Apple today revealed its new 13-inch MacBook Pro, using the much improved Magic Keyboard the company debuted in November. Though we’re used to seeing a myriad of Apple leaks before new product launches, the company managed to keep the timing of this one a bit of a surprise — we were expecting it later in the year.
The keyboard changes echo what we’ve seen on other MacBooks. The old butterfly mechanism was prone to problems and wasn’t all that comfortable to type on with just 0.7mm of travel. The new keyboard bumps that up to 1mm and uses trusted scissor switches that won’t spazz on you so badly if you happen to get gunk stuck under a key. It also features a physical escape key, and the arrow keys use an inverted T layout
It’s just a better typing experience overall. With the 13-inch MacBook Pro, the butterfly keyboard is gone for good.
Other than the keyboard, the update is mostly a spec bump. The company is now offering 10th gen Intel processors — up to a 4.1Ghz i7 — and claiming up to 80 percent improved graphics performance thanks to the latest Intel Iris Plus graphics. You’ll have to pony up some extra cash for the latest intel chips though; cheaper configs still use the 8th gen processors.
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You can also now configure the laptop with up to 32GB of RAM. lastly, the laptops add support for Dolby Atmos and an improved three-microphone array should improve the quality of your recordings.
If you just care about the new keyboard, pricing starts at $1,299 for an 8th gen core i5 8GB of RAM, and 256 GB of storage. 10th-gen configurations start at $1,799 for an i5 with 16GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. You can place an order on Apple.com starting today.
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