Apple Drops Prices On Retina MacBook Pro Models In Refresh, Adds Faster Processors

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) has updated its MacBook Pro laptop line with Retina display, bumping up processor speeds and memory while cutting prices on its 15-inch version by as much as $100.

The 13-inch and 15-inch versions of the Retina display MacBook Pro were the focus of this hardware refresh, which features faster Intel Haswell processors. The 13-inch model also received a RAM upgrade with 8GB standard, while the 15-inch model received a bump to 16GB. The higher-end 15-inch MacBook Pro also received a $100 price cut, dropping its base price to $2,499.

While not all of the MacBook Pros received a hardware upgrade, the 13-inch non-Retina model received a $100 price cut, to $1,099.

The base model prices on the online Apple Store are as follows:

13-inch:

$1,299: 2.6GHz dual-core Intel Core i5, 8GB RAM, 128GB flash storage $1,499: 2.6GHz dual-core Intel Core i5, 8GB RAM, 256GB flash storage $1,799, 2.8GHz dual-core Intel Core i5, 8GB RAM, 512GB flash storage

15-inch:

$1,999: 2.2GHz quad-core Intel Core i7, 16GB RAM, 256GB flash storage, Iris Graphics $2499: 2.5GHz quad-core Intel Core i7, 16GB RAM, 512GB flash storage, Nvidia GeForce GT 750m

Custom options for the 13-inch MacBook Pro now include a dual-core 3.0GHz Intel Core i7 processor and a 2.8GHz quad-core Intel Core i7 on the 15-inch Macbook Pro, along with up to 1TB of flash storage on both models.

The refreshes aren’t a major update to the MacBook Pro line, but they do come ahead of the anticipated release of OS X 10.10 Yosemite this fall and Apple’s annual back-to-school sale.

The Cupertino, California, company is also said to be working on a 12-inch ultra-thin Retina MacBook, which was originally anticipated for a Fall 2014 release. But shortages surrounding the next-generation Intel Broadwell processor may push the release of the 12-inch model and other hardware upgrades into early 2015.