MacBook Pro 2012 Teardown: A Look Inside Apple’s New Retina Display Laptop
At is annual Worldwide Developers Conference, Apple has just announced its new MacBook Pro model, which will boast sharp high-resolution Retina Display and a thinner profile. Some critics have already gotten their hands on the upgraded edition and have done a full-body teardown, examining the inner workings of Apple's new laptop and gaining further insight into how it differs from its predecessors. Apple

Apple recently unveiled a 15in MacBook Pro at the 2012 World Wide Developers Conference. The new MacBook is to powered by a Intel Core i7 quad-core processor and feature the company's Retina Display technology, which is claimed to deliver more than five million pixels; three million more than an HD television. In addition, the device is believed to be the lightest in the MacBook Pro family and as thin as a MacBook Air.

"After 20 minutes of using Apple's new macBook Pro with Retina display, I switched back to my own six-month-old MacBook Pro to send an email. But when I looked at the screen, I thought my contact lens had actually fallen out. For a second I was worried; everything on the screen looked less crisp and less bright. It is not an old machine, but it was really as if an optometrist had switched my prescription or I had been forced to use my old glasses. Everything just seemed blurry by comparison," wrote Joanna Stern from ABC News, praising the new MacBook Pro with Retina display.

Check out how the MacBook Pro features against the MacBook Air

Model

The Pro is available in two models - the primary difference is in the processor - a 2.3GHz vs. a 2.6Gz unit. The Air, in contrast, comes in two models differentiated by size - 11in and 13in.

Display

Both Pro models feature a 15.4in screen with Retina Display and LED-backlit and IPS technology. The resolution of the display is 1800 x 2800 pixels, with a pixel density of 220 pixels per inch (ppi).

An interesting feature of the new MacBook Pro is its Retina Display, which delivers four times the standard resolution over the previous Pro. The display offers a 178 degree viewing angle which allows users to see the screen from anywhere unless the user from an edge, according to a review by SlashGear.

Meanwhile, the 11.6in MacBook Air features a high-resolution LED-backlit display with a resolution of 768 x 1366 pixels and the 13.3in MacBook Air features a similar display type with slightly more resolution at 900 x 1440 pixels.

Dimension

The MacBook Pro measures 1.8 x 24.71 x 35.89cm and weighs 2.02kg. The 11in MacBook Air measures 1.7 x 30 x 19.2cm and weighs 1.08kg whereas the 13in MacBook Air measures 1.7 x 32.5 x 22.7cm and weighs 1.35kg.

Interestingly, while reviewing the Pro, the Verge noticed the Air was actually a little taller, when in use, than the Pro. It seems the shorter rubber feet on the bottom of the Pro help, in part, to make it 25 percent lighter than its predecessor.

Processor

The two models of the MacBook Pro are powered by a 2.3GHz and 2.6GHz quad-core Intel core i7 processor. The 11in MacBook Air is powered by a 1.7GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 processor and the 13in by a 1.8GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 chip.

Apple has upgraded the MacBook Pro and MacBook Air line-ups with third generation Intel Core processors, codenamed Ivy Bridge. A benchmark test by Engadget suggests the upgrade to the Pro has resulted in superior performance.

Operating System

Both the Pro and the Air run on OS X Lion and will be upgradeable to OS X Mountain Lion when it becomes available.

The latest version of the software comes with a number of innovative features, including a new Messages app, a Notification Center, System-Wide Sharing, AirPlay Mirroring, Game Center and the enhanced security GateKeeper.

Memory

The MacBook Pro offers 8GB of 1600MHz DDR3L onboard memory (upgradeable to 16GB), which is much more than the Air's two models - they weigh in at 4GB each and can be upgraded to 8GB.

Connectivity

Both the Pro and the Air offer 802.11 a/b/g/n wireless connectivity and Bluetooth v4.0.

Battery

The MacBook Pro is powered by a built-in 95watt-hour Li-Po battery which should last for up to seven hours. The 11in MacBook Air is powered by a Li-Po battery of 35 watt-hour, which powers the Air for up to five hours. The 13in MacBook Air is powered by a Li-Po 50watt-hour battery which lasts for up to seven hours.

A battery test by Engadget - involving the looping of a video, with Wi-Fi on and the display set at a fixed brightness. The Pro (2.6GHz) model ran for seven hours and 49 minutes. A similar test by Verge, for the 2.3GHz model, saw the battery last for five hours and eight minutes.

Price

The 2.3GHz MacBook Pro costs $2,199 (approximately £1,400) while the 2.6GHz model costs $600 (approximately £400) more. The 2.3GHz MacBook Pro offers flash storage to a maximum amount of 512GB. The 2.6GHz version can go up to 768GB.

The 11in Air is available for $999 (approximately £640) with 64GB of flash storage. The 11in version with 128GB storage (upgradeable to a maximum of 512GB) costs $1,099 (approximately £700).

The 13in Air, with 128GB and 256GB (the latter is upgradeable to a maximum of 512GB) of flash storage costs $1,199 (approximately £770) and $1,499 (approximately £960) respectively.