The upgrade is too minor for Apple to host an event for the unveiling. Instead, it launched the new MacBooks online, revealing the 2016 model laptops in an announcement today. Apple claims the updated MacBook is “the future of the notebook,” improving performance to make it a better competitor to Windows machines.
The all-metal design remains the same with a new colour option the only change to MacBook’s exterior. Rose Gold joins Silver, Space Gray and Gold, letting owners of rose gold iPhones purchase a matching MacBook with the same style of finish.
The main changes with the refreshed line-up are in the internals. The updated range features Intel’s sixth-generation Core M processors, dual-core chips with clock speeds up to 1.3GHz. They can Turbo Boost up to 3.1GHz when temperatures allow. The processors are now paired with Intel’s HD Graphics 515 for up to 25 percent greater graphics performance in games and video editing utilities.
MacBook’s storage has been switched to a PCIe-based solution for faster data transfers. Apps should open more quickly and large disk reads and writes will take less time to complete. Finally, Apple has managed to add another hour of battery life without changing the design of the chassis. MacBook remains 13.1mm thick with a weight of 2 pounds.
“MacBook is the thinnest and lightest Mac we have ever made and it’s our vision for the future of the notebook,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. “Customers are going to love this update to MacBook, with the latest processors, faster graphics, faster flash storage, longer battery life and a beautiful rose gold finish.”
The new MacBooks retain the same additional specifications as last year’s models. There’s a single USB-C port for charging, data and video, 802.11ac Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0. The laptops are completely silent when in use as there are no moving components. MacBooks are now passively cooled and do not require a fan.
Mac OS X El Capitan is included out of the box, capable of making the most of the new hardware for all-day usage. Apple claims the larger battery will give you 10 hours of web browsing over Wi-Fi or up to 11 hours of video playback in iTunes.
The new range is available to order today and will begin to appear in Apple Stores tomorrow. As part of the upgrade, Apple has revised the basic MacBook configuration for 13-inch models to include 8GB of RAM as standard. The basic 11-inch MacBook Air still features 4GB by default with an 8GB option available.
