MacBook Pro 2017: Apple laptop hardly stands out with pinch of upgraded features
The Apple WorldWide Developers Conference 2017 (WWDC 2017) gave the consumer market a glimpse of things to come, highlighted by the introduction of the HomePod. The new smart home speakers got its fair share of the spotlight, though most had their eyes on other devices such as the MacBook Pro 2017.
Compared to the features of the HomePod, the MacBook Pro 2017 barely had anything exciting tied to it. The upgrades to better processors happened as expected, affecting the 12, 13 and 15-inch MacBook Pro 2017 variants. All are now armed with an Intel Kaby Lake Core i7 processor, the configurations varying. Sadly, RAM remains fixed at 16GB.
As far as the graphics support goes, the 13-inch version will offer an Intel Iris Plus Graphics 640, while the higher end model will have an Intel Iris Plus Graphic 650. The 15-inch model got a bit of a boost with a more powerful Radeon Pro 555 discrete graphics with 2GB video memory, according to Mac Rumors. If those still fall short, aspiring buyers can consider a Radeon Pro 560 with 4GB memory.
The other notable change for the MacBook Pro 2017 has to do with the solid-state drive boost, now 50 percent faster compared to the previous models. Aside from the specs, pricing hardly fluctuated, meaning the upgrades hardly merited an increase.
Nothing much has changed for pricing of the refreshed MacBook Pro 2017. The 12-inch variant is at US$1,299 (AU$1,736), though folks may as well go for the 13-inch model (with function keys) offered at the same price. The Touch Bar versions for the 13 and 15-inch MacBook Pro 2017 models cost US$1,799 (AU$2,405) and US$2,399 (AU$3,207), respectively.
With the suspense over, it will be interesting how buyers of the 2017 MacBook Pro will react. Most were disappointed at the version armed with an Intel Skylake SoC, so seeing an upgraded device with practically the same pricing range could draw in some backlash.
The minor updates to the MacBook Pro 2017 were expected beforehand, and critics feel that Apple may have done well to consider other additions, Tech Crunch reports. These include adding more ports, an additional USB-C port to be precise. There are still issues being raised such as the noisy keyboard, which occasionally jams. There is also the 16GB RAM, something that will apparently stick at least until the next MacBook Pro models.
Regardless of these shortcomings, the new MacBook Pro 2017 models are available for order today via Apple.com. They are also expected to appear in retail outlets starting June 7, 2017.
