MacBook Pro 2016 Price: Apple Says Goodbye To MacBook Air, Bets All On Revamped Line

The MacBook Pro 2016 has been officially revealed, and its specs, price, and features are everything that rumors painted it out to be. Over the course of the last few months, numerous speculations about the device’s features emerged, many of which were proven right on Thursday’s big event.

The MacBook Pro has not been revamped in quite a long time. The last refresh of the machine took place May of last year, but even then, the upgrades that were given to the device were mostly incremental. The 2016 MacBook Pro is the first real upgrade to the esteemed powerhouse line, and it embodies much of what Apple is right now.

Specs-wise, the MacBook Pro somewhat lags behind its competitors. This is evident just by looking at the heart of the device. The MacBook Pro 2016 still carries Intel’s sixth-generation Skylake chips, which is one step away from the seventh-generation Kaby Lake chips that are found on flagship laptops from rivals like Dell and HP.

Despite the MacBook Pro 2016 only being equipped with a Skylake processor, however, it is still a pretty formidable device, partly due to Apple’s mastery of using all the technology that its devices have to their utmost potential. Coupled with MacOS Sierra, the 2016 MacBook Pro runs programs extremely smoothly.

One thing that definitely characterizes the MacBook Pro 2016 is the machine’s use of Apple’s first ever Touch Bar, an innovative touchscreen that takes the place of the laptop’s traditional function keys. The Touch Bar is extremely flexible, allowing users of the MacBook Pro 2016 to access commands for specific programs directly from the strip.

For example, if players are playing music, the bar would display music controls. If the user is using Photoshop, on the other hand, the Touch Bar would instead feature several notable tools and commands that are pertinent to the program. TouchID purchases and answering FaceTime calls are also accomplished through the Touch Bar.

The MacBook Pro 2016 comes in three iterations, two 13-inch units and one 15-inch machine. The entry-level 13-inch MacBook Pro starts at $1,499, though the machine is equipped with a standard keyboard and slightly lower specs. The 13-inch model that is equipped with the Touch Bar is priced at $1,799, while the 15-inch MacBook Pro is priced at a very premium $2,399.

During the end of the event, Apple presented its laptop line once more, presenting the three MacBook Pro 2016 variants alongside the 2016 MacBook, which was unveiled earlier this year. With the four devices comprising Apple’s laptop lineup for the year, one particular rumor was proven right. The MacBook Air is officially dead.

The MacBook Air is Apple’s entry-level laptop for years, and it proved extremely popular for casual users and students. For those who were looking for a reasonably-priced Mac with formidable specs to boot, the MacBook Air was a very easy sell. However, the introduction of last year’s ultraportable MacBook seemed like a sign that Apple was ready to retire the Air line.

As it turned out, such speculations were right, as Apple did ultimately end the MacBook Air line with the introduction of the MacBook Pro 2016. While the Air’s removal does make sense from a business standpoint, the departure of the MacBook Air from Apple’s lineup will surely be felt by the brand’s avid followers.

This is because the MacBook Air is a laptop that provides a great balance between power, price, and portability. MacBook Pros are very powerful, but prior to the introduction of the 2016 model, the line is represented by relatively huge machines that are pretty difficult to carry around. The MacBook, on the other hand, was extremely portable and well-made. It was, however, notoriously underpowered for its price. Thus, MacBook Airs have been, for the past few years at least, the Apple device that is just right.

The three variants of the MacBook Pro 2016 are arguably the best portable machines that Apple has ever made. They are, however, entering the market just as a fan favorite is being retired. Apple’s earnings for the next few quarters would ultimately prove if the MacBook Pro 2016’s balance of price, specs, and features would be enough to fill the void left behind by the MacBook Air.

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[Featured Image by Stephen Lam/Getty Images]