A new report from 9to5Mac claims that they’ve received pricing on the rumored forthcoming 13-inch Retina display MacBook Pro. The article suggests that the entry-level 13-inch Retina-equipped MacBook Pro will start at roughly $1,600, which is an excess of $500 over the comparable non-Retina model.
We’ve now received pricing information on the base model and the “better” model. Based on wholesale prices we’ve received, we believe the entry model 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro will cost roughly $1699 at launch while the higher specc’ed model will cost $300 more making the $2000 price point likely.
Curiously, whereas the lower-specced Retina 13-inch MacBook Pro is estimated to carry a $500 premium over the standard edition, the least expensive 15-inch Retina MacBook Pro comes in closer to $400 over the non-Retina model. Could the higher premium be caused by supply constraints or a more difficult manufacturing method? Whatever the case, it’s likely that similar to the 15-inch model, the price will take an excessive hike when extra flash storage is added, as the 512GB 15-inch Retina model carries a premium closer to $600 (when compared to the comparable standard MacBook Pro).
We’ll know more this coming Tuesday, October 23rd, when Apple is expected to unveil a new iPad Mini, a 13-inch Retina display MacBook Pro and updates to both their iMac and Mac mini desktop computers – stay tuned for complete coverage.
