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Touch Bar MacBook Pro Q&A
Update Published December 11, 2020
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What type of power connector do the "Touch Bar" MacBook Pro models use? Is it compatible with "MagSafe" power connectors? Are third-party options available?
Unfortunately, the "Touch Bar" MacBook Pro models are not compatible with any of the "MagSafe" power connectors that earlier MacBook Pro models use.
Instead, all 13-Inch, 15-Inch, and 16-Inch "Touch Bar" MacBook Pro models ship, or shipped, with new USB-C based 61-watt (MNF72LL/A), 87-watt (MNF82LL/A), and 96-watt (MX0J2AM/A) power adapters, respectively. You can use these power adapters in any of the notebook's Thunderbolt 3 ports to charge it.
Sadly, these power adapters do not disconnect cleanly when tugged like magnet-equipped MagSafe power connectors of yore. They are not compatible with any earlier Mac notebooks or iOS devices, either.
Griffin offered a "BreakSafe" magnetic USB-C power cable replacement that safely disconnects when under strain, just like MagSafe. It will work on all "Touch Bar" MacBook Pro models, but because it only provides 60 watts of power, note that it will charge more slowly than the default power adapters, particularly on the 15-Inch and 16-Inch models.
Photo Credit: Griffin Tech, Inc. (BreakSafe Power Cable)
If you're remotely clumsy, or are ever around anyone else who is clumsy, or have pets, the Griffin BreakSafe is a wise investment for these MacBook Pro models. It does mean sacrificing some charge speed, but that is a small price to pay for most users.
How do you use an SD card with the "Touch Bar" MacBook Pro? What is the best option?
Unlike the previous "Retina" MacBook Pro models, which have a built-in SD card slot, the "Touch Bar" MacBook Pro lineup does not support SD cards by default. Apple does not make a compatible USB-C based adapter, either.
However, other companies do make USB-C SD card readers that are compatible with the "Touch Bar" MacBook Pro models. One inexpensive option that supports a variety of camera cards is available from Tripp Lite.
Photo Credit: Trip-Lite (Left), Kanex (Right)
A more premium option, from Satechi, includes two "traditional" USB 3.0 ports and one USB-C port for charging as well as an SD card slot and a Micro SD card slot housed in an attractive, aluminum case that is color matched to each "Touch Bar" MacBook Pro.
Photo Credit: Satechi (Type-C USB 3.0 Combo Hub - USB-A/SD Card/Micro SD)
Site sponsor OWC sells the Tripp Lite USB Type-C Multi-Drive Card Reader.
How do you connect the "Touch Bar" MacBook Pro to a wired Ethernet network? Is it even possible?
Although the "Touch Bar" MacBook Pro models have built-in 802.11ac Wi-Fi, they do not have a built-in Ethernet port.
However, it is possible to connect a "Touch Bar" MacBook Pro to a wired Ethernet network with a third-party USB-C or Thunderbolt 3 adapter.
Photo Credit: MacAlly (USB-C Ethernet Adapters)
A couple of quality Ethernet options available include the simple Kanex USB-C to Gigabit Ethernet adapter and a more capable, but larger, MacAlly USB-C to USB-A Hub that provides three "old-style" USB-A (USB 3.0) ports and a Gigabit Ethernet port.
Photo Credit: OWC (Thunderbolt 3 10G Ethernet Adapter)
For seriously fast connectivity, OWC also sells its own brand Thunderbolt 3 10G Ethernet Adapter that makes it possible to connect one of these MacBook Pro models to a high-performance wired network up to ten times faster than Gigabit Ethernet.
Site sponsor OWC sells these Ethernet adapters as well as a variety of other third-party USB-C adapters that may be of interest.
Who designed the "Touch Bar" MacBook Pro?
Apple's industrial design for many years has been performed entirely in-house by Apple's Industrial Design Group, led by Jonathan Ive.
Where can I buy a "Touch Bar" MacBook Pro?
In the United States, you always can buy a Mac directly from Apple, but you often can get a better deal by purchasing your new MacBook Pro from an Apple Authorized Reseller like site sponsor Adorama. Adorama commonly has deep discounts on recently discontinued models, too. Other World Computing sells used and refurb MacBook Pro models at bargain prices with free shipping, as well.
In the UK, site sponsor Hoxton Macs sells used MacBook Pro models with a one-year warranty and free next day delivery throughout the UK. Delivery across Europe also is available starting at just £9.99 for two-day delivery to France and Germany.
What are the custom configuration options for the "Touch Bar" MacBook Pro models?
The "Touch Bar" MacBook Pro models can -- or could -- be custom configured at the time of purchase with faster processors, additional RAM, and higher capacity SSD storage:
13-Inch "Touch Bar" MacBook Pro Custom Configuration Options
MacBook Pro |
Subfamily |
Processor |
RAM |
Storage |
Late 2016 |
2.4 GHz Core i7 (I7-6660U) |
16 GB |
512 GB SSD |
|
Late 2016 |
3.1 GHz Core i5 (I5-6287U) |
16 GB |
1 TB SSD |
|
Mid-2017 |
2.5 GHz Core i7 (I7-7660U) |
16 GB |
512 GB SSD |
|
Mid-2017 |
3.3 GHz Core i5 (I5-7287U) |
16 GB |
1 TB SSD |
|
Mid-2018 |
2.7 GHz Core i7 (I7-8559U) | 16 GB |
512 GB SSD |
|
2019 |
2.8 GHz Core i7 (I7-8569U) | 16 GB |
1 TB SSD |
2019 |
1.7 GHz Core i7 (I7-8557U) | 16 GB |
512 GB SSD |
2020 |
1.7 GHz Core i7 (I7-8557U) | 16 GB |
1 TB SSD |
2020 |
2.3 GHz Core i7 (I7-1068NG7) | 32 GB |
2 TB SSD |
15-Inch "Touch Bar" MacBook Pro Custom Configuration Options
MacBook Pro |
Subfamily |
Processor |
RAM |
Storage |
Late 2016 |
3.1 GHz Core i5 (I5-6287U) |
N/A |
512 GB SSD |
|
Late 2016 |
3.3 GHz Core i7 (I7-6567U) |
N/A |
1 TB SSD |
|
Mid-2017 |
3.1 GHz Core i7 (I7-7920HQ) |
N/A |
512 GB SSD |
|
Mid-2017 |
3.1 GHz Core i7 (I7-7920HQ) |
N/A |
1 TB SSD |
|
Mid-2018 |
2.9 GHz Core i9 (I9-8950HK) |
32 GB |
512 GB |
|
Mid-2018 |
2.9 GHz Core i9 (I9-8950HK) |
32 GB |
1 TB |
|
2019 |
2.4 GHz Core i9 (I9-9980HK) |
32 GB |
512 GB |
|
2019 |
2.4 GHz Core i9 (I9-9980HK) |
32 GB |
1 TB |
16-Inch "Touch Bar" MacBook Pro Custom Configuration Options
MacBook Pro |
Subfamily |
Processor |
RAM |
Storage |
2019 |
2.4 GHz Core i9 (I9-9980HK) |
32 GB |
1 TB |
|
2019 |
2.4 GHz Core i9 (I9-9980HK) |
32 GB |
2 TB |
If you are interested in a faster processor, more RAM, or a higher capacity SSD, these systems should be upgraded at the time of purchase as it is impossible to later upgrade the processor or RAM. It is impossible to upgrade the SSD in the 13-Inch, 15-Inch, and 16-Inch models with a "Touch Bar," too.
Although it will not be easy, it might be possible to upgrade the storage in the small number of "non-Touch Bar" MacBook Pro models (A1708) from this same era.
If it is important to you to be able upgrade the SSD after purchase, you might prefer to purchase an earlier 13-Inch or 15-Inch "Retina Display" MacBook Pro as they all have upgradable storage and are significantly less expensive, as well.
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