Late-2013 15-Inch Retina MacBook Pro Review: Apple’s High-Performance Notebook Tops The Field

Apple’s MacBook Pro with Retina Display will soon be just the MacBook Pro, period. But this generation two version of both the 13- and 15-inch super slim notebooks with high-res displays is still something many average users will be weighing as an outlier possibility versus the more mainstream MacBook Air. But thanks to price cuts and smart improvements under the hood, Apple’s Retina MacBook has grown up a lot since the 15-inch version made its first appearance back in June 2012.

Video Review

Basics

• 2880 x 1800 (Retina), 15.4-inch display
• 256GB storage
• 2.0GHz quad-core Intel Core i7
• 8GB RAM
• 0.71 inches thick, 4.46 lbs
• 802.11ac Wi-Fi
• 8 hours battery life
• $1,999

Pros

• Screen is best-in-class
• Thin and light design despite ample power
• Now includes iWork apps for free
• $200 price cut versus previous entry-level version

Cons

• Still pretty beefy compared to Air and 13-inch Retina Pro
• Battery life now on the low end of MacBook spectrum

Design

The MacBook Pro with Retina display is a crowning achievement for Apple’s notebooks not only because of its screen, but also because it manages to trim size and weight compared to the legacy non-Retina MacBook Pro models. You’re not going to get the featherweight quality of the MacBook Air, but you will get a big break if you’re used to one of the older, bulkier pro models.