Apple · MacBook Pro
MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Mid 2012)
The first Retina MacBook Pro, with a 15-inch IPS display, quad-core Ivy Bridge processors and discrete NVIDIA graphics.
- Size
- 15.4″
- Display
- IPS LCD
- Processor
- Intel Core i7
- Memory
- 8 GB – 16 GB
- Weight
- 2.02 kg
- Battery
- 7 h
What reviewers say
Reviewers praised the sharp display, strong application performance, responsive input devices and thinner, lighter construction. They found the flash storage made the system responsive and the reduced glare useful. They criticised difficult servicing and limited upgrades, and noted that demanding games or graphics tasks could produce heat and fan noise. Contemporary reviews also found some third-party software had yet to adapt to Retina scaling.
From macworld.com and notebookcheck.net
Specifications
Report a wrong or missing specDisplay
- Screen size
- 15.4″
- Resolution
- 2880 × 1800
- Panel
- IPS LCD
- Touchscreen
- No
- Display type
- Retina LED-backlit IPS display with millions of colours; native 2880 × 1800 and scaled modes of 1920 × 1200, 1680 × 1050, 1280 × 800 and 1024 × 640. Refresh rate and brightness unpublished by Apple.
- Pixel density
- 220 ppi
Performance
- Processor
- Intel Core i7-3615QM, Intel Core i7-3720QM or Intel Core i7-3820QM
- CPU cores
- 4
- CPU threads
- 8
- Graphics
- NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M (1 GB GDDR5)
- Memory
- 8 GB or 16 GB
- Storage
- 256 GB to 768 GB
- CPU
- Quad-core Intel Core i7-3615QM at 2.3 GHz with Turbo Boost up to 3.3 GHz and 6 MB shared L3 cache, or Core i7-3720QM at 2.6 GHz with up to 3.6 GHz and 6 MB cache. The upper base can upgrade to Core i7-3820QM at 2.7 GHz with up to 3.7 GHz and 8 MB cache; exact identities documented by Notebookcheck.
- GPU
- Intel HD Graphics 4000 and NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M with 1 GB GDDR5 memory; automatic graphics switching
- Memory type
- 8 GB of 1600 MHz DDR3L onboard memory, configurable to 16 GB at purchase
- Storage type
- Flash storage; the 2.3 GHz base has 256 GB without a storage upgrade at launch. The 2.6 GHz base has 512 GB, configurable to 768 GB, and offers the 2.7 GHz processor upgrade. These restrictions are documented by both contemporary reviews alongside Apple's base specifications.
Battery and size
- Battery life (maker's claim)
- Up to 7 hours
- Battery capacity
- 95 Wh
- Weight
- 2.02 kg
- Thickness
- 18 mm
- Width × depth
- 358.9 × 247.1 mm
- Battery life detail
- Built-in 95 Wh lithium-polymer battery; up to 7 hours wireless web or 30 days standby under Apple's test conditions. Reference weight varies by configuration and manufacturing process.
- Charger
- 85 W MagSafe 2 Power Adapter with cable management
- Materials
- Aluminium enclosure
- Colours
- Silver
Connections
- Ports
- 2 × USB-A, 2 × Thunderbolt, MagSafe 2, headphone jack, SD card slot, HDMI
- Wi-Fi
- 802.11n; compatible with 802.11a/b/g
- Bluetooth
- 4.0
- Webcam
- 720p FaceTime HD
- Operating system
- macOS
- Port detail
- Two USB 3 ports up to 5 Gb/s, two Thunderbolt ports up to 10 Gb/s with native Mini DisplayPort output, HDMI, SDXC, MagSafe 2 and headphone jack with audio line output and support for Apple iPhone headset remote and microphone. Ethernet and FireWire require separate Thunderbolt adapters.
- External displays
- Built-in screen plus up to two external displays at 2560 × 1600, with millions of colours; DVI, VGA and dual-link DVI adapters sold separately
- Keyboard
- Full-size backlit keyboard with 78 US or 79 ISO keys, 12 function keys, four arrow keys and ambient light sensor
- Trackpad
- Glass Multi-Touch trackpad with inertial scrolling, pinch, rotate, swipe, three-finger swipe, four-finger swipe, tap, double-tap and drag
- Speakers
- Stereo speakers
- Microphones
- Dual microphones
- In the box
- MacBook Pro with Retina display, MagSafe 2 Power Adapter, AC wall plug and power cord; OS X Lion and iLife apps; eligible for a free upgrade to the then-upcoming OS X Mountain Lion
Configurations
| Processor | Memory | Storage | Graphics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Intel Core i7-3615QM | 8 GB | 256 GB | NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M (1 GB GDDR5) |
| Intel Core i7-3615QM | 16 GB | 256 GB | NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M (1 GB GDDR5) |
| Intel Core i7-3720QM | 8 GB | 512 GB | NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M (1 GB GDDR5) |
| Intel Core i7-3720QM | 8 GB | 768 GB | NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M (1 GB GDDR5) |
| Intel Core i7-3720QM | 16 GB | 512 GB | NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M (1 GB GDDR5) |
| Intel Core i7-3720QM | 16 GB | 768 GB | NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M (1 GB GDDR5) |
| Intel Core i7-3820QM | 8 GB | 512 GB | NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M (1 GB GDDR5) |
| Intel Core i7-3820QM | 8 GB | 768 GB | NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M (1 GB GDDR5) |
| Intel Core i7-3820QM | 16 GB | 512 GB | NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M (1 GB GDDR5) |
| Intel Core i7-3820QM | 16 GB | 768 GB | NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M (1 GB GDDR5) |
Pros and cons
Pros
- Retina IPS display
- Quad-core processor and discrete graphics
- Two Thunderbolt ports, HDMI and SDXC
Cons
- Memory cannot be upgraded after purchase
- No built-in Ethernet or optical drive
- Proprietary flash storage limits upgrade choices
Closest rivals
Model | Size | Display | Processor | Memory | Weight | Battery | Released |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15.4″ | – | Intel Core 2 | 2 GB – 4 GB | – | – | Feb 2008 | |
| 15.4″ | – | Intel Core 2 | 1 GB – 3 GB | – | 5 h | Oct 2006 | |
| 15.4″ | IPS LCD | Intel Core i7 | 8 GB – 16 GB | 2.02 kg | 7 h | Feb 2013 |
Newer model: MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Early 2013).
Sources
- support.apple.com/en-gb/112576
- apple.com/uk/newsroom/2012/06/11Apple-Introduces-All-New-MacBook-Pro-with-Retin…
- macworld.com/article/218113/macbook_pro_with_retina_display_redefines_the_conce…
- notebookcheck.net/Review-Apple-MacBook-Pro-15-Retina-2-3-GHz-Mid-2012.78959.0.h…
- intel.com/content/www/us/en/products/sku/64889/intel-core-i73820qm-processor-8m…
Photo: cdsassets.apple.com
