Apple Introduces Rose Gold MacBook With Feather-Light Design, Faster Chips, and Best Battery Life Yet

For those Apple consumers looking for a laptop with a Midas touch, Apple’s newest addition to the Macbook family has officially gone from pre-order to available for same day shipping. Apple has made some significant changes with their newest model, most notably being the rose gold finish. This color first debuted on the iPhone 6s Plus in September 2015, with those models selling out internationally within days. Regardless of the memory or size you wanted for your phone, Apple had a three-to-four week wait to restock this color option. I can only foresee this newest computer model selling out with the same passion.

Retina Display

The 12" Retina Display on the MacBook doesn't just have a higher resolution, it's also paper-thin, as in 0.03" paper-thin (0.88mm). Also, thanks to a unique manufacturing process, Apple is able to form an edge-to-edge glass that's only 0.02" (0.5mm) thick. Apple has worked on improving its Retina screen technology to feature a 16:10 aspect ratio and 2304x1440 native resolution, resulting in 226 pixels per inch (PPI). Redesigning the pixels with a larger aperture allows more light to pass through and enables Apple to use LED backlighting that's 30 percent more energy efficient than the displays on other Mac notebooks, with no loss in brightness.

Force Touch Trackpad

The Force Touch trackpad may look like previous trackpads, but a look under the hood reveals what makes it incredible. Traditionally, trackpads use a "diving board" mechanism, which requires room underneath for the downward motion of a click and makes it harder to click the part of the surface closest to the keyboard. With the Force Touch trackpad, force sensors detect your click anywhere on the surface. The newest force sensors detect how much pressure you're applying and use sensory capabilities to tell your MacBook what you want it to do based on subtle differences in the pressure you apply. This makes it possible for your trackpad to perform a variety of different actions in different apps all on the same surface. And it can respond with haptic feedback, making your MacBook more usable and personal. The Taptic Engine provides a click sensation, so when you press anywhere on the surface, the click that once was a single mechanical function is just the start of what you can do with Force Touch. The trackpad can even tell whether you're clicking with your thumb or another finger and automatically adjusts the sensitivity level.

LED Keyboard Features

Traditional keyboards use a scissor mechanism, which tends to wobble around the edges. This creates a lack of precision when you type anywhere except the center of the key. Apple reduced key-wobbling for the updated, thinner keyboard, designing a butterfly mechanism that is wider than the scissor mechanism and has a single assembly made from a stiffer material, allowing for a more stable, responsive key that takes up less vertical space.

The redesigned keys on the MacBook feature a larger surface area, a thinner construction, and a deeper key well, creating a more defined space for your fingertip to find naturally and press the keys. These refinements may be subtle, but the feel is distinct and intuitive. Combined with the butterfly mechanism, this innovative design allows for much greater control when typing.

Since the keyboard is thin, Apple had to address how to backlight the keys in a way that took up less space while delivering an even cleaner and more refined look and feel. To do that, Apple removed the row of LEDs and the light guide panel that distributed light throughout the keyboard and instead placed an individual LED under each key. These LEDs are calibrated for uniform brightness, so every key and character looks clear and sharp with minimal light around the keycap, all while being engineered for as much energy efficiency as possible.

Dual Core 6th-Gen (Skylake) Intel Core m3 Performance and USB 3.0 Type-C

The 6th-Gen (Skylake) Intel Core m3 processor with 14nm process technology provides fast dual-core performance. The dual cores can run at a stock speed of 1.1 GHz and can boost up to 2.2 GHz as needed, thanks to Intel Turbo Boost 2.0 technology. With a 4 MB L3 cache and 8 GB of onboard 1866 MHz LPDDR3 RAM, the MacBook provides fast and energy-efficient performance. To create a notebook as thin and light as the MacBook, Apple had to strive for efficiency in every detail, right down to how it connects to peripherals and power. So, Apple contributed to a growing universal connectivity standard that combines the essential functions you need every day in one dynamic port: the USB Type-C port offers charging, quick USB 3.0 data transfer for connecting to external devices and peripherals, and video output that supports HDMI, VGA, and Mini DisplayPort connections, all in a small, reversible design that's one-third the size of a USB Type-A port.

Fast Flash Storage and Faster Memory

Part of what makes the MacBook so responsive is that it's designed entirely around flash storage. Not only does this make the MacBook much lighter and more portable than traditional notebooks, it also provides faster access to data. The flash storage is up to 9 times quicker than a regular 5400 rpm notebook hard drive. The MacBook features 8 GB of onboard 1866 MHz LPDDR3 RAM. Combine that with powerful processors and faster flash storage, and you get a notebook that can run more memory-intensive applications at the same time without compromising performance. With an emphasis on mobile, the MacBook is equipped with 802.11ac Wi‑Fi and Bluetooth 4.0 wireless technology. With AirPlay and Apple TV, you can wirelessly play video, show off photos, and enjoy music from your MacBook on your widescreen TV. And when your MacBook connects to an 802.11ac Wi‑Fi base station, such as an AirPort Extreme or AirPort Time Capsule, your wireless performance is up to three times faster.

Green Friendly

Apple worked to create a computer that is energy efficient, free of many toxins, and highly recyclable. Because Apple designs both hardware and software, the MacBook is able to use a highly efficient power supply that reduces wasted power. The computer is free of mercury and arsenic, and its internal components are free of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and brominated flame retardants (BFRs). When the computer reaches the end of its long life, you can rest assured that it can be recycled. It is constructed from materials that are highly desirable to recyclers. The MacBook has been awarded EPEAT Gold status for responsible manufacture, energy efficiency, and recyclability.

Overall

Maybe you need to upgrade your Apple laptop, but the rose gold isn't your taste. Don't fret. They still have space grey along with a refreshing gold option. Personally, as a photographer, I am never without my laptop in tow. I can't tell you how overjoyed I am to see a lighter model coming out (as is my back). Only time will tell how significantly the updates help out and improve the experience for the average user. If you have purchased one of these bad boys already for yourself, comment below, and let me know how you like it! Have you not purchased yours yet? Get it here!