Review: The new MacBook Pro has robust features but comes with some challenges

The wait is over for MacBook Pro users. After four years, Apple has finally refreshed its lineup of powerful laptops, sporting an all new metal design with new robust features, including the Touch Bar and Touch ID sensor. It’s thin, unique, and will change the way you use your computer…but it also comes with some challenges.

While the higher-end models of the MacBook Pro will be released next month, Apple will make a more affordable entry model available next week. It doesn’t have the Touch Bar or Touch ID, but it still boasts some serious horsepower. I had the chance to put this new entry model through the paces over the past 12 hours. Here’s an early look at what you can expect.

Lightweight Design

When you first pick up the MackBook Pro, you may very well mistake it for a MacBook Air. The Pro has become significantly thinner through the generations. In fact, the latest model is now 12 per cent thinner than the MacBook Air. Hard to believe when you consider the Air was at one point the gold standard when it comes to ultra-thin laptops.

Not only is the new MacBook Pro thinner, it’s lighter as well. Apple has managed to shed the MacBook Pro’s weight by half a pound. That makes a huge difference, especially for those who travel a lot with their laptops.

Beautiful Display

Simply put, the display on Apple’s new MacBook Pro is gorgeous! The screen is now 67 per cent brighter than previous generations. You will see the difference the moment you turn it on. The new display also supports Wide Colour Gamut, giving you 25 per cent more visible colours.

You’ll also notice just how inky the blacks have become. Apple claims it uses a process which involves UV light to align liquid crystal molecules to give richer, darker blacks. The result is a 67 per cent higher contrast ratio than the previous MacBook Pro line.

While every day laptop users will marvel at all the beautiful, vibrant colours, photographers, designers and other professionals will be the ones who get the most out of the display’s improvements.

Updated Keyboard

Last year Apple introduced a new style of keyboard on the MacBook. It used a new butterfly mechanism beneath the keys, allowing for an ultra-shallow keyboard. That same style has now made its way to the MacBook Pro.

I typed this review on the entry level MacBook Pro, and I will say the keys feel very similar to the MacBook, albeit slightly more responsive. On my MacBook there are times when keystrokes aren’t registered. After three solid hours of typing on the new MacBook Pro, I haven’t noticed this at all.

I do want to point one thing out. Those transitioning from Apple’s classic MacBook keyboards will feel out of sorts for the first while. The shallow keys have a very different feel. It took me weeks to get used to it, suffering through countless typos. Be patient! You will get used to it!

It’s important to note the higher end models of the MacBook Pro have replaced the function keys with an OLED screen called the Touch Bar. The touch sensitive strip can be customized to not only show the function keys, but to display shortcuts and other icons, depending on the app or program you have open at the time. Touch Bar is not present on the entry model. It still has the traditional function keys.

Larger Trackpad

Not a larger trackpad…a significantly larger trackpad! The new trackpad is a whopping 46 per cent larger than those found on previous models. This really comes in handy when it comes to Multi-Touch gestures.

Force Touch is once again present in the trackpad. It’s pressure sensitive, so it knows how much force you are applying. Certain programs make use of the technology by adding functionality based on how hard you press. For example, you can fast forward a movie in quicktime from x2 to x60 depending on how firm you press down on the trackpad.

At first I was worried the larger trackpad would become confused as my palms brushed against it as I typed. My concern was short-lived. Although my palms did hit it from time to time, it never became an issue.

Redesigned Speakers

Apple’s engineers have redesigned the speakers on the latest MacBook Pro from the ground up. By placing them along the sides to the keyboard, Apple says it can deliver unobstructed audio with less distortion. Good move.

Sound quality is surprisingly good. I streamed music for a few hours in my hotel room as I typed this review. Even at max volume there was next to no distortion. In fact, it could easily replace one of your small bluetooth speakers in your home.

The audio on the new MacBook Pro does lack bass, but that really shouldn’t come as a big surprise. What do you expect with speakers set into a shallow laptop body.

Oh, and in case you are wondering…yes, there is a headphone jack!

Performance

If you’re using a MacBook Pro, chances are you are using it to edit video and other tasks which require serious processing power. Apple promises its new laptop will delivery on performance.

Let’s take a look at the specs. The entry model of the MacBook Pro features a 6th Generation 2.0GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 processors with turbo speeds of up to 3.1GHz. It can be configured up to a 2.4GHz dual-core Core i7 processor with turbo speeds up to 3.4GHz.

Graphics wise you’ll find Intel Iris Graphics 540, with 64MB of embedded DRAM (eDRAM) that serves to accelerate graphics and processor workloads. Apple says graphics performance on the entry 13-inch MacBook Pro model is up to 80 percent faster than the previous-generation entry configuration of the 13-inch MacBook Pro. When it comes to video editing, a 4K 3D render is approximately 53% faster than the previous generation of MacBook Pros.

Keep in mind, these are Apple’s stats. Full disclosure…I have had limited time with the latest entry model MacBook so I haven’t personally been able to put it through the paces to see how it handles gruelling workloads. I can tell you importing and editing 4K video shot on my iPhone 7 went very smooth. I have yet to put it to a true test by editing a television feature in 4K, That is yet to come!

Apple has also upgraded the Flash Storage. Solid State Drives have come a long way over the course of the past 4 years. The new SSD have sequential read speeds of up to 3.1 Gbps, which is 100% faster than previous models. This is most noticeable when opening or copying files. Quick and snappy!

Battery

Apple is promising a 10 hour battery life on the latest MacBook Pro. How long your battery will last you will depend on what you plan to do on it.

For the most part I spent the last 12 hours typing, surfing the web, playing games and movies as well as some video editing in Final Cut Pro. After 3 hours of continuous use I was down to about 72 per cent which seems to be on par for what Apple is promising. You can bet prolonged editing and rendering video files will take a bigger toll on your battery.

Ports…or lack thereof

This is going to be the real sticking point for a lot of people upgrading to a new MacBook Pro. The traditional ports found on the MacBook Pro are now gone. HDMI, USB 2, Thunderbolt 2, and the SDXC card slot have all been stripped. GONE! Even the MagSafe 2 charging port is absent. All of these ports have been replaced by two Thunderbolt 3 ports.

What does this mean to you? Dongles!

Want to connect your MacBook Pro to a projector? You’ll need a dongle for that. Want to read a file on a USB drive? Dongle! How about transfer photos from an SD card? Dongle. Connect your iPhone to the MacBook Pro to import video? Oh yes, you guessed it…dongle! Oh…and the dongles do not come with the MacBook Pro..those need to be purchased separately.

I have grown accustomed to carrying a dongle around with me as I have been using the MacBook extensively since it was first announced last year. It only has a USB C port. It can be a pain, especially if you forget the dongle at home, but it seems to be a necessary evil as Apple continues to trim down the ports on its laptops.

The Bottom Line

It’s hard not to be impressed with Apple’s new workhorse, especially when you consider the size and weight. The latest MacBook Pro is a solid update in just about every way, from the look and feel, to performance. Then again it should be considering it’s been 4 years in the making.

Sure, people will be upset about the fact that you will require dongles to attach just about any peripheral, but that seems to be the direction Apple is taking, and it doesn’t look like that’s about to change anytime soon.

If you are going to splurge on a MacBook Pro, it may be worth your while to hold off for a couple of weeks. Apple will soon be releasing the higher end models which feature both Touch Bar and Touch ID. I had the chance to try out both features immediately after the unveiling, and I have to say I walked away impressed. Both add an incredible amount of functionality to the device. A true game-changer…if you can afford it.

The entry model 13-inch model (reviewed) starts at $1899 (no Touch Bar)
The 13-inch MacBook Pro (with Touch Bar and Touch ID) starts at $2299.
The 15-inch MacBook Pro (with Touch Bar and Touch ID) starts at $2999.