Photograph/Graphics: Apple/Rajesh
Following Monday’s launch of the M3-powered MacBook Professionals, Apple discontinued the 13-inch MacBook Professional. It was the final MacBook within the firm’s lineup with a Contact Bar, a skinny, customizable OLED strip on the prime of the keyboard that changed the same old row of operate keys.
A less expensive 14-inch MacBook Professional with an M3 chip replaces the older Contact Bar mannequin.
Time to say goodbye to the 13-inch MacBook Professional
Apple final refreshed the 13-inch MacBook Professional with the M2 chip at WWDC22. The laptop computer was among the many first Macs to transition to Apple silicon chip in 2020. Nonetheless, the mannequin all the time stood because the odd one out within the MacBook lineup with its dated design. It was additionally the one Mac in Apple’s lineup to function a Contact Bar.
In comparison with the smooth, redesigned M2 MacBook Air, the 13-inch MacBook Professional made little sense. Undergo our M2 MacBook Air versus MacBook Professional comparability to grasp why the Professional was not price your cash. The one benefit the Professional mannequin had was an energetic cooling resolution (and a Contact Bar, possibly), however that was not a adequate motive to purchase it.
M3 14-inch MacBook Professional now begins at $1,599
Changing the 13-inch MacBook Professional in Apple’s lineup is the 14-inch MacBook Professional with an M3 chip. It has the identical boxy design with a devoted HDMI port, SD card reader and MagSafe 3 slot as its M3 Professional and M3 Max-powered siblings. Plus, it ships with an even bigger 120Hz Liquid Retina XDR show, a substantial step up from the 13-inch Retina panel.
All these upgrades will value you, although. The 13-inch MacBook Professional began at $1,299, however the brand new 14-inch MacBook Professional begins at $1,599. That’s $400 cheaper than the early 2023 mannequin however nonetheless a substantial bounce in worth.
If that’s too costly for you, think about an M2-powered MacBook Air. The 13-inch variant begins at $1,099, whereas the 15-inch is out there for $1,299.