The 2012 Macbook Pro w/ Retina Display is an Ultrabook

Abe Olandres Editor-in-chief June 12, 2012 · 2 min read

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One of the more surprising announcement in the recently concluded Apple WWDC 2012 is the new 15.4-inch Macbook Pro with Retina Display.

With a resolution that’s 4 times that of the previous Macbook Pro, the ones with Retina Display basically has the highest resolution in any laptop.

The “Retina Display” label originally came from the iPhone which has more than 300ppi pixel density. Technically, the new Macbook Pro only has 220ppi so it doesn’t really qualify. Apple just uses it here for marketing.

15-inch Macbook Pro with Retina Display specs:
15.4″ IPS LCD @ 2880×1800 pixels, 220ppi
2.3GHz or 2.6GHz Intel Core i7 quad-core processor
2.7GHz Intel Core i7 quad-core processor (upgrade)
Intel HD Graphics 4000
NVidia GeForce GT 650M with 1GB of GDDR5 VRAM
8GB or 16GB DDR3 RAM
256GB or 512GB SATA SSD (768GB upgrade option)
WiFi 802.11 b/g/n
Bluetooth 4.0
720p Facetime camera
2 x USB 3.0 ports
2 x Thunderbolt ports
1 x HDMI port
SDXC card slot

The new Macbook Pro with Retina Display weighs 4.46 pounds (2.02 kg) and is only 18mm thick so it qualifies as an ultrabook, according to Intel specs.

Promised battery life is still at 7 hours on a single charge.

As for pricing, the 256GB SATA with 2.3GHz Core i7 model starts at $2,199 while the 512GB SATA and 2.6GHz Core i7 will go for $2,799.

Options for getting the 2.7GHz Core i7, 16GB of RAM and 768GB SATA upgrades will cost you an arm and a leg.

Updated — Prices of Macbook Pro w/ Retina Display as follows:

â— Php107,990 for 2.3GHz Core i7, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD
â— Php137,990 for 2.6GHz Core i7, 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD
â— Php185,490 for 2.7GHz Core i7, 16GB RAM, 768GB SSD

What is the screen resolution of the 2012 MacBook Pro with Retina Display?

The 15.4-inch MacBook Pro with Retina Display has a resolution of 2880x1800 pixels.

Does the MacBook Pro with Retina Display qualify as an ultrabook?

Yes, it qualifies as an ultrabook because it weighs 4.46 pounds and is 18mm thick.

What is the starting price of the 256GB model?

The 256GB SATA model with a 2.3GHz Core i7 processor starts at $2,199.

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Abe Olandres

Editor-in-chief

Abe is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of YugaTech with over 20 years of experience in the technology industry. He is one of the pioneers of blogging in the country and is considered by many as the Father of Tech Blogging in the Philippines.

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46 Comments

http://www.sbwire. · 13 years ago

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Jakey · 14 years ago

However, opting the optical drive is a bit of a shush though to compensate for the slimmed-down tone of the new macbook. So after paying the P137k for the laptop, you still have to opt for an optical drive. OMG! Apple, you leech!

I’m pretty sure that by the end of the year, seeing the trend that upon last year, Apple having released updated versions of their macbook line, they’ll release another macbook (late 2012) edition – seeing that manufacturers nowadays are variably able to compete with the apple line of laptops.

I just hope that this line doesn’t have that annoying problem with the 2011 version… OVERHEATING. Sakit sa ulo yung 10 minutes after using multiple programs, eh kelangan i-turn on ang aircon, itapat sa desk fan with matching electric fan, just to get the system cooled off.

I’m hoping that Apple has finally settled with the issue of overheating. Mamaya magka re-call issue na naman sila with their first batch of MacBooks due to overheating or randomly turning off. Sakit sa ulo noh.

Jakey · 14 years ago

I’m still a bit pissed that I bought my macbook pro 15 inch (late 2011) 2.4 ghz just this january and then this beast came out. The price I paid for is nearly the price of the P137k version of the new macbook. I’m like, “SERIOUSLY, APPLE!”… Kung pwede lang ibalik tong lecheng laptop na toh, even if I have to pay for the price difference then I would. Pwede pa ba…? *wishful thinking*

Mars · 14 years ago

I they opt out the optical drive why

mac and me · 14 years ago

This is nice! Retina display FTW! maganda siguro p0rn dito.

Mr. Curious · 14 years ago

spot on there my friend!!! hahahaha

Billy · 14 years ago

How come there is no retine for MBP 13 inch?

Mr. Curious · 14 years ago

I just hope someone would clarify to all the interested buyers the real definition of retina display. The ads of apple for this particular line of product is really promising thou some of it are actually true but not all. Esp the retina display.

Mr A · 14 years ago

Maganda yung screen. Pero kung developer ka, yung pa ding actual screen size ang need mo, next lang ang pixel density.

Pero that’s just my assumption for now. I have to see it myself para ma justify kung yan na lang ang next PC ko. Total, puwede naman lagyan ng Windows.

Mr. Abnormal · 14 years ago

Hey I’m a fellow developer! When it comes to developers (specially if you are focusing on mobile development) Mac is the way to go. Mainly due to the flexibility it offers. I have a windows laptop and I can’t develop iOS apps with it, Actually you can, with the use of different platforms such as CS5. However in doing so, you will be bounded by the limits of such platforms, and since you don’t have a licensed Mac, you most likely won;t be able to publish your app. at least when you get a Mac you can pretty much develop ALL kinds of apps.(mobile in mind)

Froggy Bomb · 14 years ago

Ultrabooks = third rate Macbook Air clones

Mr. Serious · 14 years ago

I’ve never owned a mac before. Long time windows user. Apple got everything right with the macbook Air 2011. Kaso nga lang, being Apple, mahal. So naghintay ako ng magiging katapat ng Macbook Air na ultrabook (kasi match ang MBA o ultrabook sa needs ko). Ngayong may bagong lineup na ung MBA atsaka MBP, wala paring katapat na lumalabas. May mga iba tulad ng zenbook, spectre, or ung bago sa dell. Kaso laging kapos, either mababa battery life, walang backlit, or walang kwenta ung trackpad. Guess it’s time to go mac.

Mr. Updated · 14 years ago

Actually, the ultrabooks announced at Computex 2012 addresses most of those problems especially the Zenbook Prime, Asus took the criticisms for their original Zenbook to heart and replaced the display with 1080p and the mushy keyboard with a better backlit one. I don’t know about the trackpad though but, I think it’s okay. Also, Asus has an upcoming touchscreen Zenbook Prime for Windows 8.

Actually, for me, being a Windows user, I really like Apple’s HARDWARE except for the PRICE but I really don’t like MAC OSX (I like iOS though). If you can afford a Retina MBP or an MBA, I guess you’ll not be disappointed but for me, I will go for a Zenbook because I really don’t need that kind of resolution and if I ever buy a Mac, I will primarily use Windows through bootcamp.

Mr. Updated · 14 years ago

By the way, with the Zenbook Prime having a 1080p IPS display, it beats the MBA’s 768p by a lot. But still, the retina MBP is actually the best notebook present because of it’s Kepler GPU, SSD Storage, Retina Graphics, Ivy Bridge CPU and all that in a portable laptop. But take note of the $2200 STARTING PRICE.

Mr. Serious · 14 years ago

^ Thanks for the input. I’ve already considered the Asus Zenbook Prime. However, the only setup available with that unit in the Philippines is the UX31A which cost 70k. (Which is WAY off my budget). The MBA on the otherhand has 4 different pricepoints, 48k, 53k, 58k, 73k. I also agree with you about the OS. since I am a long time windows user, I definitely prefer windows over mac, however the roughly 2-hour difference in battery life is very tempting.

Nino · 14 years ago

I think the price on the lower-spec MBP15+Retina is a steal compared to the price of the lower-spec MBP15 with an upgraded 256GB SSD and 8GB RAM, not to mention the 1GB RAM on the graphics.

I hope Yuga compares the MBP15+Retina with the closest Asus Zenbook Prime.

zehkee · 14 years ago

“The â€œRetina Displayâ€ label originally came from the iPhone which has more than 300ppi pixel density. Technically, the new Macbook Pro only has 220ppi so it doesnâ€™t really qualify. Apple just uses it here for marketing.”

The term “retina display” can be used to describe a display where individual pixels are indistinguishable at a certain distance. For example on the iPhone, retina display is 326ppi when looking a foot away from the face. iPad 3, 264ppi at 18 inches: still Retina display. I guess for the new MBP the normal distance of the display from the eyes is about 18-24 inches, therefore making pixels invisible; Hence, Retina Display.

John · 14 years ago

tama ka bro, ilang beses na yan ineexplain ng apple, pero may mga taong katulad parin ni yuga. hehe

anyway, im still on 11″ ASUS W8 Ultrabook 1080p touchsreen dispay.

Abe Olandres Editor-in-chief · 14 years ago

It’s a very loose definition. If that’s the case, then this is not the first Retina Display on a Macbook:

http://www.tuaw.com/2012/03/01/retina-display-macs-ipads-and-hidpi-doing-the-math/

http://www.electronista.com/articles/12/03/08/sharp.samsung.lg.seen.as.suppliers/

Paul · 14 years ago

You should still admit that it’s a retina display though as per Apple’s definition, denying that because it doesn’t have as high PPI as the iPhone 4 just makes it seem like sourgraping to your readers.