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Short Summary
Main recommendation: Marques Brownlee says the 2020 13-inch MacBook Pro's real upgrade is the keyboard, and whether it's worth buying depends on whether you need the higher-end configuration for performance or just want the keyboard., since the new keyboard comes with all models but the performance upgrades apply only to the pricier versions. He calls it a very minor update, and the 16-inch MacBook Pro becomes the better choice for buyers who want more performance.
Key Points
- The Butterfly keyboard from the 16-inch MacBook Pro is now in the 13-inch model, bringing back a dedicated Escape key, inverted T arrow keys, and real key travel.
- The higher-end models get 10th-gen Intel quad-core chips (up to a quad-core i7), improved Iris graphics, 512 GB starting storage (up to 4 TB), and 16 GB of faster LPDDR4X RAM (up to 32 GB).
- The baseline models keep 8th-gen Intel chips, 8 GB of slower LPDDR3 RAM, 256 GB storage, and only two Thunderbolt 3 ports, making them essentially last year's model with the new keyboard.
- The 13-inch sits in an awkward middle spot: the 16-inch MacBook Pro offers a dedicated GPU, better thermals, and an 8-core i9 for roughly the same price, while the MacBook Air is cheaper for buyers who do not need Pro performance.
Details Worth Noting
- Concrete instructions: No step-by-step instructions were given. Actionable guidance: if you want a 13-inch MacBook Pro for performance, choose a high-end configuration rather than the baseline, because the baseline lacks the new chips, RAM, and storage. If you care most about performance and can spend more, consider the 16-inch MacBook Pro; if you only need light use and want to save money, consider the MacBook Air.
- The baseline 13-inch saves roughly $100 or more by keeping the older 8th-gen chips, according to Dave2D, whom Brownlee cites as the likely reason for that choice.
- The top configuration Brownlee reviewed is a quad-core i7 with 32 GB RAM and 2 TB storage, priced around $3,000.
- The design is nearly unchanged, though about one millimeter thicker to fit the new keyboard. The Touch Bar, large trackpad, battery life, and 720p webcam remain the same.
- Speakers and microphone were improved to match the 16-inch model, and Brownlee calls the speakers best-in-class for a laptop of this size.
- Brownlee notes that a 14-inch MacBook Pro was widely expected but he's unsure it will happen, and mentions rumors suggest some kind of new Mac, possibly ARM-based, could appear within the next year.
Bottom Line
The 2020 13-inch MacBook Pro's real upgrade is the new keyboard, but buyers who want meaningful performance gains must pay for the high-end configuration, which pushes them toward the 16-inch model.