Apple upgrades the MacBook Pro and MacBook Air in time for going back to school

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Apple has revealed a surprise refresh, updating the 13-inch MacBook Pro and MacBook Air, while giving the latter a price cut – and entirely dropping the 12-inch MacBook from its laptop line-up.

The refreshed MacBook Air now has True Tone technology added to the Retina display, which automatically adjusts the color temperature for a more natural and comfortable viewing experience.

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The other big move is lowering the price of the entry-level MacBook Air to £1,099 ($1,099, AU$1,699, AED 4,699) – with college students getting the notebook at an even cheaper price, Apple promises.

As for the 13-inch MacBook Pro, the entry-level model sticks with the same price tag in this case at £1,299 ($1,299, AU$1,999, AED 5,539), although it will again be available more cheaply for students.

However, that entry-level machine gets a considerable boost with the introduction of an 8th-generation Intel Core i5 quad-core processor (1.4GHz, with boost to 3.9GHz), which Apple claims makes it twice as powerful compared to its predecessor.

The other major changes are the introduction of the Touch Bar and Touch ID, meaning that all the MacBook Pro models now have the Touch Bar (the base offering didn’t before). Plus, the 13-inch MacBook Pro gets the True Tone Retina display and Apple’s T2 security chip, to boot.

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Apple's refreshed MacBook Pro 13-inch (Image credit: Apple)

Beats incorporated

Students will also be pleased to hear that the new MacBook Air and MacBook Pro will be part of Apple’s Back to School promotion (which begins today), so not only do you get the aforementioned money knocked off, but you also receive a pair of Beats Studio 3 Wireless headphones bundled.

So, the MacBook Air definitely just became more tempting for students, and indeed for everyone given that Apple’s asking price has been reduced by £100 or $100 for all-comers. One of our complaints regarding last year’s MacBook Air was the way it considerably bumped up the asking price on the entry-level, and at least the new £1,099 or $1,099 (AU$1,699) price point looks more palatable.

As we mentioned at the outset, if you look on the Apple website now, the only laptops offered are the revamped MacBook Air and MacBook Pro, with the 12-inch MacBook doing a vanishing act.

A recent rumor suggested that Apple would refresh the MacBook Air and 13-inch MacBook Pro along with the launch of macOS Catalina later this year, but it appears the company couldn’t wait.

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