Apple launched a new MacBook Pro, with an advanced keyboard and double the storage across all configurations.
Starting at Dh5,459, most models of the new laptop computer come with the tenth generation processors providing up to 80 per cent faster performance and a 33.02 centimetre retina display, the company said in a statement. Standard storage configurations have also doubled - to 256GB, 512GB or 1TB.
“We are adding the new magic keyboard, doubling the standard storage and boosting performance … making the MacBook Pro even better value for our customers,” said Tom Boger, the company’s senior director of Mac and iPad product marketing.
The new keyboard features a physical escape key, a touch ID for easy login and secure online purchases and a touch bar with contextual controls.
“Magic keyboard features a redesigned scissor mechanism for a comfortable and stable key feel … while the new arrangement for the arrow keys makes them easier to find, whether users are navigating through spreadsheets or playing games,” Apple said.
The magic keyboard was first introduced on a 40.64cm MacBook Pro in November last year.
The new scissor mechanism is much more reliable than the older butterfly mechanism that the company has used for the last few years, said Abbas Ali, managing editor of TechRadar Middle East.
"You also get the latest Intel tenth generation processors on the higher-end line-up, however, Apple is using older processors on the entry level MacBook Pro which is disappointing for a laptop in that price range," Mr Ali told The National.
Personal computers – including laptops, desktops and tablets – enjoyed a 0.6 per cent increase in sales in 2019 after seven consecutive years of decline, according to US-based research firm Gartner.
Global PC shipments totalled more than 261 million units last year, an increase of almost 1.5 million on 2018.
However, Apple, which launched a new Mac Pro in December – its first desktop upgrade in six years – did not benefit from this industry-wide growth. Its shipments declined almost 1 per cent in 2019, Gartner found.
The new MacBook Pro also comes with enhanced security through T2, Apple’s own custom-designed second-generation silicon chip. It checks whether “software loaded during the boot process has not been tampered with and provides on-the-fly data encryption” for everything stored on the drive.
In March, Apple unveiled the latest MacBook Air and iPad Pro models, with faster performance and increased storage, in an effort to attract new customers. It also launched its cheapest iPhone SE, at Dh1,699, last month.
However, with virus-led supply disruptions, it is unclear when Apple will launch any more new products.
Analysts have warned of a delay in Apple's 5G phone launch after the virus outbreak led to a halt in industrial activity in China - a key production hub for Apple.
The company reported quarterly revenue growth of 1 per cent, in three months to March 28, but did not provide a forecast for the rest of 2020 for the first time in more than a decade.