MacBook Pro 2017 vs. MacBook Pro 2016: Kaby Lake Processor, New Keyboard And More

Apple launched its new range of Macs at the World Wide Developer Conference 2017 Monday. While the company hasn’t totally revamped the 2016 MacBook, it has introduced some pretty significant changes in the 2017 models.

Read: WWDC News: MacBooks and iMacs Refreshed, macOS High Sierra Introduced

Here is how the two MacBook models match up:

Design: In terms of design, the MacBook Pro 2017 might seem pretty similar to its predecessor. It is the third time that Apple has used an ultra-slim chassis for the MacBook, which it had introduced back in 2015. The 2017 MacBook has the dimensions as its predecessor — it weighs around 920 grams and measures 0.52 inches in thickness.

Apple also addressed complaints about the keyboard’s functioning on the 2016 MacBook Pro being under-responsive. The company has added some new butterfly switches such as the new Esc key.

Display: While the 2017 MacBook Pro has the same 13-inch retina display as the 2016 MacBook Pro, but is supported by better graphics hardware.

It will use an Intel Iris Graphics 640/Graphics 650 processor replacing the Intel Iris Graphics 540/ Graphics 550 processor in the 2016 MacBook Pro. The 15-inch model will also get an upgrade from an Intel HD Graphics 530 processor to Intel HD Graphics 630 processor. The discrete graphics will also be updated; the 2017 MacBook will have a 2GB Radeon Pro 555 or a 4GB Radeon Pro 560 replacing the 2GB Radeon Pro 450/455 or 4GB Radeon Pro 460 on its predecessor.

Memory: Apple stated at WWDC2017 that the solid state drives (SSDs) on the 2017 MacBook Pro would be 50 percent faster than SSDs in previous models.

Processor: This might be the biggest change — the 13-inch MacBook 2017 comes with Intel’s 7th generation Kaby Lake 26GHz quad-core Intel i7 processor replacing the 29GHz Intel i5 dual-core processor on the 2016 model.

The 15-inch MacBook Pro now has a 2.9 GHz seventh-generation i7 processor replacing the sixth-generation 2.7 GHz Core i7 processor on its predecessor.

According to GeekBench 4 benchmarks, the new 15-inch MacBook Pro scored single-core and multi-core scores of 4,632 and 15,747 in single and multi-core tests, which is way more than the 2016 MacBook Pro’s scores of 4,098 and 13,155. This means that the 2017 MacBook Pro is 13 percent faster than the 2016 MacBook Pro in single core tests and 19.7 percent faster in multi-core tests.

Touch Bar: Strangely enough, unlike the 2016 MacBook Pro, the MacBook Pro currently available in the stores does not have a touch bar. A model with the Touch Bar is expected to be available later.

Ports: The company has retained the single USB-C port from the 2016 MacBook Pro.

Read: MacBook Pro Touch Bar Problems: Apple Users Complain Of 'Popping' Sound Coming From Laptop

In addition to this, you can now configure the MacBook to add 16GB of RAM. Furthermore, it can now support a 4K desk monitor. While it is not known yet, the battery life on the new MacBook models is expected to be better than the 2016 models.