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Apple MacBook Pro with Retina display (15-inch)

9.0 Verge Score 9.5 User Score Write Review
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Verge Review

Though Apple quietly discontinued the 17-inch MacBook Pro this week, hardly a tear was shed. In fact, the company went out of its way to replace the ultra-premium tier with something even more covetous — namely, a 15-inch MacBook Pro with such a pixel-dense screen that the company put “Retina display” prominently in its name. Apple went even further, shrinking the body down to “as thin as Air” dimensions thanks to some clever industrial design and a few sacrifices along the way. And...

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Basic Specs

Laptop type Mainstream
Thickness .71 inches
Weight 4.46 pounds
Operating system Mac OS X
Screen size (diagonal) 15.4 inches
CPU brand Intel
CPU family Ivy Bridge
Graphics type Switchable
Integrated GPU model HD Graphics 4000
Base discrete GPU brand Nvidia

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Recent News

No recent news about Apple MacBook Pro with Retina display (15-inch).

Recent Discussions

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Tech Specs

Hardware

Laptop type Mainstream
Width 14.13 inches
Depth 9.73 inches
Thickness .71 inches
Weight 4.46 pounds
Color Silver

Software

Operating system Mac OS X

Display (base)

Screen size (diagonal) 15.4 inches
Display surface Glossy
Technology IPS LCD
Backlight LED
Resolution (X) 2880 px
Resolution (Y) 1800 px
PPI 220

Keyboard

Type Chiclet
Backlit Yes
Number pad No

Mouse

Type(s) Trackpad
Multitouch Yes
Multitouch points 4

Processor (base)

CPU brand Intel
CPU family Ivy Bridge
Model Core i7-3615QM
Cores 4
Clockspeed 2.3 GHz
Turbo clockspeed 3.3 GHz

Processor (max)

Brand Intel
Family Ivy Bridge
Model Core i7-3820QM
Cores 4
Clockspeed 2.7 GHz
Turbo clockspeed 3.7 GHz

GPU (base)

Graphics type Switchable
Integrated GPU brand Intel
Integrated GPU model HD Graphics 4000
Base discrete GPU brand Nvidia
Discrete GPU model GeForce GT 650M
Dedicated VRAM size 1 GB

Memory

Base RAM size 8 GB
Max. config RAM size 16 GB
RAM type DDR3
Base RAM speed 1600 MHz

Storage

Options Flash Memory (SSD)
Base drive type Flash (SSD)
Base drive capacity 256 GB
Max. config SSD 768 GB
Card reader Yes
Card reader support SD

Audio

Speakers 2

Webcam

Video resolution 720p

Sensors

Ambient light Yes

Port options

USB 3.0 2
Thunderbolt 2
HDMI 1
3.5mm mic / headphone combo 1

Connectivity

Wi-Fi Yes
Wi-Fi options 802.11n, 802.11g, 802.11b, 802.11a
802.11n frequencies 5GHz, 2.4GHz
Bluetooth Yes
Bluetooth version 4.0

Battery

Size 95 Wh
Chemistry Lithium Polymer (Li-Po)
Removable No
Quoted time 7 hr

Benchmarks

GeekBench 13014

Recent News

No recent news about Apple MacBook Pro with Retina display (15-inch).

9.5

Average User Review

of 20 total reviews
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  • Design 10
  • Keyboard 9
  • Touchpad 10
  • Display 10
  • Performance 10
  • Heat / noise 9
  • Battery life 9
  • Software 9

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  • 8.0
    Show all User reviews

    Reviewed by loismustdie1 (Currently owns)

    April 16, 2013 07:06 am

    My first Macbook Pro with Retina Display was swapped out due to having so many problems related to the logic board and image persistence (ghosting). It was actually an upgrade (late 2012 model upgraded to 2013 model). Since the switch, it has been easy going and smooth sailing. The integrated Intel 4000/discrete 650 M pairing offers an excellent balance between battery life and power. Of course it goes without saying that the screen is absolutely beautiful. Though the "best for retina display" is essentially a pixel doubling of 1440x900, the scaled resolutions provide more than adequate clarity to make any other computer that isn't a "Retina Display" seem blurry in comparison.
    Though Apple has done a remarkable job in design and functionality, it comes at a cost (literally). Its quite expensive compared to other laptops, and the lack of customer serviceability (since everything is soldiered to the logic board) make AppleCare an absolute must. As I said before, my first Macbook Pro with Retina Display was replaced due to multiple issues. I shudder to think what that may have costed me to repair that out of pocket. And as usual with MacBook Pros, if you sit this thing on your lap doing anything super graphic intensive, it will toast your lap. The keyboard is rather warm at times as well.

    Overall, after having the first laptop replaced, its easily hands down the best Mac I've owned and the best laptop I've used period. Its quick and powerful and quite capable.

    Show the rest of this review and the breakdown
  • 10.0
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    Reviewed by alexzz123 (Currently owns)

    March 28, 2013 12:53 pm

    When I saw this computer at WWDC, I knew I had to have it. Even though this laptop doesn't have a disk drive, an ethernet port and the RAM can not be upgraded, this laptop is probably the greatest laptop I have ever owned. This laptop, proves Apple computers can play hard core video games. You will not regret it, but do not buy it at full price.

    The Breakdown

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  • 10.0
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    Reviewed by EdwinTorres (Currently owns)

    March 23, 2013 07:17 am

    I have the newest (Early 2013) rMBP and also I am writing this after the update from Apple that addressed an issue where the fans would spin to full blast under a small work load... That was the only flaw that I noticed with this laptop, but it is now fixed. Every aspect of this MacBook is so beautifully designed and engineered. I cannot recommend anything better than this. Though the price is a little high, it will come down. Akin to the MacBook Air when it first came out. In other words, state of the art design and engineering is not cheap.

    The Breakdown

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    Show the rest of this review and the breakdown
  • 10.0
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    Reviewed by Finding Nemo (Currently owns)

    March 21, 2013 02:52 pm

    I bought this product for my wife since her old laptop is not working. Compare to the macbook 2010-mid that I had (which still works great), this computer has a larger and better building quality & display, better sound system, faster processing, airplay mirroring, yet lighter weight.

    Since I never used the CD-ROM on my 2010-mid macbook, the removed CD-ROM on this computer is not a concern to me. In addition, this model only has 256 GB storage and I decided not to spend an extra 300 dollars to upgrade it since we had a 2TB time capsule at home. The new macbook pro is designed not to be upgradable, so MAKE SURE TO CONFIGURE YOUR MACBOOK AT THE TIME YOU PURCHASE IT.

    PS: Remember to get the education pricing if you are qualified.

    Hope this helps!

    The Breakdown

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    • Heat / noise 10
    • Battery life 10
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  • 10.0
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    Reviewed by kevin.clinthorne (Currently owns)

    February 12, 2013 08:31 pm

    Best device that I have ever owned. Although I had to have it repaired under warranty for a problem with the logic board, I still have no regrets in dumping the large amount of cash for this amazing machine. It is so thin and light for the power that it has inside. Love this thing.

    The Breakdown

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    • Performance 8
    • Heat / noise 10
    • Battery life 9
    • Software 8
    Show the rest of this review and the breakdown
  • 10.0
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    Reviewed by PaulReese (Currently owns)

    February 10, 2013 04:50 pm

    Best laptop money can buy. For people who want the best and are willing to pay the price. You simply can't get a better screen, retina display is like no other. Even if you ignore the screen, you can't get a laptop with that kind of power, that weight and portability and battery life.

    The Breakdown

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    • Battery life 10
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    Show the rest of this review and the breakdown
  • 9.0
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    Reviewed by weftech (Currently owns)

    January 31, 2013 03:12 pm

    Thus far I have never been happer with any Mac laptop which I have owned. I used this laptop in college with the Full Adobe suit and gaming via steam in my free time and this machine does not disappoint. The speed of the Thunderbolt port (10Gbps) does not fail to impress as I can edit raw video footage on an external drive with Final Cut and there with no hesitation. Although the price it a bit steep every ounce of the MacBook Pro Rentia`s power is worth the cost.

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    Show the rest of this review and the breakdown
  • 10.0
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    Reviewed by uncleho (Currently owns)

    January 30, 2013 03:14 pm

    I wasn't sure if I was going to use the Retina display enough to warrant the extra price. However, like the iPhone 4 and the new iPad, the Retina display makes a tremendous difference. Everything is clearer and sharper and colors just pop. The machine is fast, and I can't imagine using a lower quality display now.

    The Breakdown

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    Show the rest of this review and the breakdown
  • 9.0
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    Reviewed by Phouthon (Currently owns)

    January 27, 2013 06:26 pm

    I've been using it quite sometimes and there are many performance issues probably because of software optimization. Mainly performance issue is fluid and smoothness on some apps. Most of the time while I'm browsing web on Safari fluid and smoothness is really an issue. My primary is 1680x1050 like resolution. I guess it couldn't have been slightly better if I pick the native 1440x900 like resolution since I need more space for working I've to go with higher. Again software optimization isn't quite there yet.

    The Breakdown

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    • Battery life 9
    • Software 7
    Show the rest of this review and the breakdown
  • 9.0
    Show all User reviews

    Reviewed by Noah_Lach (Currently owns)

    January 23, 2013 10:38 pm

    If you're willing to shell out money, the MacBook Pro With Retina Display is one of if not THE best all-around laptop that money can buy. Coming from a 2010 15" MacBook Pro, this machine is ridiculously thin. Trackpad is amazing and the keyboard is great quality, too (like we've come to expect from Apple laptops). The Retina display, is, of course, amazing. There isn't a single laptop out there with an equal screen. The laptop packs some pretty nice specs, too, and after using an SSD I don't think I'd ever go back. The only reason it loses a point is the graphics card. It's pretty beefy, but it's kind of lacking compared to the other specs and adding an extra GB of vRAM would have helped (especially because of the high resolution we're dealing with). The new thermal system is almost silent at idle, and when the fans are at full RPM it's definitely pretty noticeable, but better than the old MacBooks (and most PC laptops). It loses a couple of points here because certain parts of the laptop (I key and the metal strip below the screen) get pretty hot to the touch when the computer is boing pushed to the max. The battery life under normal usage is about 7 hours, too, which is great. Overall, this is an amazing machine and is worth if you have the money.

    The Breakdown

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    Show the rest of this review and the breakdown
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