Aside from the new MacBook which seems to be stirring a lot of fuss among fans and non-fans alike, Apple has also announced an update on the specs of its existing MacBook Air and MacBook Pro.
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MacBook Air
The fifth generation of the MacBook Air will now be equipped with Thunderbolt 2, an update to the technology that puts together PCI Express and DisplayPort into one connection, which now effectively doubles a single channel’s throughput. This means that although the amount of data that passes through the port hasn’t increased, the amount that can be processed has.
This iteration will also come in 11-inch and 13-inch versions with Core i5 processors. The 13-inch version will be equipped with a better flash memory that, according to Apple, will make it twice as fast than its predecessor.
Display:
- 11.6-inch LED-backlit glossy widescreen display
- 13.3-inch LED-backlit glossy widescreen display
OS: OS X Yosemite
Processor: 1.6GHz dual-core Intel Core i5
Memory: 4GB
Storage:
- 11.6-inch: 128GB / 256GB
- 13.3-inch: 128GB / 256GB
Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 6000
Wireless Connections: 802.11ac Wi-Fi wireless networking; IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n compatible; Bluetooth 4.0 wireless technology
Camera: 720 FaceTime camera
Battery:
- 11.6-inch: Built‑in 38‑watt‑hour lithium‑polymer battery, up to 9 hours wireless web
- 13.3-inch: Built-in 54‑watt‑hour lithium‑polymer battery, up to 12 hours wireless web
Pricing: starts at $899 (approximately PHP40,000)
MacBook Pro
The MacBook Pro with Retina Display will also have the Thunderbolt 2 update, as well as more powerful Core i7 chips from Intel. The 13-inch version will be installed with the new Force Touch trackpad, which has haptic feedback and focuses on pressure instead of clicks. (It’s curious though, why the 15-inch iteration doesn’t support this new feature.)
Display:
- 13.3-inch LED-backlit display with IPS technology; 2560-by-1600 resolution at 227 pixels per inch
- 15.4-inch LED-backlit display with IPS technology; 2880-by-1800 resolution at 220 pixels per inch
OS: OS X Yosemite
Processor:
- 13.3-inch: 2.7GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 processor to 2.9GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 processor
- 15-inch: 2.2GHz quad-core Intel Core i7 processor to 2.5GHz quad-core Intel Core i7 processor
Memory:
- 13.3-inch: 8GB
- 15-inch: 16GB
Storage:
- 13.3-inch: 128GB / 256GB / 512GB
- 15-inch: 256GB / 512 GB
Graphics:
- 13.3-inch: Intel Iris Graphics 6100
15-inch: Intel Iris Pro Graphics
Wireless Connections: 802.11ac Wi-Fi wireless networking; IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n compatible; Bluetooth 4.0 wireless technology
Connectors: MagSafe 2 power port, Two Thunderbolt 2 ports (up to 20 Gbps), Two USB 3 ports (up to 5 Gbps), HDMI port, Headphone port, SDXC card slot
Camera: 720 FaceTime camera
Battery:
- 13.3-inch: Built-in 74.9-watt-hour lithium-polymer
battery, up to 10 hours wireless web - 15-inch: 85W MagSafe 2 Power Adapter with cable management system; MagSafe 2 power port, up to 8 hours wireless web
Pricing: starts at $1,299 (approximately PHP57,600)
The new MacBook Pro and the MacBook Air are now available online.