Apple MacBook Pro Retina 15 inch 2012-06

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Reviews for the Apple MacBook Pro Retina 15 inch 2012-06

90% Apple MacBook Pro with Retina display
Source: APC Mag Archive.org version
Annoyingly, it's now virtually impossible for users to upgrade their machine as their computing needs shift. Presumably to help it squeeze into its tiny shell (or just to lock the hardware firmly into Apple's iron fists), the battery is glued in and the RAM is soldered onto the logic board, making both irreplaceable or upgradable.
Single Review, online available, Short, Date: 11/14/2012
Rating: Total score: 90%

90% Apple MacBook Pro with Retina Display Review
Source: Techspot Archive.org version
Apple has once again set a high bar in the notebook industry. Simply put, this system is in a class of its own with regards to system-wide performance and display technology. Sure, there are other systems that have more powerful graphics cards but for the average user, the increased screen resolution and lightning-fast flash storage are good tradeoffs. Early Mac adopters will jump ship in no time and Windows machines will eventually catch up with high-res displays. The factor here is timing, and right now there are few machines that can play along the MacBook Pro with Retina Display.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 07/31/2012
Rating: Total score: 90%

60% Apple Macbook Pro with Retina display review
Source: Computer Active Archive.org version
The Macbook Pro with Retina display isn't a perfect laptop despite its very high price – due in part to the solid state drive and the high-resolution display. The way Apple has utilised the staggering number of pixels it has packed into the high-quality screen is undeniably clever, though, and is the main draw of this laptop.Unless you have a lot of money to spare now, we would wait for the price of the screen technology to mature and become cheaper.
Single Review, online available, Short, Date: 07/23/2012
Rating: Total score: 60%

Quick Look: Retina MacBook Pro from a PC Perspective
Source: PC Perspective Archive.org version
The newly released retina-screen MacBook Pro has been an interesting product to me since it was first announced. I have long been a proponent of higher resolution screens for PCs, hoping for the lower cost screens that we are just now finding in the Korean 27-in screen market (like the Achieva Shimian we recently reviewed). When Apple announced a 15-in notebook with a screen resolution of 2880x1800, my hopes were raised that other vendors would take note and duplicate the idea – thereby lowering costs and increasing visual quality for users across the board.
Single Review, online available, Very Short, Date: 07/13/2012

90% Apple MacBook Pro with Retina display 2.6GHz review
Source: Tech Advisor Archive.org version
The specifications and benchmark results clearly excel yet they fail to define the precision build, meticulous design and the essential comfort of this pioneering laptop. If the £2399 price alarms, know that the £1799 model carries as much class and only its reduced SSD capacity is likely to affect some requirements.
Single Review, online available, Very Short, Date: 07/13/2012
Rating: Total score: 90% price: 70% performance: 90% features: 90% ergonomy: 100%

100% Apple MacBook Pro with Retina Display
Source: Digital Versus Archive.org version
Apple pulled out all the stops with the MacBook Pro with Retina Display. The screen, processor and graphics card are all high-calibre, the battery lasts nearly 6 hours and the finishing is tip-top. As it stands, the few shortcomings (such as the connectivity) aren't enough to warrant anything less than our best rating.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 07/06/2012
Rating: Total score: 100%

90% Apple MacBook Pro 15-inch with Retina Display review
Source: Trusted Reviews Archive.org version
Quite simply, the MacBook Pro 15 inch with Retina Display’s 2,880 x 1,800 IPS ‘Retina’ screen is amazing. And now that Apple finally offers USB 3.0 to go along with this laptop’s twin Thunderbolt ports, connectivity is also unmatched. Though they’re not upgradeable, specifications are powerful yet nicely balanced, even allowing for some decent gaming. Given you get all this goodness in a beautiful milled aluminium chassis that’s thinner than ever before, the Retina MacBook Pro does a lot to justify its premium price.
Comparison, online available, Very Long, Date: 07/03/2012
Rating: Total score: 90% price: 70% performance: 90% features: 90% display: 100% mobility: 70% ergonomy: 100%

60% Apple Macbook Pro with Retina display review
Source: Computer Active Archive.org version
Unless you have a lot of money to spare now, we would wait for the price of the screen technology to mature and become cheaper. We would be surprised if Retina displays weren't standard across almost all of Apple's laptops within a couple of years with other laptop manufacturers adopting the technology, too.
Single Review, online available, Very Short, Date: 07/03/2012
Rating: Total score: 60%

80% Apple MacBook Pro with Retina Display Review (2012)
Source: Netbookreviews.net Archive.org version
I understand that this review may seem overly effusive - but it's hard to deny that the MacBook Pro with Retina Display provides a superlative experience for that specific set of users who require what this machine provides. The MacBook Pro with Retina Display is a bit of the past and a bit of the future, wrapped up into one tasty, toasty present. Brilliant screen meets refined design. What more do you need?
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 06/28/2012
Rating: Total score: 80% price: 70% performance: 60% features: 80% mobility: 90% ergonomy: 100%

80% Apple 2012 MacBook Pro 15 With Retina Laptop PC
Source: Comp Reviews Archive.org version
It is no surprise that Apple killed off the 17-inch MacBook Pro with the introduction of the MacBook Pro 15 With Retina Display. The display alone on the laptop is more than enough reason for anyone serious about graphics or video work to purchase this laptop. Add to this some phenomenal performance and battery life and it just keeps distancing itself away from just about every other 15-inch laptop on the market.
Single Review, online available, Short, Date: 06/27/2012
Rating: Total score: 80%

100% Apple MacBook Pro 2012 with Retina display review
Source: It Pro Archive.org version
With 5.1 million pixels on the 15.4in display, the latest Intel Ivy Bridge processors and up to 768GB of SSD storage, Apple has raised the bar for laptops. The MacBook Pro gains a staggeringly crisp Retina display and quad-core Ivy Bridge CPU. The result is stunning, and although expensive there is no other laptop out there to match it.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 06/26/2012
Rating: Total score: 100%

The next-gen MacBook Pro with Retina Display Review
Source: AnandTech Archive.org version
Apple has done an incredible job with the next-gen MacBook Pro. It brings a level of portability to the 15-inch chassis that we’ve never seen before from Apple, all while getting a good handle on some of the thermal and noise issues from last year’s model. If you’re like me and have to lug your 15-inch MBP around, the improvements in portability alone are worth the upgrade.
Single Review, online available, Very Long, Date: 06/23/2012

90% Apple MacBook Pro with Retina display review
Source: Techradar Archive.org version
The 15-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display is a truly an object of desire. It packs incredible power, and its screen puts other notebook displays to shame. It might be a notebook like no other, but its price may well limit it to high-needs professionals.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 06/22/2012
Rating: Total score: 90%

80% Apple MacBook Pro with Retina display review
Source: V3.co.uk Archive.org version
The slight letdown on reviewing this new model is that it’s still running Mac OS X Lion, version 10.7.4. Apple said that anyone buying a Mac is eligible for a free copy of Mountain Lion when it’s launched in July, but it would have been nice if the hardware and software could have been released together.
Single Review, online available, Short, Date: 06/20/2012
Rating: Total score: 80%

80% MacBook Pro 2012 review
Source: T3 Archive.org version
The new MacBook Pro with Retina Display is undoubtedly Apple's most impressive laptop to date. Somehow melding the best of the MacBook Air, the MacBook Pro and the iPad 3 has resulted in a beautifully designed technological beast that hoovers up multi-tasking and powers through the most taxing of programs.
Single Review, online available, Short, Date: 06/20/2012
Rating: Total score: 80%

90% Apple MacBook Pro (15in with Retina display) review
Source: Good Gear Guide Archive.org version
There's no doubt that Apple's 2012 MacBook Pro is a great piece of kit. Its Retina display and Ivy Bridge CPU are the main attractions, but its keyboard and overall build quality are still among the best in the business and make this laptop a worthy upgrade for current MacBook Pro users and new users alike.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 06/20/2012
Rating: Total score: 90%

90% Apple’s Retina-Equipped MacBook Pro Is a Sight to Behold
Source: Wired Magazine Archive.org version
For now, the Retina display-equipped Pro is still a luxury item, and may not be worth the price for average users. But for professional content creators and power users juggling multiple 1080p video streams and doing detailed photo editing, the new Pro offers a level of visual accuracy heretofore unheard of.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 06/19/2012
Rating: Total score: 90%

100% Apple MacBook Pro with Retina display (2012) review
Source: PC Pro Archive.org version
Apple has made some bold decisions in redesigning the MacBook Pro: the absent optical drive, the lack of user upgradeability, and, of course, the need for developers to upgrade their software to take advantage of the Retina display. The balance of build, performance and design is impeccable, and there’s simply no other laptop that comes close to cramming so much quality into a 2kg chassis. For those who can afford it, the MacBook Pro with Retina display stands without peer.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 06/19/2012
Rating: Total score: 100% price: 83% performance: 100% features: 100% ergonomy: 100%

80% Apple MacBook Pro with Retina display review
Source: CNet Archive.org version
Apple's MacBook Pros have become the go-to laptop for professionals who demand high performance for creative tasks like photo and video editing. Apple has updated its workhorse 15-inch MacBook Pro with a super-high resolution retina screen, a slimmer and lighter design and the latest-generation Intel processors. It's an extreme machine, but the lack of an Ethernet port and the total inability to upgrade it will be problems for pro users.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 06/18/2012
Rating: Total score: 80%

90% MacBook Pro with Retina Display
Source: Mobile Tech Review Archive.org version
A Pro workstation that weighs 4.5 lbs. and has a display like none other? Check. A laptop that walks circles around the 13" MacBook Air (also refreshed with third generation Intel processors)? Check. A more portable 15" MacBook Pro. Check. One of the most portable 15" notebooks on the planet, regardless of operating system? That's the MacBook Pro with Retina display, and it's my new Mac of choice.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 06/17/2012
Rating: Total score: 90%

Macbook Pro Review, with Retina Display
Source: Ubergizmo English Archive.org version
The Macbook Pro 15 with Retina display is an excellent and expensive laptop, there’s no denying that. But it is also very unique and I’m very curious to see what the competition will come up with in the next few months, and at what price. Now the real question is: is it for you?
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 06/17/2012

90% Apple 15in MacBook Pro with Retina Display.
Source: Reg Hardware Archive.org version
It’s hard not to admire the all-round quality of Apple’s latest release. The Retina display leaves every other laptop display we’ve ever seen trailing in its wake. But just as important is the fact that Apple has managed to significantly reduce the size and weight of this Pro model without compromising performance.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 06/15/2012
Rating: Total score: 90%

90% MacBook Pro with Retina display (June 2012) review
Source: Pocket Lint Archive.org version
The MacBook Pro with Retina display is comparable to Apple’s MacBook Air from 2008. Apple uses this to show what it can achieve, and what is in store for the future. There is no doubting that within a couple of years the screen technology seen here will be the de facto screen technology on the entire MacBook range.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 06/15/2012
Rating: Total score: 90%

100% Apple MacBook Pro (15-Inch Retina Display, 2012 Version) Review and Ratings
Source: Computer Shopper Archive.org version
So, in these days of perfectly serviceable $500 mainstream Windows laptops, how does a machine more than four times the price garner such high marks? Apple has a funny way of turning wants into needs. For digital content creators—who are really the users for whom we're breaking out the 5-star-rating champagne—the Retina Pro is a revelation.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 06/14/2012
Rating: Total score: 100%

Apple MacBook Pro with Retina Display review
Source: Tech Advisor Archive.org version
Not just nice and light, not just good and thin – Apple's first retina-class Mac is a triumph in portable computing. We'll update this review with benchmarks on battery life and system performance soon; but in just over 24 hours of steady use, we're even inclined to forgive the reflective screen. Make no mistake, the Apple MacBook Pro (Retina) is an even greater breakthrough than we'd hoped – and our hopes were already pegged very very high. It's just such a comfortable laptop to use, an engineering breakthrough that can excite the heart as much as the mind.
Single Review, online available, Short, Date: 06/14/2012

90% Apple MacBook Pro 15-inch (Retina Display)
Source: PC Mag Archive.org version
With a higher-resolution display, thin chassis, and up-to-date components, the Apple MacBook Pro 15-inch with Retina Display is the new king of high-end desktop replacement laptops.
Single Review, online available, Short, Date: 06/13/2012
Rating: Total score: 90%

MacBook Pro with Retina display pictures and hands-on
Source: Pocket Lint Archive.org version
Before we get to work on a full review of the new MacBook Pro with Retina display, we thought it was only fair to share some photos of the new Apple laptop for you to feast your eyes on. A quick play, if you will, before we get down to the nitty-gritty.
Single Review, online available, Very Short, Date: 06/13/2012

MacBook Pro with Retina Display review (mid-2012)
Source: Slashgear Archive.org version
It’s worth noting that Apple didn’t describe the new MacBook Pro as its “Retina Display” upgrade to the previous Pro: instead, it referred to the notebook the company’s best ideas for the next-generation of Pro. That’s because there’s more to it than all those extra pixels. Apple has polished, trimmed and pared away at its flagship to bring it resolutely up to date with the leading edge of the computer ecosystem.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 06/13/2012

Apple MacBook Pro with Retina display review (mid 2012)
Source: Engadget Archive.org version
Is this the best Mac ever? You can't ignore the Air as an amazing piece of machinery, especially with the new, higher-powered Ivy Bridge processors and faster SSDs tucked inside its wedge profile. But, this new Pro is on another level of performance. With a quad-core processor and up to 16GB of RAM it's a proper beast -- a proper beast that you can throw in your messenger bag and carry around all day without spending all night complaining about an aching back.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 06/13/2012

90% Apple MacBook Pro with Retina Display Review
Source: Laptop Mag Archive.org version
Starting at $2,199, the new MacBook Pro wasn't designed for the masses. It's for those who demand the very best and are willing to pay for it. The Retina Display is a positively sublime canvas for both content consumption and creation. It's really in its own league. While you can pick up a non-Retina Display 15-inch Pro with the same processor, RAM and graphics for $300 less, you don't get the benefits of flash memory, and it's more than a pound heavier.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 06/12/2012
Rating: Total score: 90%

100% Apple MacBook Pro (2012) Review
Source: Stuff TV Archive.org version
So buy one, and don’t look back. You’re getting more than just a fancy screen, it genuinely is the best laptop around in almost every respect – battery life aside. Or don’t buy one and wait for a future bargain. Either way, Apple’s MacBook Pro with Retina Display is a milestone event that deserves its accolades, even if you end up admiring it from afar.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 06/01/2012
Rating: Total score: 100%

Foreign Reviews

75% Hochauflösendes Luxus-Notebook mit Geforce GT 650M
Source: Gamestar DE→EN Archive.org version
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 08/18/2012
Rating: Total score: 75% performance: 73% features: 80% display: 95%

Macbook Pro Retina 2,6 GHz im Test
Source: Mac Welt DE→EN Archive.org version
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 07/13/2012

Apple MacBook Pro Retina im Test: Die andere Sicht der Dinge
Source: Netzwelt DE→EN Archive.org version
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 07/06/2012

86% Neue Notebook-Referenz
Source: Chip.de DE→EN Archive.org version
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 07/05/2012
Rating: Total score: 86% price: 66% performance: 100% features: 82% display: 91% mobility: 81% ergonomy: 83%

90% Das neue Scharf – Apple MacBook Pro mit 15,4 Zoll Retina Display
Source: Notebookjournal DE→EN Archive.org version
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 06/24/2012
Rating: Total score: 90% features: 50% display: 70% mobility: 70% workmanship: 100% ergonomy: 50%

84% Getestet: Apple MacBook Pro 15 Zoll mit Retina-Display
Source: ZDNet DE→EN Archive.org version
Single Review, online available, Short, Date: 06/15/2012
Rating: Total score: 84%

95% Test: Apple MacBook Pro Retina 15,4 Zoll Intel Core i7 2.3 GHz (2012)
Source: Notebookinfo DE→EN Archive.org version
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 06/15/2012
Rating: Total score: 95% performance: 100% display: 95% mobility: 100% ergonomy: 100% emissions: 92%

Apple MacBook Pro mit Retina-Display
Source: HardwareLuxx DE→EN Archive.org version
Positive: excellent display and workmanship; very good performance Negative: expensive in acquisition
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 08/24/2012

Apple MacBook Pro Retina im Test: Das Notebook für Bildschirmarbeiter
Source: Netzwelt DE→EN Archive.org version
expensive
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 07/16/2012

90% Apple Macbook Pro Retina : rien que pour vos yeux
Source: Erenumerique FR→EN Archive.org version
Comparison, online available, Medium, Date: 06/27/2012
Rating: Total score: 90%

Apple Macbook Pro Retina: обзор обновлённого ноутбука
Source: F1CD RU→EN Archive.org version
Positive: Excellent high-resolution display; powerful performance; SSD; good acoustics; slim metal body; fast charging. Negative: Hot under high loads; noisy cooling system.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 10/05/2012

Обзор ноутбука Apple Macbook Pro Retina: прорыв, который ждали
Source: Zoom RU→EN Archive.org version
Positive: The display with high resolution and wide viewing angle; powerful platform. Negative: Heating; power consumption.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 08/09/2012

Egy legendás gép: a MacBook Pro Retina villámtesztje
Source: Prohardver.hu HU→EN Archive.org version
Positive: Aluminum unibody; stunning viewing angles of the display. Negative: High price; the CPU and the memory is fixed; hot under high load.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 10/16/2012

Comment

Series:

The Retina display is a display which has high enough pixel density that the human retina can’t distinguish individual pixels and was first introduced as a cutting edge technology together with the iPhone 4. Thanks to the retina display, the iPhone 4 was called "Best device in its class" by The Wall Street Journal, and "Best smartphone on the market" by Engadget. The MacBook Pro with Retina display introduced at the WWDC in San Francisco in June 2012 is a separate product line, independent of the original MacBook Pro and should continue the success of the iPhone.

Apart from just the retina display, this new laptop also features a new design similar to that of the MacBook Air, but without Super Drive as well as Ethernet and FireWire 800 ports. Unlike the original MacBook Pro series with standard hard drive, it includes a Solid State Drive. In short, every technological advantage of Apple are concentrated on this new MacBook Pro with Retina display, from the amazing display found in the iPhone, iPad to robust system performance of the MacBook Pro as well as the portability, design and flash storage - this laptop has it all.

In particular the retina display is the sharpest computer display and outclasses every other laptop or computer display by far at the time of its introduction. It is that important that Apple even decided to  call this laptop "MacBook Pro with retina display". In fact, the display alone outweighs the biggest disadvantage of the new MacBook Pro, the price – it's Apple we are talking about. If you can afford the steep entry price, this is the most amazing laptop money can buy.

NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M: A mid-range GPU and the fastest GeForce GT as part of the 600M series

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.

Intel Core i7: The Intel Core i7 for laptops is based on the LG1156 Core i5/i7 CPU for desktops. The base clock speed of the CPUs is relatively low, but because of a huge Turbo mode, the cores can dynamically overclock to up to 3.2 GHz (920XM). Therefore, the CPU can be as fast as high clocked dual-core CPUs (using single threaded applications) but still offer the advantage of 4 cores. Because of the large TDP of 45 W / 55 W, the CPU is only intended for large laptops.  

3615QM: An Ivy Bridge-based quad-core processor clocked at 2.3 GHz with Turbo Boost support up to 3.3 GHz. Offers an integrated HD Graphics 4000 GPU running at 650-1200 MHz on a dual channel DDR3 memory controller.» Further information can be found in our Comparison of Mobile Processsors.

15.40":

15-inch display variants are the standard and are used for more than half of all laptops.

The reason for the popularity of mid-sized displays is that this size is reasonably easy on the eyes, often allows high resolutions and thus offers rich details on the screen, yet does not consume too much power and the devices can still be reasonably compact - simply the standard compromise.

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.

87.35%: This is an above-average rating. Nevertheless, it should not be forgotten that about one fifth of all tested models receive a better rating.

» Further information can be found in our Notebook Purchase Guide.

Devices from a different Manufacturer and/or with a different CPU

Devices with the same GPU and/or Screen Size

Devices with the same GPU