2016 MacBook Pro: Specs, price, and which model you should get

At its “October 27 Mac event” in Cupertino today, Apple announced its 2016 MacBook Pro lineup (read our hands-on). There are three models to choose from, and it’s not a very easy decision to make.

Preorders begin today, and the devices will begin shipping in a few weeks. Before you decide whether you want function keys or the Touch Bar, and assuming you don’t want to take advantage of Microsoft’s offer, there are a few important tradeoffs you should know about. The tables below compare the two 13-inch base models and options for the 15-inch base model, so you can get a proper understanding of the difference before you start customizing and making upgrades.

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	13-inch	13-inch with Touch Bar
Price	$1,499	$1,799/$1,999
Storage	256GB	256GB/512GB
Display	13.3-inch, 2560×1600, 227 ppi	13.3-inch, 2560×1600, 227 ppi
CPU	2.0GHz dual-core Intel Core i5	2.9GHz dual-core Intel Core i5
RAM	8GB	8GB
Graphics	Intel Iris Graphics 540	Intel Iris Graphics 550
Sensors	Ambient light	Ambient light, Touch ID
Keyboard	78 (U.S.) or 79 (ISO) keys	64 (U.S.) or 65 (ISO) keys
Trackpad	Force Touch, gesture support	Force Touch, gesture support
Camera	720p FaceTime HD camera	720p FaceTime HD camera
Wi-Fi	802.11ac, IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n	802.11ac, IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n
Bluetooth	4.2	4.2
Ports	Two Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C)	Four Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C)
Audio	Two microphones, headphone jack	Three microphones, headphone jack
Battery	54.5-watt-hour lithium-polymer	49.2-watt-hour lithium-polymer
Height	0.59 inch (1.49 cm)	0.59 inch (1.49 cm)
Width	11.97 inches (30.41 cm)	11.97 inches (30.41 cm)
Depth	8.36 inches (21.24 cm)	8.36 inches (21.24 cm)
Weight	3.02 pounds (1.37 kg)	3.02 pounds (1.37 kg)
Colors	Silver, Space Gray	Silver, Space Gray

 
In short, if you pay the extra $300 to go with the Touch Bar instead of function keys, you’ll get slightly better graphics, a fingerprint sensor, two more Thunderbolt ports, one more microphone, and a smaller battery in return. And, of course, the Touch Bar version can be upgraded more — not just with a bigger SSD, but also with a more powerful processor (3.1GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 or 3.3GHz dual-core Intel Core i7).

If you want the 15-inch model, the Touch Bar is mandatory. There’s simply no other option.

	15-inch with Touch Bar
Price	$2,399/$2,799
Storage	256GB/512GB
Display	15.4-inch, 2880×1800, 220 ppi
CPU	2.6GHz quad-core Intel Core i7/2.7GHz quad-core Intel Core i7
RAM	16GB
Graphics	Radeon Pro 450/Radeon Pro 455
Sensors	Ambient light, Touch ID
Keyboard	64 (U.S.) or 65 (ISO) keys
Trackpad	Force Touch, gesture support
Camera	720p FaceTime HD camera
Wi-Fi	802.11ac, IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n
Bluetooth	4.2
Ports	Four Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C)
Audio	Three microphones, headphone jack
Battery	76.0-watt-hour lithium-polymer
Height	0.61 inch (1.55 cm)
Width	13.75 inches (34.93 cm)
Depth	9.48 inches (24.07 cm)
Weight	4.02 pounds (1.83 kg)
Colors	Silver, Space Gray

 
For the 15-inch model, you can pay an extra $400 to get a bigger hard drive, more powerful processor, and better graphics. That’s arguably an easier decision to make.