With all the consternation surrounding the announcement and release of the new 2016 MacBook Pro models, you might expect the reviews to be somewhat split. After all, it’s been well over a year since Apple released a new MacBook, and the best it could do was to add a Touch Bar and erase all of the standard ports?
But despite the laptop’s well-documented issues, reviewers are finding a lot to love with Apple’s latest MacBook Pros. In fact, with reviews of the 13-inch MacBook Pro with function keys beginning to pop up around the internet, we struggled to find any reviews that backed up the initial negative reaction online.
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Read on for a roundup of 13-inch MacBook Pro reviews:
The Verge
The Verge
published one of the more complimentary reviews of the 13-inch MacBook Pro, calling it “the professionalization of the 12-inch MacBook.”
“Any doubts about why this new MacBook Pro exists while being so similar to the MacBook should really be extinguished by its performance. The Pro has a much more powerful processor and smoother graphics to go along with a significantly improved keyboard and a titanic trackpad. The MacBook is still the better computer to take on a flight with you, but the MacBook Pro approaches its level of portability while offering vastly more power and a longer-lasting battery.”
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Ars Technica
While Ars Technica understands the complaints about the new MacBook Pro line and offers some sympathy, the site also admits that the new 13-inch MacBook Pro, even with function keys as opposed to the Touch Bar, is a solid update:
“Putting aside larger concerns about Apple’s stewardship of the Mac as a hardware and software platform, the new MacBook Pro is a very solid design that should serve Apple well over the next few years. Some pros will claim that it isn’t “pro” enough, but the 13-inch models have always served as more of a bridge between the consumer MacBooks and MacBook Airs on the low end and the 15-inch Pros and the desktop lineup on the high end. They’ve never been particularly “pro.””
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PC Magazine
PC Magazine
also found a lot to love, but with a few important caveats:
“If you’re looking for a new laptop for multimedia work, it should be on your short list, yes. But if you have a lot of legacy peripherals, we can’t help but think that you’re probably better off with a system with more versatile connectivity, like the Dell XPS 13 Touch, our Editors’ Choice for high-end ultraportable laptops. If you don’t want to make the move to Windows, however, last year’s 13-inch MacBook Air and MacBook Pro are still available at their 2015 prices; you’ll just have to scroll a little further down on Apple’s website to find them.”
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Mashable
Mashable
, on the other hand, had no issue recommending the new laptop:
“Overall, the entry-level 13-inch MacBook is a satisfying and still sexy system with myriad improvements, but no signature innovation. It should attract budget-conscious MacBook Pro users (those who aren’t willing to switch to Windows where they can get a similarly appointed system for under $900) who think $1,799 is too much for a Core i5 MacBook Pro, even if it does feature that unusual new Touch Bar.”
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Laptop Mag
Finally, Laptop Mag backs up all the other reviews — at the end of the day, the new MacBook Pro is simply a great laptop, despite its port problem:
“The 13-inch MacBook Pro improves upon its predecessor in nearly every way. It’s faster, lighter and more compact, and it offers a brighter display and considerably longer battery life than most Windows machines. I also like the rich and powerful stereo speakers. However, while I’m glad Apple included 2 fast Thunderbolt 3 ports, I wish it kept a traditional USB 3.0 port around for charging the iPhone and connecting other peripherals, as well as an SD card slot.”
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