MacBook Pro 2016 – Design and Build. The MacBook Pro is incredibly light at just 1.37kg, although it’s far from the lightest in its class. The Dell XPS 13 takes that honour, with its equivalent, non-touchscreen model weighing in at only 1.2kg. That machine also has a smaller footprint thanks to its tiny bezel.
Touch Bar MacBook Pro Q&A
Update Published August 17, 2019
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What custom processor options are available for the 'Touch Bar' MacBook Pro models? Do they have a processor that can be upgraded?
The processor in all MacBook Pro models -- including the 'Touch Bar' lineup sold in 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019 -- is soldered in place and cannot be upgraded after purchase.
However, at the time of purchase, some models can -- or could -- be upgraded with a faster processor than the stock models.
Discontinued 'Late 2016' MacBook Pro processors could be upgraded accordingly:
'Late 2016' MacBook Pro | Standard Processor | Upgrade Options | Upgrade Price |
2.0 GHz Core i5 (I5-6360U) | 2.4 GHz Core i7 (I7-6660U) | US$300 | |
2.9 GHz Core i5 (I5-6267U) | 3.1 GHz Core i5 (I5-6287U) 3.3 GHz Core i7 (I7-6567U) | US$100 US$300 | |
2.6 GHz Core i7 (I7-6700HQ) | 2.9 GHz Core i7 (I7-6920HQ) | US$300 | |
2.7 GHz Core i7 (I7-6820HQ) | 2.9 GHz Core i7 (I7-6920HQ) | US$200 |
The 'Mid-2017' MacBook Pro processors could be upgraded, too:
'Mid-2017' MacBook Pro | Standard Processor | Upgrade Options | Upgrade Price |
2.3 GHz Core i5 (I5-7360U) | 2.5 GHz Core i7 (I7-7660U) | US$300 | |
3.1 GHz Core i5 (I5-7267U) | 3.3 GHz Core i5 (I5-7287U) 3.5 GHz Core i7 (I7-7567U) | US$100 US$300 | |
2.8 GHz Core i7 (I7-7700HQ) | 3.1 GHz Core i7 (I7-7920HQ) | US$200 | |
2.9 GHz Core i7 (I7-7820HQ) | 3.1 GHz Core i7 (I7-7920HQ) | US$200 |
The 'Mid-2018' MacBook Pro models -- all of which have Touch Bar-capability -- also had processor upgrade options:
'Mid-2018' MacBook Pro | Standard Processor | Upgrade Options | Upgrade Price |
2.3 GHz Core i5 (I5-8259U) | 2.7 GHz Core i7 (I7-8559U) | US$300 | |
2.2 GHz Core i7 (I7-8750H) | 2.9 GHz Core i9 (I9-8950HK) | US$400 | |
2.6 GHz Core i7 (I7-8850H) | 2.9 GHz Core i9 (I9-8950HK) | US$300 |
The current '2019' MacBook Pro models, all Touch Bar-equipped, also have processor upgrade options:
'2019' MacBook Pro | Standard Processor | Upgrade Options | Upgrade Price |
2.4 GHz Core i5 (I5-8279U) | 2.8 GHz Core i7 (I7-8569U) | US$300 | |
2.6 GHz Core i7 (I7-9750H) | 2.4 GHz Core i9 (I9-9980HK) | US$300 | |
2.3 GHz Core i9 (I9-9880H) | 2.4 GHz Core i9 (I9-9980HK) | US$200 | |
1.4 GHz Core i5 (I5-8257U) | 1.7 GHz Core i7 (I7-8557U) | US$300 |
For those who have not been following the Mac market for more than two decades like EveryMac.com, the PowerBook G3 line is the last Apple notebook line to have upgradable processors. The PowerBook G3 series has processors mounted on a removable card and EveryMac.com still provides a list of upgrade cards compatible with these now 'old school' Macs.
What type of RAM do the 'Touch Bar' MacBook Pro models use? Which RAM upgrade options are available for the 'Touch Bar' MacBook Pro models? Is it even possible to upgrade the RAM?
All 'Late 2016' and 'Mid-2017' MacBook Pro as well as the 13-Inch 'Mid-2018' and '2019' MacBook Pro models use LPDDR3 SDRAM whereas the 15-Inch 'Mid-2018' and '2019' MacBook Pro models use faster DDR4 SDRAM.
The RAM in all of these models is soldered and cannot be upgraded after purchase. However, some models can be upgraded at the time of purchase.
Some 'Late 2016' models could be upgraded at the time of purchase:
'Late 2016' MacBook Pro | LPDDR3 | Std. RAM | Upgrade |
13-Inch | 1866 MHz | 8 GB | 16 GB |
13-Inch (Touch Bar) | 2133 MHz | 8 GB | 16 GB |
15-Inch (Touch Bar) | 2133 MHz | 16 GB | None |
Some 'Mid-2017' models could be upgraded at the time of purchase:
'Mid-2017' MacBook Pro | LPDDR3 | Std. RAM | Upgrade |
13-Inch | 2133 MHz | 8 GB | 16 GB |
13-Inch (Touch Bar) | 2133 MHz | 8 GB | 16 GB |
15-Inch (Touch Bar) | 2133 MHz | 16 GB | None |
All 'Mid-2018' models could have the RAM upgraded at the time of purchase:
'Mid-2018' MacBook Pro | RAM Speed | Std. RAM | Upgrade |
13-Inch (Touch Bar) | 2133 MHz | 8 GB | 16 GB |
15-Inch (Touch Bar) | 2400 MHz (DDR4) | 16 GB | 32 GB |
All '2019' models can have the RAM upgraded at the time of purchase:
'2019' MacBook Pro | RAM Speed | Std. RAM | Upgrade |
13-Inch (Touch Bar) | 2133 MHz | 8 GB | 16 GB |
15-Inch (Touch Bar) | 2400 MHz (DDR4) | 16 GB | 32 GB |
13-Inch (Touch Bar, 2 TB 3) | 2133 MHz | 8 GB | 16 GB |
The addition of a 32 GB RAM option for the 15-Inch 'Mid-2018' and '2019' MacBook Pro models is a significant improvement to the line. Previous 15-Inch models could not be upgraded beyond their default 16 GB of RAM.
What SSD storage options are available for the 'Touch Bar' MacBook Pro models? Is it even possible to upgrade the storage?
Officially, Apple notes that the storage is 'onboard' in all 'Touch Bar' MacBook Pro models, regardless of size, which would bode poorly for the possibility of future upgrades.
As documented by site sponsor OWC, regardless of generation, all 13-Inch and 15-Inch models with the 'Touch Bar' functionality do, in fact, have the SSD soldered in place which makes them impossible to upgrade after purchase.
However, in an unexpected surprise that is contrary to Apple's official documentation, the entry-level 13-Inch 'Late 2016' and 'Mid-2017' models without the Touch Bar actually do have the SSD mounted on a small proprietary module, so future upgrades theoretically are possible.
Photo Credit: Site Sponsor OWC (13' non-Touch Bar MacBook Pro SSD Module)
At the time of purchase, all 'Late 2016' MacBook Pro models could be configured with larger SSDs:
'Late 2016' MacBook Pro | Standard Storage | Upgrade Options | Upgrade Price |
13-Inch | 256 GB | 512 GB 1 TB | US$200 US$600 |
13-Inch (Touch Bar) | 256 GB 512 GB | 1 TB | US$400 |
15-Inch (Touch Bar) | 256 GB 512 GB | 512 GB 1 TB 2 TB 1 TB 2 TB | US$200 US$600 US$1400 US$400 US$1200 |
At the time of purchase, all 'Mid-2017' MacBook Pro models could be configured with larger SSDs, as well:
'Mid-2017' MacBook Pro | Standard Storage | Upgrade Options | Upgrade Price |
13-Inch | 128 GB 256 GB | 256 GB 512 GB 1 TB 512 GB 1 TB | US$200 US$400 US$800 US$200 US$600 |
13-Inch (Touch Bar) | 256 GB 512 GB | 512 GB 1 TB 1 TB | US$200 US$600 US$400 |
15-Inch (Touch Bar) | 256 GB 512 GB | 512 GB 1 TB 2 TB 1 TB 2 TB | US$200 US$600 US$1400 US$400 US$1200 |
At the time of purchase, all 'Mid-2018' MacBook Pro models could be configured with larger SSDs:
'Mid-2018' MacBook Pro | Standard Storage | Upgrade Options | Upgrade Price |
13-Inch (Touch Bar) | 256 GB 512 GB | 512 GB 1 TB 2 TB 1 TB 2 GB | US$200 US$600 US$1400 US$400 US$1200 |
15-Inch (Touch Bar) | 256 GB 512 GB | 512 GB 1 TB 2 TB 4 TB 1 TB 2 TB 4 TB | US$200 US$600 US$1400 US$3400 US$400 US$1200 US$3200 |
Finally, at the time of purchase, all '2019' MacBook Pro models can be configured with larger SSDs, as well:
'2019' MacBook Pro | Standard Storage | Upgrade Options | Upgrade Price |
13-Inch (Touch Bar) | 256 GB 512 GB | 512 GB 1 TB 2 TB 1 TB 2 GB | US$200 US$600 US$1200 US$400 US$1000 |
15-Inch (Touch Bar) | 256 GB 512 GB | 512 GB 1 TB 2 TB 4 TB 1 TB 2 TB 4 TB | US$200 US$600 US$1200 US$3000 US$400 US$1000 US$2800 |
13-Inch (Touch Bar, 2 TB 3) | 128 GB 256 GB | 256 GB 512 GB 1 TB 2 TB 512 GB 1 TB 2 GB | US$200 US$400 US$600 US$1000 US$200 US$400 US$800 |
If being able to upgrade the storage after purchase is important to you, you might prefer to purchase an earlier 13-Inch or 15-Inch 'Retina Display' MacBook Pro as they all have upgradable storage and are available at much lower prices on the used market, as well.
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