Apple
Apple's new entry-level MacBook Pro now comes with a quad-core processor and Apple's Touch Bar.
- Apple refreshed its MacBook Air and MacBook Pro laptops earlier this month.
- The starting price of the MacBook Air dropped by $100, and Apple added its True Tone feature to the computer's Retina display.
- Apple beefed up its entry-level MacBook Pro to give it quad-core Intel processors and the company's Touch Bar, which replaces the traditional function keys, amid other changes.
- Critics really seem to dig the changes to the MacBooks, praising their design and upgraded performance, although note a few areas that still need improvement.
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Apple refreshed its popular MacBook Air and MacBook Pro laptops this month in the lead-up to its annual back-to-school promotions that begin around August and September.
The MacBook Air now has a starting price that's $100 more than before, meaning the new computer starts at $1,099. The only other major difference is that the MacBook Air's new Retina displays also include True Tone technology, which helps match the screen's color temperature to your surroundings to make viewing easier on the eyes.
Read more: Apple kills its 12-inch MacBook and launches cheaper new MacBook Pro and MacBook Air models
The entry-level MacBook Pro, meanwhile, got a more substantial upgrade.
The 13-inch MacBook Pro, which has a starting price of $1,299, now features quad-core Intel processors (compared to the dual-core processors in the previous entry-level model), Apple's T2 security chip, and the Touch Bar, which replaces the traditional function keys along the top of the keyboard. If you've never used it before, the Touch Bar is a touchscreen display that lets you control aspects of the computer with virtual keys, which change depending on the applications you're using at the time.
A handful of tech and news publications got their hands on Apple's newest laptops this week, and for the most part, they had positive things to say. Still, there are a few hangups that had some critics feeling like Apple's latest MacBooks are only "very good," instead of "insanely great."