Ever since the 2017 revision of the 13-inch MacBook Pro line, there has been a tale of two PCs. The 2020 refresh is not so different from the previous one. However, it comes with a couple of exciting updates that are worth exploring.
As a result, we have decided to review the 2020 13-inch MacBook Pro. It comes with an 8th generation core i5 1.4Ghz processor with the capacity to turbo boost up to 3.9Ghz.
· Not The Refresh That Was Expected
Before the refresh, most Apple users had hoped that they would see an upgrade to a 14-inch for smaller MacBook Pro. Unfortunately, that was not the case as the refresh only came with an iteration to the current MacBook Pro design.
Even more, the refresh maintained the stunning P3 full-color Retina display, a headphone jack, two Thunderbolt 3-ports, the same 720p camera, and the contested Touch Bar. The refresh also left several features unchanged such as the 802.11ac Wi-Fi and the Bluetooth 5.
In terms of exterior design, it maintains the same old looks but had an increase in thickness and weight. The weight increased from 3.02 to 3.11 pounds, while the thickness increased from 0.59 to 0.61 inches.
· Upgraded Internals
It is worth mentioning that the 13-inch MacBook Pro comes in two variations: low-end and high-end models. While the low-end MacBook came with a not so impressive 8th-generation Intel processor, the high-end MacBook came with the 10th-generation intel processor.
Furthermore, the low-end model comes with a 1.4GHz quad-core 8th-generation Intel Core i5 processor, which was not different from that of the 2019 model as it had the same chip. More so, the fans were slow in starting and loud, although not as loud as other previous models.
In terms of its Intel Power, this 13-inch MacBook Pro hit its clock speed without unreasonably throttling down. There was also an upgrade in its internal storage capacity. The 13-inch MacBook Pro has a capacity ranging from 256GB, which can be upgraded to about 2TB.
When it comes to speed, this computer had a write speed of up to 1250 Mb/s and read speed of about 1600 Mb/s using the Blackmagic Disk test. There was no upgrade to its memory as it still maintains it at 8GB of 2133MHz LPDDR3. Also, there was no change in its graphic configuration as it comes with the same Intel Iris Plus Graphics 645.
· Apple’s Magic Keyboard
This refresh came with an improvement on its keyboard. Although the previous MacBook 13-inch butterfly keyboard was divisive, it had a few lovers. The refreshed MacBook Pro came with a full millimeter of key travel. The keyboard was fully embedded into an aluminum body.
It has a great feel that the new additional key travel can make you feel a bit slower. Besides, the keys are now more responsive when they are depressed. Additionally, Apple added a standalone escape key and kept the inverted T design for all arrow keys. His helps to make using the keyboard more impactful than previous models.
· Entry-level Vs. High-end 13-inch MacBook Pro
This year’s refresh came with a notable difference between high-end and low-end models, unlike previous years. Physically, both models are differentiated using the number of Thunderbolt 3 ports. While the entry-level comes with two, the high-end models come with four.
As mentioned earlier, the high-end models come with the 10th-Generation Intel processor, while the entry-level model comes with an 8th-Generation Intel processor. As a result of the processor, the high-end models are faster as they make use of 3733MHz LPDDR4X memory, which starts at 16GB. Its internal storage can also be upgraded to up to 4TB.
As expected, the high-end models have better graphics compared to the entry-level models. While the high-end models boast of a 6K display, the entry-level model supports only a 5K external display.
Verdict
Overall, this 13-inch MacBook Pro model is aesthetically beautiful and comes in a robust casing. It is an improvement to the MacBook Air. Although most users expected plenty of upgrades from the previous models, this low-end model did not come with so much improvement.
However, if you are looking for a refresh with more significant improvements, consider the high-end model. That said, the 13-inch MacBook Pro stands out in terms of design, performance, and feature set.