Apple - Apple MacBook Pro 13 pouces 2017 (avec Touch Bar)

Apple

MacBook Pro 13 inch 2017 (with Touch Bar): an excellent vintage

Aprox. 1750€

See specifications

Among the MacBook Pro updated in 2017, we had not yet tested the 13-inch version with Touch Bar. Our readers and we were curious to know its performance and whether it still holds water in 2018. Not surprisingly, the answer is yes.

Our review

Presentation

Often brought to the skies, Apple computers are a special case in the field of computing. If the apple brand always relies on the finish of its products to seduce, some criticize it for not innovating much. On the MacBook Pro, the last real evolution dates back to autumn 2016, with the introduction of the "Touch Bar" that we tested on the 2016 15-inch model (for the record, the 13-inch had been tested in the "standard "version").

In the middle of last year, the MacBook Pro were the subject of a slight update, purely technical and focusing mainly on processors. The opportunity for us to test the MacBook Pro 15 inch 2017 again and today the 13.3 inch model, this time with the famous Touch Bar.


Construction

It's hard to fault MacBook Pro for anything in terms of construction: Apple masters its partition to perfection. We thus find the design so simple but so specific to the brand, and the "unibody" case made of aluminum, here with a thickness of 15 mm.

The Touch Bar, which runs the entire length of the keyboard, may seem like a gadget at first but reveals its richness in use by offering to adapt the controls according to the application used. Taking the form of a thin strip at the top of the keyboard, this long Oled screen is not only thought to complement the keyboard, but also to provide some more more or less useful keys. Depending on the software, you can display the brightness, the F keys or something else.

The bar can also display the commands of a linked iPhone when it is next to the computer. Finally, it includes the Touch ID, the fingerprint reader located at the far right. The Touch Bar is therefore certainly not a functionality that can be described as revolutionary, but it has the merit of facilitating some operations and bringing more comfort to the user.

Connectivity side, Apple has done the simplest by including four USB Type-C ThunderBolt 3 ports accompanied by a headphone port. Apple has been relying on USB Type-C for several years. If at the start this choice raised a lot of questions, the port quickly became more and more common to the point that it is no longer an exception today.

Regarding the keyboard, Apple has chosen to flatten it to the maximum to gain finesse. The keys protrude only one millimeter from the chassis. The typing sensation may seem odd at first, almost giving the impression of typing on a screen, but it is not ultimately unpleasant, in particular thanks to the well thought-out resistance of the keys. In use, it is a success; At first, the typing will probably destabilize the regulars of the old models, but we end up getting used to it very quickly. The touchpad, for its part, does not differ from previous models: it brings as much comfort and precision as usual, as well as flawless responsiveness in perfect consistency with macOS.

Updated 03/05/2018 at 11:27

Attention, after a few months of use, it seems the keyboard of some MacBook Pro reveals some weaknesses, forcing users to change it in Apple Stores. A defect that we could not see during our test period, but which affected almost 12% of the 2016 models and a little more than 8% of the 2017 models to date. It should therefore be taken into account before purchasing. Thank you to our readers for reporting it to us.

In terms of heat and noise, the MacBook Pro 13 (2017) is doing extremely well. During our usual test (Unigine benchmark for one hour), the computer temperature rose to 43 ° C and appeared to be well under control. Likewise, the noise released remains undisturbing: the breath barely reaches 39 dB, a normal level for an ultraportable.

As you can see, the construction of the MacBook Pro 13 (2017) is quite flawless. Apple takes care of its products until the end of the keys and this new model attests to this. On this point, it is a great success.


Screen

Apple has always taken care of its screens, in particular the respect for colors; the screen of the MacBook Pro 13 (2017) does not really deviate from this rule, despite some obvious faults. Here it is a 13.3-inch (33.8 cm diagonal) IPS panel 2,560 x 1,600 px. Although Apple does not rely on the edges of ultra-thin screens, the screen / front ratio remains very high, since it is 82.64%.

Contrast 970: 1 Temperature 7000 K Colors Delta E = 1.2

Under our probe, the MacBook Pro 13 (2017) delivers very satisfactory results, despite a disappointing contrast ratio of 970: 1 (for the vision of shades of gray) and a temperature of 7000 K, slightly above the standard at 6,500 K and sign of a slight drift towards blue. The rest on the other hand is very good, starting with Delta E. Not only does it reach the excellent average of 1.2, but above all it delivers an almost perfect picture: not a single shade exceeds the threshold of 3, au- beyond which the human eye can perceive a difference between the displayed color and the actual color. Photographers and graphic designers will be able to work without fear on the computer while enjoying extremely faithful colors.

The brightness, 526 cd / m², offers excellent readability, while the afterglow is 13 ms, which is good for an ultraportable.


Performances

The MacBook Pro 13 (2017) with Touch Bar is equipped with a 3.1 GHz Intel Core i5-7267U processor (7th generation Kaby Lake) supported, in our test model, by 8 GB of RAM. A classic configuration in short for an ultraportable that rises to the level of the competition.

In order to have a basis of comparison, we carried out our usual test protocol on Windows 10, which is not the original OS of this computer. After our battery of tests (photo, video, audio compression), the MacBook Pro 13 (2017) reached 120 on our test index; it is logically far behind the ultraportables equipped with Core i7, but at the level of machines equipped with the same processor. Note, however, that this is not fully representative of the performance of the machine under its native OS, macOS being very different from Windows 10, and that the user will be able to do advanced office work like photo editing without any problem.


Mobility / Autonomy

In terms of mobility, it's hard to fault anything about this MacBook Pro 13 (2017) as it is so nomadic. Indeed, it weighs only 1.37 kg for a thickness 1.49 cm.

When it comes to battery life, the MacBook Pro 13 (2017) maintains the excellence of its predecessors. During our usual test for Mac (Netflix under Safari, backlight off, brightness at 200 cd / m²), the computer shut down after 13 hours and 02 minutes (782 min). It surpasses here the best Windows ultraportables on this point, and even the Mac Book Air 13 of 2015 which had reached 12 hours 35 minutes (755 min). In short, the MacBook Pro 13 (2017) is positioned as a new standard meter on this point.


Audio

Difficulty to deliver correct sound with such small speakers. The MacBook Pro 13 2017 does not work a miracle and delivers a little powerful sound, but still clean. Despite the obvious lack of seriousness, Apple has managed to balance this part by skillfully trimming the treble, which, when listening to video, gives rise to recognizable and intelligible voices. Note also a discreet distortion, which does not make listening unpleasant.

Regarding the helmet part, it is flawless: all the values obtained in the lab are excellent.


Conclusion

Unsurprisingly, the 2017 13-inch MacBook Pro is an excellent ultraportable. Betting on a Touch Bar in Oled screen which exceeds its status as a gadget, it offers an experience as expected as excellent in practically all registers. Apple knows how to make quality computers and proves it once again with this very good MacBook Pro 13 2017. A very good vintage.


Specifications