2016 MacBook Pro finally receives thumbs up from Consumer Reports

The MacBook 2016 was launched in November 2016 to mixed review from both critics as well as Ardent Mac fans. To add to Apple’s woes, product testing firm Consumer Reports did not give the new MacBook Pro’s a recommendation mainly because of the new generation’s poor battery life as compared to its predecessors.

Now, the firm has finally given a thumbs up to the 2016 MacBook Pro models after Apple released a software fix to fix the batter life issues on the laptops.

In their new report, Consumer Reports says that the software update Apple released on January 9 fixed the problems the firm found in earlier testing. "We tested each model multiple times using the new software, following the same protocol we apply to hundreds of laptops every year,”

In the new tests, the laptop fared very well, with one model running as long as 18.75 hours on a single charge.

At their “Hello Again” event, Apple announced three variants of the 2016 MacBook Pro - a 13 inch model without the Touch Bar and Touch ID for $1499, a 13-inch model with Touch Bar and Touch ID for $1799 and the flagship 15-inch model for $2399

Still a disappointment
The new MacBook Pro’s saw a lot of criticism from both critics as well as MacBook purists as they went against the very definition of a ‘Pro’ laptop. The removal of almost all legacy I/O ports, lack of an SD card reader, the underpowered internals and the shockingly bloated sticker price all contributed to the disappointment.

The distinguishing feature of the new MacBook Pro lineup - the much leaked and anticipated TouchBar also received mixed reactions.

Everything you need to know about the 2016 Macbook Pro (With Touchbar)
The new MacBook Pro comes in an all new chassis, which is much slimmer and lighter than the old one. In fact, the 13-inch MacBook Pro is actually thinner and has less volume than the 13-inch MacBook Air.

In a nutshell, the new MacBook Pros come with an adaptive touch strip called the Touch Bar, the latest Intel Core i5/i7 processors, super fast SSD, a super slim and light design, Touch ID and fair Thunderbolt 3 /USB C ports.

The new MacBook Pro comes in an all new chassis, which is much slimmer and lighter than the old one. In fact, the 13-inch MacBook Pro is actually thinner and has less volume than the 13-inch MacBook Air.

In a nutshell, the new MacBook Pros come with an adaptive touch strip called the Touch Bar, the latest Intel Core i5/i7 processors, super fast SSD, a super slim and light design, Touch ID and FOUR Thunderbolt 3 /USB C ports.

The Touch ID sensor is located on the power button just next to the Touch Bar and is powered by a brand new chip called T1, which provides a secure enclosure for storing your fingerprints.

The 13-inch MacBook Pro with Touchbar starts at Rs 155,900 and the 15-inch variant is available from Rs 1,72,900.

MacBook Pro 2016 (Without TouchBar)
 
The 13-inch model without the Touch Bar and Touch ID is meant as an entry point into the world of Apple’s Pro laptops and aimed at those looking at a MacBook Air 13-inch.

The entry level variant in the new MacBook Pro lineup comes with the 6th generation of Intel’s core i5/i7 processors, Intel Iris Graphics 540, 8GB standard 1866MHz DDR3 RAM and super fast SSD’s.

When it comes to the I/O, Apple has eschewed the USB 3.0, Thunderbolt 2, SD reader, HDMI and MagSafe port for just two Thunderbolt 3/USB Type C ports.

Like the MacBook introduced in 2015, these ports are multi functional and can supply power, carry data, replace your HDMI/display port and be used to connect USB peripherals.