Review: Apple’s entry-level 2020 13-inch MacBook Pro is yesterday’s technology for today’s prices

For this review, we’re specifically looking at the entry-level 13-inch MacBook Pro 2020 with an 8th-generation 1.4GHz Core i5 processor that can Turbo Boost up to 3.9GHz (the 13-inch MacBook Pro 2020 can also be configured with a quad-core 1.7 GHz eighth-generation Core i7 with a Turbo Boost speed of 4.5 GHz). There is a big difference between the MacBook Pro that has the eighth generation Intel processor, compared to the tenth generation. Enough, in fact, that they warrant a separate examination.

While we will briefly discuss high-end models today, we will review the high-end 10th generation model a little later, as there are enough differences.

Many users expected Apple to move to a 14-inch design for the smaller MacBook Pro, adopting a design aesthetic similar to what Apple had for the 15.4-inch MacBook Pro that became the 16-inch. That has yet to come true, and instead we have another iteration on the existing MacBook Pro design.

The update still has the beautiful Retina display from the P3 color gamut, two three-port Thunderbolt ports in the entry-level model we’re discussing here, a headphone jack, the disputed Touch Bar, and the same 720p camera that’s been slandered. during years.

Many things, Apple decided not to update. Wi-Fi is still just 802.11ac and not Wi-Fi 6 that the iPhone first brought to Apple products. Most devices and routers do not support Wi-Fi 6 at this time, but for a machine intended to last at least six years, Wi-Fi 6 must be included. However, at least it has Bluetooth 5.

The exterior looks the same, though it gained weight from 3.02 pounds to 3.11 pounds and thickness from .59 inches to .61 inches. This has everything to do with the new keyboard.

The 13.3-inch update doesn’t create a 14-inch redesign, it’s just not here yet. Recent rumors point to early 2021 as the time frame for updated aesthetics.

Apple has updated the keyboard layout. After several false starts, Apple released its butterfly switch mechanisms to the curb in favor of Apple’s latest version of a scissor switch design.

The previous butterfly keyboard was divisive, to say the least, but it had few firm defenders. Between this and the Touch Bar, we believe Apple was trying to migrate users to a more iPad-like experience for typing on the Mac. It didn’t seem to go so well.

We’ve talked at some length about the updated Magic Keyboard over and over again. It still has a full millimeter of key travel. It still feels more responsive to typing and not so different from the 16-inch MacBook Pro which also has Apple’s Magic Keyboard embedded in its aluminum body.

We really like the feel of the updated keyboard. While the extra key travel sometimes makes us feel like we’re a bit slower than the previous design we’ve been working on for almost five years, it’s an improvement. It’s not enough to trip over each other while typing so often, and it’s enough to make the keys feel more responsive when pressed.

In addition to moving to Magic Keyboard, other changes are also notable. Specifically, Apple has included a separate physical escape key and also returned the inverted “T” design for the arrow keys. Depending on a user’s job, these can be more impactful than a change from the previous generation keyboard.

Let’s just go out and say it: We’re not impressed with the bottom end of the 13-inch MacBook Pro. While the high-end 13-inch models were upgraded with the tenth-generation Intel processors, the entry-level units were left with the same eighth-generation chips as the 2019 models.

We see the impacts of this choice on performance. Our eighth-generation 1.4GHz quad-core Intel Core i5 processor model obviously got the same score as the 2019 model with the same chip. The 13-inch MacBook Pro (2019) scored 942 and 3913 in Geekbench 5.1.1 single-core and multi-core benchmarks, while the 2020 model scored 948 and 4015.

At the Cinebench R20 benchmark, fans barely turned around, not intervening for up to two-thirds of the test. They were audible, but not as loud as fans of Apple laptops used to be. By monitoring with the Intel Power Gadget, the 13-inch MacBook Pro was able to maintain its clock speed without unnecessarily speeding up. In the test he obtained 1588 points.

There is a degree of variation in these tests. While the 13-inch MacBook Pro 2020 has slightly higher scores, on average, they’re identical for all intents and purposes.

Apple increased storage capacities, fortunately. Double the capacities across the line. Now it starts with 256GB and the low-end options can be upgraded to 2TB. Double what they previously started and what was limited. In terms of speed, we were averaging around 1250 megabytes per second for write speeds and 1600 megabytes per second for read speeds using the Blackmagic Disk Speed ​​Test.

For comparison, the 16-inch MacBook Pro with almost any capacity will peak at 3,150 megabytes per second at read speeds and approximately 2,900 megabytes per second at write speeds. The MacBook Air 2020 offers approximately 1250 megabytes per second of reading and 1000 megabytes per second of writing.

Memory is also the same as last year, starting at 8GB of 2133MHz LPDDR3. Graphics also stick around, relying on the Intel Iris Plus Graphics 645.

This year, more than ever, there is a distinction between entry level units and higher level units. They are physically differentiated by the number of Thunderbolt 3 ports. The entry level has two, while the top end has four. As we’ve mentioned, we’ll be reviewing the high-end machine soon, but to give you an idea of ​​the differences, we wanted to quickly touch on them.

High-end units have the aforementioned 10th generation Intel chips instead of the previous 8th generation. They use faster 3733MHz LPDDR4X memory, start at 16GB and can be upgraded to 32GB. Internal storage can be maximized to 4TB.

Due to those 10th generation chips, the 2020 high-end model has better graphics than the 2019 update, and this low-end MacBook Pro 2020. At the top end, a 6K screen can be handled like Pro Display XDR, with this model you can only connect to an external 5K screen.

This new 13-inch MacBook Pro for 2020 is … fine. It is, in a vacuum, a solid machine. But on the ladder which is Apple’s portable Mac line, it’s an additional rung.

The newer MacBook Air is a more attractive option compared to the 13-inch MacBook Pro in the lower end. It is cheaper, thinner and more portable. Not to mention, the MacBook Air has those updated 10th generation Intel processors that the basic MacBook Pro lacks.

Users who are bent on picking up a entry-level MacBook Pro are buying it for various reasons. Compared to the Air, it is a bit more capable and comes with the touch bar, but if the latter is a bonus it varies greatly from user to user. Compared to the previous generation MacBook Pro, it also has beamforming microphones, Dolby Atmos support on small speakers, as well as a better value with doubled internal storage capabilities.

Those aren’t inherently bad reasons to buy the machine, but the MacBook Air has better overall value, and the high-end 13-inch MacBook Pro has more to offer.

If we weren’t comparing this to the MacBook Air, if it existed in an ideal vacuum, we’d give this machine four out of five for its design, feature set, and performance. But with the MacBook Air so close, occupying the same market segment, the entry-level Pro doesn’t guarantee more than a 3.5.

Apple’s new 13-inch MacBook Pro 2020 is out now, with exclusive coupon discounts of up to $ 200 off, plus additional savings on AppleCare.