 models.^[192]

Users have reported malfunctioning display cables, causing uneven lighting at the bottom of the screen and ultimately display failure. Customers of Apple have named this issue "Flexgate". The problem has been tracked to a cable, stressed from opening and closing the notebook. The entire display needs to be replaced in affected units.^[193] In May 2019 Apple initiated a program to replace the display on affected 13-inch models made in 2016 for free, and the cable on the 2018 models and onwards was made 2 mm longer than on prior models, thus reducing the likelihood of display failure .^[194] Apple has been criticized for not extending the replacement program to the 15-inch models which are also affected by this issue.^[195][196]

Reception[]

The fourth-generation MacBook Pro received mixed reviews. The display, build quality, and audio quality were praised but many complained about the butterfly keyboard; the little-used Touch Bar; and the absence of USB-A ports, HDMI port, and SD card slot.

Ars Technica noted that the second-generation keyboard with firm keys was a "drastic departure" from previous Retina MacBook keyboards. It further noted that resting palms may brush the trackpad occasionally, causing inadvertent cursor jumps onscreen as the notebook interprets this as input, without one's hands or wrists actually resting on it.^[155] Bandwidth increased; the flash storage was about 40 percent faster.^[155] Engadget praised the thinner, lighter design; improved display and audio; and increased speed of the graphics and flash storage, but criticized the lack of ports and price.^[197] Wired praised the display, calling it "the best laptop display I've ever seen", as well as praising the Touch Bar, though it criticized the need of adapters for many common connectors.^[198] Likewise, The Verge concluded that "using [the new MacBook] is alienating to anyone living in the present. I agree with Apple's vision of the future. I'm just not buying it today."^[199]

Engadget voiced their concerns that "by doing things like removing full-sized USB ports, the memory card reader and even the Function row, Apple seems to have forgotten how many of us actually work".^[200] Heavy keyboard users criticized the Touch Bar, noting that command-line tools like Vim rely on keyboard usage, and the Touch Bar does not provide the tactile feedback necessary for "blind" usage of Function keys.^[201] Miriam Nielsen from The Verge said: "When I tried to intentionally use the Touch Bar, I felt like a kid learning how to type again. I had to keep looking down at the bar instead of looking at the images I was actually trying to edit."^[202] She also said that after learning the Touch Bar one cannot work as efficiently on any other computer. Developers have their share of headaches because they cannot rely on the Touch Bar being present on every machine that runs their software. Even if Apple makes the Touch Bar an integral part of macOS, it will take "many years" for it to become ubiquitous, in the meantime, anything in the Bar needs to be available through another part of the interface.^[203]

Also criticized were non-compatibility between Thunderbolt 2 and 3 devices. Some found unpleasant the fan whine on the 15" model, where the two integrated fans run all the time by default,^{[citation needed]} thanks to the coprocessor powering the Touch Bar and higher TDP of the stronger CPU models.

In 2016 and 2017, the Touch Bar caused concern among American state bars that the predictive text could be used to cheat on bar exams. The responses varied state by state: New York State Bar Association banned the use of the MacBook Pro on bar exams; while North Carolina Bar Association allowed students to take the state bar exam with the computer once a proctor verified that the predictive text feature had been disabled.^[204][205]

Technical specifications[]

Discontinued

Table of 4th-generation MacBook Pro (Touch Bar and butterfly mechanism keyboard) models
Component	Intel Core i5, Core i7, Core i9
Model	Late 2016[206][207][208]			Mid 2017[209][210]			Mid 2018[211][212]		Mid 2019[213][214]
Model name	13-inch, 2 Thunderbolt 3 ports[206]	13-inch, 4 Thunderbolt 3 ports[207]	15-inch[208]	13-inch, 2 Thunderbolt 3 ports[215]	13-inch, 4 Thunderbolt 3 ports[209]	15-inch[210]	13-inch, 4 Thunderbolt 3 ports[211]	15-inch[212]	13-inch, 2 Thunderbolt 3 ports[216]	13-inch, 4 Thunderbolt 3 ports[217]	15-inch[218]
Release date	October 27, 2016[219]	November 12, 2016[220]		June 5, 2017			July 12, 2018[221]		July 9, 2019	May 21, 2019
Model number(s)	MLL42LL/A or MLUQ2LL/A	MLH12LL/A or MLVP2LL/A or MNQF2LL/A or MNQG2LL/A	MLH32LL/A or MLH42LL/A or MLW72LL/A or MLW82LL/A	MPXQ2LL/A or MPXR2LL/A or MPXT2LL/A or MPXU2LL/A	MPXV2LL/A or MPXW2LL/A or MPXX2LL/A or MPXY2LL/A	MPTR2LL/A or MPTT2LL/A or MPTU2LL/A or MPTV2LL/A	MR9Q2LL/A or MR9R2LL/A or MR9T2LL/A or MR9U2LL/A or MR9V2LL/A	MR932LL/A or MR942LL/A or MR952LL/A or MR962LL/A or MR972LL/A	MUHN2LL/A or MUHP2LL/A or MUHQ2LL/A or MUHR2LL/A or MUHR2LL/B	MV962LL/A or MV972LL/A or MV982LL/A or MV992LL/A or MV9A2LL/A	MV902LL/A or MV912LL/A or MV922LL/A or MV932LL/A or MV942LL/A or MV952LL/A
Model identifier(s)	MacBookPro13,1 (A1708)	MacBookPro13,2 (A1706)	MacBookPro13,3 (A1707)	MacBookPro14,1 (A1708)	MacBookPro14,2 (A1706)	MacBookPro14,3 (A1707)	MacBookPro15,2 (A1989)	MacBookPro15,1 MacBookPro15,3 (A1990)	MacBookPro15,4 (A2159)	MacBookPro15,2 (A1989)	MacBookPro15,1 MacBookPro15,3 (A1990)
LED-backlit widescreen glossy Retina Display	13.3", 2560 × 1600 (16∶10), 227 px/in with wide color gamut (P3), 500 cd/m2[222] (13")						13.3", 2560 × 1600 (16∶10), 227 px/in with wide color gamut (P3), 500 cd/m2,[222] True Tone display (13")
	15.4", 2880 × 1800 (16∶10), 220 px/in with wide color gamut (P3), 500 cd/m2 (15")						15.4", 2880 × 1800 (16∶10), 220 px/in with wide color gamut (P3), 500 cd/m2, True Tone display (15")
Video camera	720p FaceTime HD camera
Processor	2 GHz 2-core Intel Core i5 Skylake (6360U), up to 3.1 GHz, 4 MB L3 cache[223] Optional 2.4 GHz i7-6660U, up to 3.4 GHz, 4 MB L3 cache[224]	2.9 GHz 2-core Intel Core i5 Skylake (6267U), up to 3.3 GHz, 4 MB L3 cache[225] Optional 3.1 GHz i5-6287U, up to 3.5 GHz, 4 MB L3 cache[226] Optional 3.3 GHz i7-6567U, up to 3.6 GHz, 4 MB L3 cache[227]	2.6 GHz 4-core Intel Core i7 Skylake (6700HQ), up to 3.5 GHz, 6 MB L3 cache[228]Optional 2.9 GHz i7-6920HQ, up to 3.8 GHz, 8 MB L3 cache[229]	2.3 GHz 2-core Intel Core i5 Kaby Lake (7360U), up to 3.6 GHz, 4 MB L3 cache Optional 2.5 GHz i7-7660U, up to 4.0 GHz, 4 MB L3 cache	3.1 GHz 2-core Intel Core i5 Kaby Lake (7267U), up to 3.5 GHz, 4 MB L3 cache Optional 3.3 GHz i5-7287U, up to 3.7 GHz, 4 MB L3 cache Optional 3.5 GHz (i7-7567U), up to 4.0 GHz, 4 MB L3 cache	2.8 GHz 4-core Intel Core i7 Kaby Lake (7700HQ), up to 3.8 GHz, 6 MB L3 cache Optional 3.1 GHz i7-7920HQ, up to 4.1 GHz, 8 MB L3 cache	2.3 GHz 4-core Intel Core i5 Coffee Lake (8259U), up to 3.8 GHz, 6 MB L3 cache[230] Optional 2.7 GHz i7-8559U, up to 4.5 GHz, 8 MB L3 cache[231]	2.2 GHz 6-core Intel Core i7 Coffee Lake (8750H), up to 4.1 GHz, 9MB L3 cache[232] Optional 2.9 GHz 6-core Intel Core i9 Coffee Lake (8950HK), up to 4.8 GHz, 12 MB L3 cache[233]	1.4 GHz 4-core Intel Core i5 Coffee Lake (8257U), up to 3.9 GHz, 6 MB L3 cache, 128 MB eDRAM Optional 1.7 GHz 4-core Intel Core i7 Coffee Lake (i7-8557U), up to 4.5 GHz, 8 MB L3 cache, 128 MB eDRAM	2.4 GHz 4-core Intel Core i5 Coffee Lake (8279U),[234] up to 4.1 GHz, 6 MB L3 cache, 128 MB eDRAM Optional 2.8 GHz 4-core Intel Core i7 Coffee Lake (8569U), up to 4.7 GHz, 8 MB L3 cache, 128 MB eDRAM	2.6 GHz 6-core Intel Core i7 (9750H) Coffee Lake (9th gen), up to 4.5 GHz, 12 MB L3 cache Optional 2.4 GHz 8-core Intel Core i9 (9980HK) Coffee Lake (9th gen), up to 5 GHz, 16 MB L3 cache
			2.7 GHz 4-core Intel Core i7 Skylake (6820HQ), up to 3.6 GHz, 8 MB L3 cache[235]Optional 2.9 GHz i7-6920HQ, up to 3.8 GHz, 8 MB L3 cache[229]			2.9 GHz 4-core Intel Core i7 Kaby Lake (7820HQ), up to 3.9 GHz, 8 MB L3 cache[236] Optional 3.1 GHz i7-7920HQ, up to 4.1 GHz, 8 MB L3 cache		2.6 GHz 6-core Intel Core i7 Coffee Lake (8850H), up to 4.3 GHz, 9 MB L3 cache[237] Optional 2.9 GHz 6-core Intel Core i9 Coffee Lake (8950HK), up to 4.8 GHz, 12 MB L3 cache[233]			2.3 GHz 8-core Intel Core i9 (9880H) Coffee Lake (9th gen), up to 4.8 GHz, 16 MB L3 cache Optional 2.4 GHz 8-core Intel Core i9 (9980HK) Coffee Lake (9th gen), up to 5 GHz, 16 MB L3 cache
System bus	4 GT/s OPI (On-package DMI 3.0 interconnect interface) (max. theoretical bandwidth: 4 GB/s)[238]			8 GT/s DMI 3.0 (3.94 GB/s)[238]	4 GT/s OPI (4 GB/s)	8 GT/s DMI 3.0 (3.94 GB/s)	4 GT/s OPI (4 GB/s)	8 GT/s DMI 3.0 (3.94 GB/s)	4 GT/s OPI (4 GB/s)		8 GT/s DMI 3.0 (3.94 GB/s)
Memory	8 GB built-in onboard RAM (not upgradeable) Optional 16 GB RAM configuration available at time of purchase only		16 GB built-in onboard RAM (not upgradeable)	8 GB built-in onboard RAM (not upgradeable) Optional 16 GB RAM configuration available at time of purchase only		16 GB built-in onboard RAM (not upgradeable)	8 GB built-in onboard RAM (not upgradeable) Optional 16 GB RAM configuration available at time of purchase only	16 GB built-in onboard RAM (not upgradeable) Optional 32 GB RAM configuration available at time of purchase only	8 GB built-in onboard RAM (not upgradeable) Optional 16 GB RAM configuration available at time of purchase only		16 GB built-in onboard RAM (not upgradeable) Optional 32 GB RAM configuration available at time of purchase only
	1866 MHz PC3-14900 LPDDR3 SDRAM	2133 MHz PC3-17000 LPDDR3 SDRAM						2400 MHz PC4-19200 DDR4 SDRAM	2133 MHz PC3-17000 LPDDR3 SDRAM		2400 MHz PC4-19200 DDR4 SDRAM
Graphics	Intel Iris Graphics 540 with 64 MB eDRAM[239]	Intel Iris Graphics 550 with 64 MB eDRAM[240]	Intel HD Graphics 530 AMD Radeon Pro 450 with 2 GB of GDDR5 memory and automatic graphics switching (2.6 GHz) Configurable to Radeon Pro 455 with 2GB of GDDR5 memory, or Pro 460 with 4 GB of GDDR5 memory	Intel Iris Plus Graphics 640 with 64 MB eDRAM[241]	Intel Iris Plus Graphics 650 with 64 MB eDRAM[242]	Intel HD Graphics 630 AMD Radeon Pro 555 with 2 GB of GDDR5 memory and automatic graphics switching (2.8 GHz) Configurable to Radeon Pro 560 with 4 GB of GDDR5 memory	Intel Iris Plus Graphics 655 with 128 MB eDRAM[243]	Intel UHD Graphics 630 AMD Radeon Pro 555X with 4 GB of GDDR5 memory and automatic graphics switching (2.2 GHz) Configurable to Radeon Pro 560X with 4 GB of GDDR5 memory	Intel Iris Plus Graphics 645 with 128 MB eDRAM	Intel Iris Plus Graphics 655 with 128 MB eDRAM[243]	Intel UHD Graphics 630 AMD Radeon Pro 555X with 4 GB of GDDR5 memory and automatic graphics switching (2.6 GHz) Configurable to Radeon Pro 560X with 4 GB of GDDR5 memory
			Intel HD Graphics 530 AMD Radeon Pro 455 with 2 GB of GDDR5 memory and automatic graphics switching (2.7 GHz) Configurable to Radeon Pro 460 with 4 GB of GDDR5 memory			Intel HD Graphics 630 AMD Radeon Pro 560 with 4 GB of GDDR5 memory and automatic graphics switching (2.9 GHz)		Intel UHD Graphics 630 AMD Radeon Pro 560X with 4 GB of GDDR5 memory and automatic graphics switching (2.6 GHz) Configurable to Radeon Pro Vega 16 with 4 GB of HBM2 memory or Radeon Pro Vega 20 with 4 GB of HBM2 memory from November 2018			Intel UHD Graphics 630 AMD Radeon Pro 560X with 4 GB of GDDR5 memory and automatic graphics switching (2.3 GHz) Configurable to Radeon Pro Vega 16 with 4 GB of HBM2 memory or Radeon Pro Vega 20 with 4 GB of HBM2 memory
Storage[note 4]	256 or 512 GB or 1 TB SSD[244]	256 GB built-in SSD (not upgradeable)	256 GB SSD. Configurable to 512 GB, 1 or 2 TB SSD (not upgradeable) (2.6 GHz)	128, 256, 512 GB, 1 TB SSD[245]	256, 512 GB, or 1 TB SSD (not upgradeable)	256, 512 GB, 1, or 2 TB built-in SSD (not upgradeable) (2.8 GHz)	256, 512 GB, 1 or 2 TB (not upgradeable)	256, 512 GB, 1, 2, or 4 TB built-in SSD (not upgradeable) (2.2 GHz)	128, 256, 512 GB, 1 or 2 TB (not upgradeable)	256, 512 GB, 1 or 2 TB (not upgradable)	256, 512 GB, 1, 2, or 4 TB built-in SSD (not upgradeable) (2.6 GHz)
		512 GB or 1 TB built-in SSD (not upgradeable)	512 GB SSD. Configurable to 1 or 2 TB SSD (not upgradeable) (2.7 GHz)			512 GB, 1, or 2 TB built-in SSD (not upgradeable) (2.9 GHz)		512 GB or 1, 2, or 4 TB built-in SSD (not upgradeable) (2.6 GHz)			512 GB, 1, 2 or 4 TB built-in SSD (not upgradeable) (2.3 GHz)
	NVMe/PCIe 3.0 ×4 8.0 GT/s (32 Gbit/s)
Security Chip	N/A	Apple T1		N/A	Apple T1		Apple T2
Wi-Fi	Built-in Wi-Fi 5 (802.11a/b/g/n/ac), up to 867 Mbit/s (13" two Thunderbolt 3 ports) or 1.3 Gbit/s (13" four Thunderbolt 3 ports and 15")
Bluetooth	Bluetooth 4.2 wireless technology						Bluetooth 5.0 wireless technology
Peripheral connections	Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C 3.1 Gen 2) supporting charging and DisplayPort
	Two ports supporting two 4096 × 2304 displays or one 5120 × 2880 (MST) display (13", two Thunderbolt ports)
	Four ports, two left-hand ports for full performance, supporting two 4096 × 2304 displays or one 5120 × 2880 (MST) display (13", four Thunderbolt ports)						Four ports full performance[246] supporting two 4096 × 2304 displays or one 5120 × 2880 (MST) display[247] (13", four Thunderbolt ports)
	Four ports full performance[248] supporting four 4096 × 2304 displays, or two 5120 × 2880 displays (MST) (15")						Four ports full performance supporting four 4096 × 2304 displays, two 5120 × 2880 displays, or one 6016 × 3384 display[170] (single stream each, supports DisplayPort 1.4)[249](15")
Audio	3.5 mm audio line out (analog)
	Built-in stereo speakers with high dynamic range, multiple microphones
Battery (lithium polymer, non-removable)	54.5 Wh (13" w/o Touch Bar)								58.2 Wh (13" 2019, two Thunderbolt 3 ports)
	49.2 Wh (13", w/ Touch Bar)						58.0 Wh (13", w/ Touch Bar)
	76 Wh (15")						83.6 Wh (15")
	up to 10 hours use (wireless web, iTunes film playback); 30 days standby time[222]
Weight	3.02 lb (1.37 kg) (13")
	4.02 lb (1.82 kg) (15")
Dimensions (width × depth × thickness)	11.97 in × 8.36 in × 0.59 in (30.4 cm × 21.2 cm × 1.5 cm) (13")
	13.75 in × 9.48 in × 0.61 in (34.9 cm × 24.1 cm × 1.5 cm) (15")

Magic Keyboard revision[]

Apple unveiled the first revision of the fourth generation MacBook Pro,^[250] the 16-inch MacBook Pro on November 13, 2019, replacing the 15-inch model.^[251] Similar in size to the 15-inch model, it has a larger 16-inch 3072x1920 Retina display set in a narrower bezel, the largest MacBook screen since the 17-inch unibody MacBook Pro that was discontinued in 2012. It has a physical Escape key, a Touch Bar, and a now-separate sapphire-glass-covered Touch ID sensor at the right end of the Touch Bar that doubles as a power button. It uses a scissor mechanism keyboard almost identical to Apple's wireless Magic Keyboard, providing more travel than the previous revision's .^[252][253]

Like its predecessor, the 16-inch MacBook Pro has four combined Thunderbolt 3 ports that support USB-C 3.1 Gen 2 and dual DisplayPort 1.4 signals, providing 6016×3384 output to run the Pro Display XDR at full resolution. Any port can be used for charging, it includes a 96 W USB-C power adapter. At launch only the included adapter and the Pro Display XDR provide full host power. Peripherals that delivered 87 W for the 15-inch model, such as LG Ultrafine displays, are recommended to be used with a separate power supply.^{[154][155][254]} It also has a 3.5 mm headphone jack.^[255]

It uses the same Coffee Lake CPUs as the 2019 15-inch model. Purchasers can choose between AMD Radeon Pro 5300M or 5500M GPUs with up to 8 GB of GDDR6 memory (or from June 2020 onwards, a 5600M GPU with 8 GB of HBM2 memory), up to 64 GB of 2667 MHz DDR4 memory, and up to 8 TB^[256] of SSD storage. It includes better speakers, a better three-microphone array, and a 100 Wh battery, the largest that can be easily carried onto a commercial airliner under U.S. Transportation Security Administration rules.^{[257][258][251]}

On May 4, 2020, Apple announced an updated 13-inch model with the Magic Keyboard. The four Thunderbolt port version comes with Ice Lake processors, updated graphics, up to 32 GB of memory and 4 TB of storage, and supports 6K output to run the Pro Display XDR. The two Thunderbolt port version has the same Coffee Lake processors, graphics, and maximum storage and memory as the 2019 two Thunderbolt port models.^[259] The 2020 13-inch models also gain 0.02 inches (0.6 mm) in thickness over the 2019 models.^[260]

Reception[]

Reception to the 16-inch MacBook Pro was generally positive. Laptop Mag called the keyboard "much-improved".^[261] The Verge praised the new keyboard, microphones, and speakers, but criticized the lack of peripherals such as an SD card slot.^[262] 9to5Mac criticized the use of a 720p webcam and older 802.11ac Wi-Fi standard, noting that Apple's iPhone 11 family included a 4K front-facing camera and faster Wi-Fi 6.^[263] MacWorld also noted the lack of Face ID.^[264] Another review noted that the 2020 two Thunderbolt port 13-inch model is unable to run Apple's Pro Display XDR at full resolution, while the lower-priced 2020 MacBook Air can.^[265]

There are numerous reports of cracked screens caused by closing the unit with a third-party physical webcam cover due to reduced clearance compared to previous models.^[266][267]

Technical specifications[]

Discontinued

Table of 4th-generation MacBook Pro (Magic Keyboard) models
Model	Late 2019	Mid 2020	Mid 2020
Component	Intel Core i7, i9	Intel Core i5, i7	Intel Core i5, i7
Model name	16-inch	13-inch (2 Thunderbolt 3 ports)	13-inch (4 Thunderbolt 3 ports)
Release date	November 13, 2019	May 4, 2020
Model number(s)	MVVJ2LL/A, MVVK2LL/A, MVVL2LL/A, MVVM2LL/A	MXK32LL/A, MXK52LL/A, MXK62LL/A, MXK72LL/A	MWP42LL/A, MWP52LL/A, MWP62LL/A, MWP72LL/A, MWP82LL/A
Model identifier(s)	MacBookPro16,1 (A2141)	MacBookPro16,3 (A2289)	MacBookPro16,2 (A2251)
LED-backlit widescreen glossy Retina Display	3072 × 1920 (16∶10), 226 px/in with wide color gamut (P3), 500 cd/m2 (16")	2560 × 1600 (16∶10), 227 px/in with wide color gamut (P3), 500 cd/m2 (13.3")
Video camera	720p FaceTime HD camera
Processor	2.6GHz 6-core Intel Core i7 (9750H) Coffee Lake (9th gen), up to 4.5 GHz, 12 MB L3 cache Optional 2.4 GHz 8-core Intel Core i9 (9980HK) Coffee Lake (9th gen), up to 5 GHz, 16 MB L3 cache	1.4 GHz 4-core Intel Core i5 (8257U) Coffee Lake (8th gen), up to 3.9 GHz Optional 1.7 GHz 4-core Intel Core i7 (8557U) Coffee Lake (8th gen), up to 4.5 GHz	2.0 GHz 4-core Intel Core i5 (1038NG7) Ice Lake (10th gen), up to 3.8 GHz, with 6 MB L3 cache Optional 2.3 GHz 4-core Intel Core i7 (1068NG7) Ice Lake (10th gen), up to 4.1 GHz, with 8 MB L3 cache
	2.3 GHz 8-core Intel Core i9 (9880H) Coffee Lake (9th gen), up to 4.8 GHz, 16 MB L3 cache Optional 2.4 GHz 8-core Intel Core i9 (9980HK) Coffee Lake (9th gen), up to 5 GHz, 16 MB L3 cache
System bus	8 GT/s DMI 3.0 (max. theoretical bandwidth: 3.94 GB/s)
Memory	16 GB built-in onboard RAM (not upgradeable) Optional 32 or 64 GB RAM configuration available at time of purchase only	8 GB built-in onboard RAM (not upgradeable) Optional 16 GB RAM configuration available at time of purchase only	16 GB built-in onboard RAM (not upgradeable) Optional 32 GB RAM configuration available at time of purchase only
	2666 MHz DDR4 SDRAM	2133 MHz LPDDR3	3733 MHz LPDDR4X
Graphics	Intel UHD Graphics 630 AMD Radeon Pro 5300M with 4 GB of GDDR6 memory and automatic graphics switching Configurable to AMD Radeon Pro 5500M with 4 or 8 GB of GDDR6 memory or (from June 2020 onwards) AMD Radeon Pro 5600M with 8 GB of HBM2 memory.	Intel Iris Plus Graphics 645	Intel Iris Plus Graphics
	Intel UHD Graphics 630 AMD Radeon Pro 5500M with 4 GB of GDDR6 memory and automatic graphics switching Configurable to AMD Radeon Pro 5500M with 8 GB of GDDR6 memory or (from June 2020 onwards) AMD Radeon Pro 5600M with 8 GB of HBM2 memory.
Storage[note 4]	512 GB built-in SSD (not upgradeable) Optional 1, 2, 4, or 8 TB configuration available at time of purchase only	256 GB built-in SSD (not upgradeable) Optional 512 GB, 1, or 2 TB configuration available at time of purchase only	512 GB built-in SSD (not upgradeable) Optional 1, 2, or 4 TB configuration available at time of purchase only
	1 TB built-in SSD (not upgradeable) Optional 2, 4, or 8 TB configuration available at time of purchase only	512 GB built-in SSD (not upgradeable) Optional 1 or 2 TB configuration available at time of purchase only	1 TB built-in SSD (not upgradeable) Optional 2 or 4 TB configuration available at time of purchase only
Security Chip	Apple T2
Wi-Fi	Built-in Wi-Fi 5 (802.11a/b/g/n/ac), up to 1.3 Gbit/s
Bluetooth	Bluetooth 5.0 wireless technology
Peripheral connections	Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C 3.1 Gen 2) supporting charging and DisplayPort
	Four ports full performance supporting four 4096 × 2304 or two 6016 × 3384 displays (single stream each, supports DisplayPort 1.4)	2 ports full performance supporting two 4096 × 2304 displays or one 5120 × 2880 display	4 ports full performance supporting two 4096 × 2304 displays or one 6016 × 3384 display
Audio	3.5 mm audio line out (analog)
	Built-in stereo speakers with high dynamic range, multiple microphones
Battery (lithium polymer, non-removable)	100 Wh, up to 11 hours use (wireless web, Apple TV app movie playback); 30 days standby time[268]	58.2 Wh, up to 10 hours use (wireless web, Apple TV app movie playback); 30 days standby time[269]	58 Wh, up to 10 hours use (wireless web, Apple TV app movie playback); 30 days standby time[269]
Weight	4.3 lb (2.0 kg)	3.1 lb (1.4 kg)
Dimensions (width × height × thickness)	14.09 in × 9.68 in × 0.64 in (35.8 cm × 24.6 cm × 1.6 cm)	11.97 in × 8.36 in × 0.61 in (30.4 cm × 21.2 cm × 1.5 cm)

Apple silicon revision[]

On November 10, 2020, Apple announced a two-port 13-inch MacBook Pro with an Apple-designed Apple M1 processor, launched alongside an updated MacBook Air and Mac Mini as the first Macs with Apple's new line of custom ARM-based Apple silicon processors.^[270] The MacBook Pro with Apple silicon retains the same form factor/ design while adding support for Wi-Fi 6, USB4, and 6K output to run the Pro Display XDR.^[271] The number of supported external displays was reduced to one, as the previous Intel-based models supported two 4K displays.^[272] The FaceTime camera remains 720p but Apple advertises an improved image signal processor for higher quality video.^[273]

Technical specifications[]

Current

Table of 4th-generation MacBook Pro (Apple Silicon) models
Model	Late 2020[274]
Release date	November 17, 2020
Model number(s)	MYD83LL/A, MYD92LL/A, MYDA2LL/A, MYDC2LL/A[275]
Model identifier(s)	MacBookPro17,1 (A2338)
LED-backlit widescreen glossy Retina Display	2560 × 1600 (16∶10), 227 px/in with wide color gamut (P3), 500 cd/m2 (13.3")
System on a chip	Apple M1
Processor	3.2 GHz 8-core ARMv8-A processor; 4× Firestorm performance cores + 4× Icestorm efficiency cores
Memory	8 GB memory (not upgradeable) Optional 16 GB memory configuration available at time of purchase only
	Unified in-package LPDDR4X-4266[276] memory
Graphics	8-core Apple-designed integrated GPU with shared memory
Storage[note 4]	256 or 512 GB built-in SSD (not upgradeable) Optional 1 or 2 TB configuration at time of purchase only
Wi-Fi	Built-in Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax), up to 1.2 Gbit/s
Bluetooth	Bluetooth 5.0 wireless technology
Peripheral connections	Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C 4) supporting charging and DisplayPort. No eGPU support.[277]
	Two ports full performance supporting one 6016 × 3384 display
Video camera	720p FaceTime HD camera (with ISP)
Audio	3.5 mm audio line out (analog)
	Built-in stereo speakers with high dynamic range, multiple microphones
Battery (lithium polymer, non-removable)	58.2 Wh, up to 17 hours use (wireless web), 20 hours (Apple TV app movie playback)[278]
Weight	3.0 pounds (1.4 kg)
Dimensions (width × depth × thickness)	11.97 in × 8.36 in × 0.61 in (30.4 cm × 21.2 cm × 1.5 cm)

5th generation (Apple silicon)[]

Apple announced updated 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models during an online event on October 18, 2021.^[279] They are based on the M1 Pro and M1 Max, Apple's first professional-focused ARM-based systems on a chip. This release addressed many criticisms of the previous generation^[280] by reintroducing hard function keys in place of the Touch Bar, an HDMI 2.0 port,^[281] a SDXC reader and MagSafe charging. Other additions include a Liquid Retina XDR display with thinner bezels and an iPhone-like notch, ProMotion supporting 120Hz variable refresh rate, a 1080p webcam, Wi-Fi 6, 3 Thunderbolt 4 ports, a six-speaker sound system supporting Dolby Atmos, and support for a third 6K display on M1 Max models.^[282] The 16-inch version is bundled with a 140W GaN power supply that supports USB-C Power Delivery 3.1, though only MagSafe supports full-speed charging as the machine's USB-C ports are limited to 100W.^[283]

Design[]

The M1 Pro and M1 Max MacBook Pro models feature a thicker and more-squared design than their immediate Intel-based predecessors. The keyboard features full-sized function keys, with the keyboard set in a "double anodized" black well.^[284] The MacBook Pro branding has been removed from the bottom of the display bezel and is engraved on the underside of the chassis.^[285] The models' appearance has been compared to the Titanium PowerBook G4 produced from 2001 to 2003.^[286][287]

Technical specifications[]

Current

Table of 5th-generation MacBook Pro (Apple Silicon) models
Model	14-inch Late 2021[288][289]	16-inch Late 2021[288][289]
Release date	October 26, 2021
Model number(s)	MKGP3xx/A, MKGQ3xx/A, MKGR3xx/A, MKGT3xx/A	MK183xx/A, MK193xx/A, MK1A3xx/A, MK1E3xx/A, MK1F3xx/A, MK1H3xx/A
Model identifier(s)	MacBookPro18,3 MacBookPro18,4 (A2442)	MacBookPro18,1 MacBookPro18,2 (A2485)
Mini LED-backlit widescreen glossy Liquid Retina XDR Display	3024 × 1964 (9∶5.85), 254 px/in with wide color gamut (P3), 10 billion colors, ProMotion, 1000 cd/m2 (14.2")	3456 × 2234 (9∶5.82), 254 px/in with wide color gamut (P3), 10 billion colors, ProMotion, 1000 cd/m2 (16.2")
System on a chip	Apple M1 Pro or M1 Max
Processor	8-core or 10-core ARMv8-A processor; 6 or 8 performance cores and 2 efficiency cores	10-core ARMv8-A processor; 8 performance cores and 2 efficiency cores
Memory	16 GB (not upgradeable) Optional 32 GB (M1 Pro and M1 Max) or 64 GB (M1 Max only) memory configuration available at time of purchase only	16 GB (M1 Pro) or 32 GB (M1 Max) (not upgradeable) Optional 32 GB (M1 Pro and M1 Max) or 64 GB (M1 Max only) memory configuration available at time of purchase only
	Unified in-package LPDDR5-6400 256-bit (M1 Pro) or 512-bit (M1 Max) memory
Graphics	14 or 16-core (M1 Pro) or 24 or 32-core (M1 Max) Apple-designed integrated GPU with shared memory	16-core (M1 Pro) or 24 or 32-core (M1 Max) Apple-designed integrated GPU with shared memory
Storage[note 4]	512 GB or 1 TB built-in PCIe 4.0 × 4 SSD (not upgradeable) Optional 2, 4 or 8 TB configuration at time of purchase only
Wi-Fi	Integrated Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax), up to 1.2 Gbit/s
Bluetooth	Bluetooth 5.0 wireless technology
Peripheral connections	Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C 4) supporting charging and DisplayPort protocols among others Three ports full performance supporting two (M1 Pro) or three (M1 Max) 6016 × 3384 displays
	HDMI 2.0 port supporting one 3840 × 2160 (4K) display
	SDXC memory card slot (UHS-II)
Video camera	1080p FaceTime HD camera (with ISP)
Audio	3.5 mm audio line out (analog) supporting high-impedance headphones
	Six speaker system, including stereo tweeters and 4 woofers with high dynamic range, multiple microphones
Battery (lithium polymer, non-removable)	69.6 Wh, up to 11 hours use (wireless web), 17 hours (Apple TV app movie playback)	99.8 Wh, up to 14 hours use (wireless web), 21 hours (Apple TV app movie playback)
Charging	Included 67W or 96W power adapter, any USB-C port or MagSafe 3 connector for charging (fast charge-capable with MagSafe and 96 W power adapter)[290]	Included 140W power adapter, any USB-C port or MagSafe 3 connector for charging (fast charge-capable with MagSafe only)[291]
Weight	3.5 pounds (1.6 kg)	4.7 pounds (2.1 kg) (M1 Pro) or 4.8 pounds (2.2 kg) (M1 Max)
Dimensions (width × depth × thickness)	12.31 in × 8.71 in × 0.61 in (31.3 cm × 22.1 cm × 1.55 cm)	14.01 in × 9.77 in × 0.66 in (35.6 cm × 24.8 cm × 1.68 cm)

Initial reception[]

Reception to the 2021 MacBook Pros was generally positive, with analyst Danny Ives estimating that a third of MacBook users would upgrade. Many comments on the social media platform Reddit showed irritation towards the iPhone-like notch, however it is clear that many ordered the new MacBooks, as within 5 days of release, delivery dates were pushed back up to 4-5 weeks for certain models. Online personalities such Justine Ezarik ("iJustine") and Anthony Young of Linus Tech Tips praised the new design and powerful chip of the MacBook Pro.^{[citation needed]}

Initial media[]

Pictures of the 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pros started surfacing on Reddit on October 22, 2021, four days before their official release.^{[citation needed]}

Software and operating systems[]

The macOS operating system has been pre-installed on all MacBook Pro computers since release, starting with version 10.4.4 (Tiger).^[4] Along with OS X, iLife has also shipped with all systems, beginning with iLife '06.^[4]

The Intel-based MacBook Pro comes with the successor to BIOS, Extensible Firmware Interface (EFI) 1.1. EFI handles booting differently from BIOS-based computers,^[292] but provides backwards compatibility, allowing dual- and triple-boot configurations. In addition to OS X, the Microsoft Windows operating system is installable on Intel x86-based Apple computers. Officially, this is limited to 32-bit versions of Windows XP, Vista, and 7, and 64-bit versions of Windows Vista, 7, 8, 8.1, and 10 with the necessary hardware drivers included with the Boot Camp software.^[82][293] Other x86 operating systems such as Linux are also unofficially supported.^[294] This is made possible by the presence of the Intel architecture as provided by the CPU and the BIOS emulation Apple has provided on top of EFI.^[295][296]

macOS Big Sur, the seventeenth major release of macOS, will work with Wi-Fi and graphics acceleration on unsupported MacBook Pro computers with a compatible patch utility.^[297]

Supported macOS releases[]

Supported macOS releases
OS release	Intel-based																										Apple Silicon-based
	1st generation (Aluminum)							2nd generation (Unibody)							3rd generation (Retina)						4th generation (Touch Bar)							5th generation (Apple Silicon-powered)
	Early 2006 15"	Mid-2006 17"	Late 2006	Mid-2007	Late 2007	Early 2008	Late 2008		Early 2009	Mid-2009	Mid-2010	Early 2011	Late 2011	Mid-2012		Mid-2012/Late 2012/Early 2013	Late 2013	Mid- 2014	Early 2015	Mid-2015	Late 2016	Mid-2017	Mid-2018	Mid-2019	Late 2019	Mid-2020	Late 2020	Late 2021
10.4 Tiger	10.4.4	10.4.6	10.4.8	10.4.9	disc	unofficial
10.5 Leopard						10.5.2	10.5.5		10.5.6	10.5.7
10.6 Snow Leopard											10.6.3	10.6.6
10.7 Lion	Patch												10.7.2	10.7.4
10.8 Mountain Lion			Patch, no graphics acceleration[Note 1]													10.8.2
10.9 Mavericks			Patch, no graphics acceleration[Note 1]															10.9.4
10.10 Yosemite			Patch, no graphics acceleration[Note 1]																10.10.2	10.10.3
10.11 El Capitan			Patch, no graphics acceleration[Note 1]
10.12 Sierra						Patch															10.12.1	10.12.5
10.13 High Sierra						Patch																		10.13.6
10.14 Mojave						Patch																			10.14.5
10.15 Catalina						Patch																			10.15.1	10.15.4
11 Big Sur						Patch
12 Monterey						Patch, no graphics acceleration								Patch, graphics acceleration with HD4000 available			Patch

Supported Windows versions (Intel models only)[]

Supported Windows versions
OS release	1st generation			2nd generation				3rd generation				4th generation
	2006 models	2007 models	2008-2009 models		Mid-2010	2011 models	Mid-2012		Late 2012-2014	Early 2015	Mid-2015	Intel models 2016-2020
Windows XP [Note 1][Note 2][298][299]
Windows Vista 32-bit[Note 3][298][299]
Windows Vista 64-bit[Note 3][298]
Windows 7 32-bit[Note 4][298][300]
Windows 7 64-bit[Note 5][298][301]
Windows 8 [Note 6][Note 7][298]					Partial, Patch[Note 8]
Windows 8.1 [Note 9][Note 7][302][301]					Partial, Patch[Note 8]
Windows 10 [Note 10][303][301]					Patch	Patch

There is no Boot Camp support for Apple silicon models.^[304]

Timeline of the MacBook family

See also[]

• Comparison of Macintosh models
• MacBook (12-inch)
• MacBook Air

Notes[]

References[]

External links[]

• Media related to MacBook Pro at Wikimedia Commons
• MacBook Pro – official site