Apple MacBook Pro 13 2018 Touchbar i5
Specifications
Price comparison
Average of 13 scores (from 20 reviews)
Reviews for the Apple MacBook Pro 13 2018 Touchbar i5
Apple updates the MacBook Pro 13 with a new quad-core processor and a True Tone display for 2018, but only the more expensive model with the Touch Bar. We have a closer look at the performance of the new MacBook Pro in the following review. What can you expect for the price of 1,999 Euros (i5)?
Source: It Pro
Archive.org versionThe 2018 update to the 13in MacBook Pro isn’t just the best MacBook Pro ever, it’s the best laptop ever, too. It’s pricey, but if you can afford it then you won’t regret it.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 03/18/2019
Rating: Total score: 100%
Source: Sydney Morning Herald
Archive.org versionThe question “what Mac laptop should I buy?” was once easily answered with “if you need the power, get the Pro, if you don't, the Air”. Today it is easy to recommend the latest MacBook Pro if you need the most powerful, portable Apple laptop available and you have a lot of money to spend, but I’d struggle to recommend an entry-level Mac portable right now.
Comparison, online available, Short, Date: 07/30/2018
Source: Engadget
Archive.org versionThe 2018 MacBook Pro is precisely the upgrade Mac fans have been waiting for. It’s faster, and fixes one of the most common keyboard issues from the last generation, that error-prone keyboard. But the upgrades come a little too late, and Apple is basically just trying to keep up with more innovative and powerful PC laptops.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 07/23/2018
Rating: Total score: 86%
Source: PC Mag
Archive.org versionA pricey but superior tool for creative pros, 2018's Touch Bar version of the 13-inch MacBook Pro brings four-core moxie to Apple's handsome ultraportable, with options for cavernous local storage.
Single Review, online available, Short, Date: 07/21/2018
Foreign Reviews
Source: Chip.de
DE→EN Archive.org versionSingle Review, online available, Medium, Date: 10/11/2018
Source: MobiFlip
DE→EN Archive.org versionSingle Review, online available, Long, Date: 09/29/2018
Rating: Total score: 90%
Source: Saggiamente
IT→EN Archive.org versionSingle Review, online available, Long, Date: 08/16/2018
Rating: Total score: 80%
Source: HDblog.it
IT→EN Archive.org versionPositive: Powerful hardware; high performance; impressive touch bar; compact size; light weight.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 10/02/2018
Source: Tweakers
NL→EN Archive.org versionSingle Review, online available, Very Short, Date: 01/29/2020
Rating: Total score: 100%
Source: Tweakers
NL→EN Archive.org versionSingle Review, online available, Short, Date: 02/16/2019
Rating: Total score: 40%
Source: Tweakers
NL→EN Archive.org versionSingle Review, online available, Very Short, Date: 12/06/2018
Rating: Total score: 100%
Source: Computer Totaal
NL→EN Archive.org versionSingle Review, online available, Short, Date: 08/17/2018
Rating: Total score: 80%
Source: Ixbt
RU→EN Archive.org versionPositive: Compact size; light weight; high mobility; decent hardware; nice ergonomy.
Single Review, online available, Very Long, Date: 10/08/2018
Source: Laptopkalauz
HU→EN Archive.org versionPositive: Metal case; solid workmanship; premium design; high performance; long battery life.
Single Review, online available, Very Long, Date: 11/12/2018
Source: The Gioididong
VN→EN Archive.org versionPositive: Slim size; light weight; powerful hardware; stylish design. Negative: Relatively high price.
Comparison, online available, Short, Date: 07/16/2018
Source: Tek.no
NO→EN Archive.org versionSingle Review, online available, Medium, Date: 07/28/2018
Rating: Total score: 80%
Source: Lyd og Billede
DA→EN Archive.org versionSingle Review, online available, Short, Date: 10/27/2018
Rating: Total score: 83%
Source: Input
DA→EN Archive.org versionSingle Review, online available, Short, Date: 08/07/2018
Rating: Total score: 80% price: 50% performance: 90% workmanship: 80%
Source: Ljud och Bild
SV→EN Archive.org versionPositive: Powerful processor; flexible fingerprint reader; nice display; compact size.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 10/27/2018
Source: Unlimited Tech
→EN Archive.org versionSingle Review, online available, Short, Date: 10/22/2018
Rating: Total score: 88%
Comment
Series:
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 2018 is an ultra-thin and ultra-powerful professional-grade notebook. It features some improvements to an already capable laptop, which makes it an even more ideal device for heavy-usage power users, particularly business and professional users. As with 2017’s MacBook Pro, there is no change to the Retina display resolution. The 13.3-inch panel continues to pack 2560 x 1600 pixels. The display does have one new feature, though: True Tone, previously only available on the iPhone X and most iPad Pros, this feature is akin to an enhanced version of the Night Shift setting. Whereas the latter warms the color temperature from late at night through to early morning, True Tone works all day long and goes further; rather than shifting the temperature to a fixed setting, it uses a sensor to read ambient lighting and adjusts the colors on the screen accordingly. As for hardware specifications, there is the Core i7 quad-core model, clocked at 2.7 GHz standard and 4.5 GHz in Turbo Boost, and specced out with 16 gigabytes of RAM, as well as a 512-gigabyte solid state drive. The machine is significantly faster than its predecessors and competition. It should theoretically handle tasks that rely on multiple cores in the CPU faster. That means rendering files in Premiere or Final Cut Pro or processing files in Blender. MacOS High Sierra truly zips with the 13-inch MacBook Pro, and everything feels like a breeze, even with integrated Intel graphics.
With all that extra performance from the quad-core processor, the MacBook Pro needs more power to keep the 10-hour use prediction. Apple has increased the battery size from 49.2 watt-hours to 58, it is now roughly 18 percent larger. In regular, non-CPU intensive work, such as general office work, users will routinely exceed Apple's 10-hour guidance by many hours. The keyboard is quieter than its predecessors. This is because there is a silicone membrane between the key caps and the butterfly mechanisms beneath. Anecdotally, typing fast sounds less click-clacky. Whether hammering away at a lengthy document or a quick email, it is a lot less distracting. Using the Touch-ID fingerprint reader to quickly resume work is a bonus if a user is tired of typing the login password. The Touch Bar remains contentious for many people. Though users can switch it to show function keys or the media, volume and brightness controls, the problem one might run into is more how easy it is, without the tactile response of a key edge, to overreach the actual keys and brush the virtual ones by accident. The bar’s value to workflow depends on whether apps make good use of it. In Apple’s Pages word processor, users can quickly apply visual changes to selected text without lifting hands off the keyboard to move the pointer. Despite having the same ports and an identical exterior, the 13-inch MacBook Pro has a major and welcome improvement: All four Thunderbolt 3 inputs are now full-speed ports. This is an upgrade from the last two 13-inch models. And USB-C is here to stay, because it can be used for all kinds of peripherals, from external GPUs to keyboards and mice.
Hands-on article by Jagadisa Rajarathnam
Intel Iris Plus Graphics 655: Integrated graphics card (GT3e), which is used for some Coffee Lake-U CPUs (28 Watts).
Modern games should be playable with these graphics cards at low settings and resolutions. Casual gamers may be happy with these cards.
» Further information can be found in our Comparison of Mobile Graphics Cards and the corresponding Benchmark List.
i5-8259U: Coffee Lake based SoC (System on a Chip) for medium-sized notebooks. Integrates four CPU cores clocked at 2.3-3.8 GHz as well as an Iris Plus Graphics 655 GPU clocked at 300 - 1050 MHz with 128 MB eDRAM. Manufactured in a 14nm process. The TDP of 28 Watts is much higher than the regular ULV quad-cores at 15W.» Further information can be found in our Comparison of Mobile Processsors.
13.30":
There are hardly any tablets in this display size range anymore. For subnotebooks, on the other hand, it is the standard format.
The advantage of subnotebooks is that the entire laptop can be small and therefore easily portable. The smaller display also has the advantage of requiring less power, which further improves battery life and thus mobility. The disadvantage is that reading texts is more strenuous on the eyes. High resolutions are more likely to be found in standard laptops.
» To find out how fine a display is, see our DPI List.Apple: Apple is a US company founded in 1976 by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak and Ronald Wayne. Headquartered in Cupertino, California, the company is known for its innovative products such as the iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch, and manufactures computers and consumer electronics as well as operating systems and application software. Apple is also a leading provider of software and services such as the App Store, iTunes and iCloud.
Apple has earned a reputation as a company that focuses on design and ease of use. As for their notebooks, they are mostly in the high-priced segment, have their own operating system, but also run Windows on the newer Macbooks.
Apple is one of the most valuable companies in the world and has a loyal following of customers and fans. The company also has a strong presence in the entertainment industry, with services like Apple Music and Apple TV+. In 2023, Apple had an approximate 8% market share of global PC sales, ranking it 4th after Lenovo, HP, and Dell.
84.43%: This rating is slightly above average, there are somewhat more devices with worse ratings. However, clear purchase recommendations look different.
» Further information can be found in our Notebook Purchase Guide.
