13-inch Macbook Pro 512GB / 1TB storage

have two Thunderbolt 3/USB-3 ports, while the $1,799 and $1,999 models have four. If you haven’t already, you might want to consider buying a USB-C hub, especially if you have external devices that use a USB-A connector. You can check our guide to see what adapters you might need ( go.macworld.com/th3g).

Apple introduced a new 6-speaker system in the 16-inch Macbook Pro that sounds pretty powerful. The new 13-inch Macbook Pro didn’t get the same treatment, however. It still has the same wide stereo speaker system as before.

And it sounds fine, but it’s clearly not in the same league as the 16-inch model.

In this time of sheltering in place and working remotely, new attention has been brought upon the Facetime camera in Apple’s laptops. It’s still a 720p camera, and its image quality is very disappointing, especially when you compare it to the front-facing cameras on modern iphones. It’s gone too long without being upgraded.

BOTTOM LINE

Apple users have been waiting for an upgrade to the 13-inch Macbook Pro. The question here is, is there enough in the new laptop to be worth the

PROS

• Scissor keyboard more comfortable than previous butterfly keyboard.

• Impressive graphics upgrade.

• Standard configuration now has 16GB of RAM.

CONS

• Reliance on USB-C/ Thunderbolt 3 ports will require adapters for many external devices.

• No bezel reduction, like that of the 16-inch Macbook Pro.

PRICE

$1,799 / $1,999

COMPANY

Apple investment? There’s certainly enough here for professionals to consider, especially if the Macbook Pro you’re using is more than two years old. While the CPU boost is noticeable, you’ll especially like the increase in graphics performance.

For the general consumer, if you aren’t spending most of your time in pro apps that can take advantage of the faster graphics, and you have a 13-inch Macbook Pro that was bought within the past four years, you’re probably fine for now. However, there is that new Magic Keyboard, and if you’re absolutely tired of the butterfly keyboard, make the switch. Your hands will thank you.

After testing the 16-inch Macbook Pro last November and now this model, one thing is clear to me: I’m ready for some drastic changes to the Macbook lineup. The rumors of Apple making an Arm-based laptop persist, and it could happen next year, starting with a consumerlevel machine. That would mean the Macbook Pro would remain unchanged (at that moment), but a new Arm-based laptop would show where Apple is headed with the technology and design. It could bring back some much-needed excitement to Apple’s laptop lineup. ■