The entry level MacBook Pro and MacBook Air are getting a refresh today with faster CPUs, better screens and a price drop on Apple site. Both laptops vanished from Apple’s website earlier today while the new Retina MacBook Air and MacBook Pro received updates. Apple is dropping the older non-Retina MacBook Air, and the polarizing 12-inch MacBook that started the war on ports. Apple has not formally announced the fate of the previous MacBook Air or 12-inch MacBook, but we have confirmed that these two systems are now discontinued.
Apple earlier this year refreshed its higher end MacBook Pro 13 inch and 15 inch models with beefier, 8-core CPUs and subtle improvements to its infamous keyboard. Now the company is giving the same treatment to the base MacBook Pro and MacBook Air models, making them more compelling for the back-to-school season.
The entry-level MacBook Pro is joining the Touch Bar (and Touch ID) club, which marks the end of the “MacBook Escape” option that has been the only sane option for some, particularly software developers.
As for the MacBook Air, it gets a thinner upgrade in the form of dual core Coffee Lake CPUs and a True Tone display, so just like the Pro it is now capable of adjusting based on ambient lighting for more natural colors. The Air is also equipped with two USB-C ports and a third-gen butterfly keyboard, but if that’s not your cup of tea, Apple might return to scissor switches in upcoming models next year.
Apple has also dropped the starting price for the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro to $1,099 and $1,299 respectively.
