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Macbook Pro 2020 13 inch
The 13 inch Apple Macbook Pro 2020 is seen by many as Apple’s most important laptop. It does not only comes with an upgrade in the hardware and a new keyboard, it also comes at an affordable price.
This laptop is a great solution for creative professionals and business people who need a thin and light laptop to move around with. Comparing the Macbook Pro 2020 vs Macbook Pro 2019, it is clearly seen that there are upgrades made on this year’s model. performance-wise, this year’s model sports a new 10th generation CPU offering a noticeable boost, and also comes with twice the RAM and storage of last year’s model.
Configurations and Prices
The entery-level configuration features a much older 8th generation intel CPU, and slower memory. the 1.4GHz quad-core 8th generation intel core i5 processor present in the entry-level configuration made the cost price same as the 2019 model which starts at $1,299/£1,299/Au$1,999.
This old CPU present in the entry-level configuration makes it a bad laptop to recommend to professionals. You may be better off using previous models that come at a more cheaper price but is sure to get the work done.
We consider the mid-range model as the absolute minimum configuration to buy. This comes with a 2.0GHz 10th generation intel core i5 processor, 512GB of storage and 16GB RAM for $1,799/£1,799/Au$2,999. The mid-range model also has a faster 3,733MHz RAM compared to the entry-level model’s 2,133MHz RAM.
The Macbook Pro 2020 can also be configured with a 10th generation intel core i7 processor, upto 32GB RAm and up to 4TB of SSD storage.
Apple Macbook Pro 2020 Design
We have seen fro recent Macbook releases that Apple has not made any changes to the body (outside) design of the Macbook Pro.
The MacBook Pro 2020 comes in same silver or space gray colour, and similar dimensions at 11.97 * 8.36 * 0.61 inches (304.1 * 212.4 * 156 mm). Which is slightly thicker than the previous model, that has a depth of 0.59 inch (14.9 mm). It also weighs slightly heavier at 3.1 pounds (1.4kg) compared to the 3.02 pounds (1.37kg) of the 2019 model.
The MacBook Pro 2020 comes with four thunderbolt 3 ports ( or two in the entry-level model) and an audio jack.
However, openning up the MacBook Pro 2020, you will find more changes. This is because Apple finally replaced the butterfly keyboard with the new magic keyboard which they also made use of in the MacBook Air 2020 model.
This change made to the keyboard not only eleminates the problem of stuck keys faced with the previous model, but also offers a much comfortable typing experience. This new keyboard is pretty amazing, and to those that were put off by the pronounced keyboard issues of the previous MacBook Pro, this new model could change your mind.
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Touch Bar
The Touch Bar, a thin display above the keyboard is again present and gives context-sensitive buttons that you can press. Though the Touch Bar is not loved by everyone, many apps like photoshop make good use of it offering you a quick access tool.
The Touch ID button, which is also the power button has been seperated from the Touch Bar to the side. It is a reliable way of logging into your MacBook and also for making payments using Apple pay with your fingerprint.
The escape key has also been seperated from the Touch Bar, and the arrow keys are now in an inverted T-arrangement like other laptops.
Apple Macbook Pro 2020 Display
The MacBook Pro 2020 screen remains the same as the 2019 model. The resolution 2560 × 1600 isn’t the highest ever featured on a 13 inches laptop. However, with all honesty the 4k resolution on this 13-inches screen seems like an overkill on Apples part. The MacBook Pro has a very vibrant and bright display. Importantly, the MacBook Pro 13-inch 2020 model for creative professional offers excellent colour reproduction since it supports the P3 wide colour gamut. Though not much changes were made, but the few changes made are easily noticeable.
Apple Macbook Pro 2020 Performance
The MacBook Pro 13 inches 2020 model is an amazing Apple product. It runs MacOS Catalina with ease, leading to a responsive and smooth performance experience. The apps tried so far, also load up nice and fast.
Multitasking with the MacBook Pro 13 inch 2020 model is quite smooth. Switching from one task to another does not take a toll on the performance power of the laptop. However, this is only possible with the new intel CPU and the faster 3733MHz LPDDTAX RAM packed into the MacBook Pro. The 2020 model of the MacBook pro feels less of a compromise compared to it’s more powerful 16 inches model.
Note, that this applies to the mid-range MacBook Pro 13 inches with 10th generation core i5 processor. The low-end 13 inches MacBook Pro with older CPU and slower RAM won’t perform as well as the mid-range.
The Graphics War
Unlike the 16 inches MacBook Pro 2020, the 13 inches does not come with a dedicated GPU but with an improved integrated graphics. Therefore, the intel iris plus graphics integrated GPU will be used for graphically-intensive work such as video editing and 3D rendering.
The 16 inch MacBook Pro is therefore recommended for professionals who need a graphical power house because of its dedicated graphics card that performs better than the integrated GPUs.
Apple claims the intel iris plus graphics in the 13 inch MacBook Pro 2020 is 80% faster in performance. That is, when it comes to 4k editing and rendering compared to previous models. It also allows full 6k resolution of Apple’s Pro Display XDR with the MacBook Pro 13 inch.
To be absolutely clear, the improved graphical performance on the intel iris plus graphics is only on the mid-range 10th generation 13 inch MacBook Pro 2020. The entry-level 13 inch MacBook Pro 2020 model comes with the 8th generation intel processor with no upgrade made on its Intel iris plus graphics. That is to say that, the entry-level 13 inch MacBook Pro 2020 makes use of an older intel graphics, the intel iris plus graphics 645.
Apple Macbook Pro 2020 Battery life
The MacBook Pro 13 inch 2020 model packs a 58watt-hour battery and a slightly larger 58.2 half-hour battery in the entry-level model. This battery should offer about 10 hours worth of battery life. Therefore, making it similar to the battery life of the previous model.
The battery lasted for a duration of 8 hours and 30 minutes when a 1080p video was played on a loop. And this is certainly impressive for a work station such as this.
This simply means unless you carry out intensive tasks like rendering, the battery of the 13 inch MacBook Pro will probably last a whole day without charging.
Unlike windows 10 laptops, the battery of the 13 inch MacBook Pro 2020 model will still have battery left when the lid is closed for a few days.
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Specification
| CPU | 1.4-GHz quad core 8th gen | 1.4 GHz quad-core 8th gen | 2 GHz quad-core 10th gen | 2 GHz quad core 10th gen |
| RAM | 8GB 2133MHz LPDDR3 memory | 8GB 2133MHz LPDDR3 memory | 16GB 3733MHz LPDDR4X memory | 16GB 3733MHz LPDDR4X memory |
| Storage | 256GB SSD | 512GB SSD | 512GB SSD | 1TB SSD |
| Graphics | Intel Iris Plus 645 | Intel Iris Plus 645 | Intel Iris Plus | Intel Iris Plus |
| Display | 13 inch Retina Display (2560 x 1600) | 13 inch Retina Display (2560 x 1600) | 13 inch Retina Display (2560 x 1600) | 13 inch Retina Display (2560 x 1600) |
| Ports | Two Thunderbolt 3 | Two Thunderbolt 3 | Four Thunderbolt 3 | Four Thunderbolt 3 |
| Size | 11.97 x 8.36 x 061 inches | 11.97 x 8.36 x 061 inches | 11.97 x 8.36 x 061 inches | 11.97 x 8.36 x 061 inches |
| Weight | 3.1 pounds | 1.4kg (3.1) pounds | 3.1 pounds | 1.4kg (3.1) pounds |
Should I Buy It
Buy it if you:
- Want a MacBook that is both powerful and small.
- Hate the previous MacBook keyboard.
- Are in need of an Apple laptop with excellent battery life.
- Are not on a budget.
- Do not care about the power of its graphics card.
- Fancy Apple design.
The Final Verdict
The 13 inch MacBook Pro 2020 model sports a new intel processor and improved RAM speeds. There was also an upgraded to the intel graphics for better performance. However, this is not the case for its entry-level model which misses out on these new improvements.
The mid-range model of the 13 inch MacBook Pro with the intel 10th generation processor and faster RAM is recommended to only people with enough money to spend. For those on a budget but still want a cheaper 2020 model MacBook with the latest improvements, the MacBook Air 2020 is recommended for you.
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