Apple pumps up entry-level 13-inch MacBook Pro in mid-2019 refresh

Apple is beefing up its entry-level MacBook Pro in a mid-year update which has also seen the slim and light 12-inch MacBook axed alongside reports that a 16.5-inch laptop is waiting in the wings.

The 13-inch MacBook Pro now gains the same Touch Bar control strip and Touch ID fingerprint security as its upmarket siblings.

This will be mixed news for some buyers: I've found that Touch ID works brilliantly, but the Touch Bar strip – which replaces the dedicated row of function key-based shortcuts – can be convenient or clunky, depending on the app you're using.

However, there's no argument to be made against a rev-up to Intel's latest 8th-generation quad-core processors, which pack plenty of punch for heavy-duty tasks but throttle back to preserve battery life at other times.

The base spec is a 1.4GHz quad-core Intel Core i5, however this can be optioned up to the more muscle-bound 1.7GHz Core i7.

Pleasingly, the price of the mid-2019 13-inch MacBook Pro remains pegged at $1,999.

David Flynn

David Flynn is the Editor-in-Chief of Executive Traveller and a bit of a travel tragic with a weakness for good coffee, shopping and lychee martinis.