MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2017, Two Thunderbolt 3 ports) vs MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2016, Four Thunderbolt 3 ports)
Quick look
| Figure | MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2017, Two Thunderbolt 3 ports)1 | MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2016, Four Thunderbolt 3 ports)2 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £1,2493launch price | £1,7494launch price |
| Chip | Core i52.3GHz dual-core Intel | Core i52.9GHz dual-core Intel |
| CPU | 2-coreCPU | 2-coreCPU |
| Memory | 8GBmemory, base | 8GBmemory, base |
| Storage | 128GBstorage, base | 256GBstorage, base |
| Battery life | Up to10 hrsvideo playback, claimed | Up to10 hrsvideo playback, claimed |
| Released | 7 June 20175ReleasedIn Apple Stores; orderable online from 5 June 2017. | 27 October 20166Announced, no on-sale date given |
| Security updates | 15 September 20257Security updates ended | 16 September 20247Security updates ended |
- Price
- The MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2017, Two Thunderbolt 3 ports) is £1,249 at launch, per Apple UK Store (archived 23 June 2017); the MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2016, Four Thunderbolt 3 ports) is £1,749 at launch, per Apple Newsroom (UK).
True to scale
Footprints from above, from Apple’s published dimensions, drawn to one scale and superposed. Corner rounding is our drawing convention, not a measurement.
Specifications
Each figure is from the source marked by its Mac’s name unless it carries its own small number, which links to where that figure was read.
Body
| Specification | MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2017, Two Thunderbolt 3 ports)1 | MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2016, Four Thunderbolt 3 ports)2 |
|---|---|---|
| Dimensions | 14.9 x 304.1 x 212.4 mm | 14.9 x 304.1 x 212.4 mm |
| Weight | 1.37 kg | 1.37 kg |
| Colours | Silver, Space Gray | Silver, Space Gray |
| Ports | Two Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) ports, 3.5 mm headphone jack | Four Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) ports, 3.5 mm headphone jack |
| Thunderbolt ports | 2 | 4 |
| Thunderbolt version | Thunderbolt 3 | Thunderbolt 3 |
| USB-A ports | No USB-A ports.8 | No USB-A ports.9 |
| HDMI | No HDMI port.10 | No HDMI port.11 |
| SD card slot | No SD card slot.10 | No SD card slot.11 |
| Headphone jack | Yes | Yes |
| MagSafe | No MagSafe port.8 | No MagSafe port.9 |
| Keyboard | Full-size backlit keyboard with 78 (U.S.) or 79 (ISO) keys including 12 function keys and 4 arrow keys | Full-size backlit keyboard with Touch Bar with integrated Touch ID sensor |
| Touch ID | No Touch ID.10 | Yes |
| Touch Bar | No Touch Bar.10 | Yes |
Display
| Specification | MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2017, Two Thunderbolt 3 ports)1 | MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2016, Four Thunderbolt 3 ports)2 |
|---|---|---|
| Display size | 13.3 in | 13.3 in |
| Resolution | 2560 x 1600 | 2560 x 1600 |
| Pixel density | 227 ppi | 227 ppi |
| Display type | Retina display | Retina display |
| Brightness | 500 nits | 500 nits |
| Wide colour (P3) | Yes | Yes |
Chip and memory
| Specification | MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2017, Two Thunderbolt 3 ports)1 | MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2016, Four Thunderbolt 3 ports)2 |
|---|---|---|
| Chip | 2.3GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 | 2.9GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 |
| Apple silicon | Intel processor, not Apple silicon.8 | Intel processor, not Apple silicon.9 |
| CPU cores | 2 | 2 |
| Graphics | Intel Iris Plus Graphics 640 | Intel Iris Graphics 550 |
| Chip options | 2.3GHz dual-core Intel Core i5, Turbo Boost up to 3.6GHz; configurable to 2.5GHz dual-core Intel Core i7, Turbo Boost up to 4.0GHz | 2.9GHz dual-core Intel Core i5, Turbo Boost up to 3.3GHz; configurable to 3.1GHz dual-core Intel Core i5, Turbo Boost up to 3.5GHz, or 3.3GHz dual-core Intel Core i7, Turbo Boost up to 3.6GHz |
| Memory (base) | 8GB | 8GB |
| Memory (maximum) | 16GB | 16GB |
| Memory options | 8GB or 16GB | 8GB or 16GB |
| Memory upgradeable by user | No, as Apple documents12 | No, as Apple documents12 |
| Storage (base) | 128GB | 256GB |
| Storage (maximum) | 1TB | 1TB |
| Storage options | 128GB, 256GB, 512GB or 1TB | 256GB, 512GB or 1TB |
Battery and power
| Specification | MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2017, Two Thunderbolt 3 ports)1 | MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2016, Four Thunderbolt 3 ports)2 |
|---|---|---|
| Battery capacity | 54.5 Wh | 49.2 Wh |
| Rated charge cycles | 1,000 cycles13 | 1,000 cycles13 |
| Video playback (claimed) | 10 h | 10 h |
| Wireless web (claimed) | 10 h | 10 h |
| Included power adapter | 61 W | 61 W |
| Fast charging | No fast charging.10 | No fast charging.11 |
Connectivity
| Specification | MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2017, Two Thunderbolt 3 ports)1 | MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2016, Four Thunderbolt 3 ports)2 |
|---|---|---|
| Wi-Fi | 802.11ac Wi-Fi wireless networking; IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n compatible | 802.11ac Wi-Fi wireless networking; IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n compatible |
| Bluetooth | 4.2 | 4.2 |
| Ethernet | No Ethernet port.10 | No Ethernet port.11 |
| External displays (base) | 2 | 2 |
Camera and audio
| Specification | MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2017, Two Thunderbolt 3 ports)1 | MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2016, Four Thunderbolt 3 ports)2 |
|---|---|---|
| Camera | 720p FaceTime HD camera | 720p FaceTime HD camera |
| Speakers | Stereo speakers with high dynamic range | Stereo speakers with high dynamic range |
| Microphones | Two microphones | Three microphones |
Platform
| Specification | MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2017, Two Thunderbolt 3 ports)1 | MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2016, Four Thunderbolt 3 ports)2 |
|---|---|---|
| Shipped with | Not available14 | macOS Sierra6 |
| Newest macOS | macOS Ventura15 | macOS Monterey15 |
| Model identifier | MacBookPro14,115 | MacBookPro13,215 |
| Model year | 2017 | 2016 |
Benchmarks
| Specification | MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2017, Two Thunderbolt 3 ports)1 | MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2016, Four Thunderbolt 3 ports)2 |
|---|---|---|
| Geekbench 7 (CPU, single-core) | 1,09816 | 99316 |
| Geekbench 7 (CPU, multi-core) | 2,19616 | 1,95416 |
Sources
Apple Support (UK) — MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2017, Two Thunderbolt 3 ports) - Technical Specifications ·
↩- ↩
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Apple Newsroom (UK) — Apple Unveils Groundbreaking New MacBook Pro ·
↩- ↩
Apple Newsroom (UK) — Apple Unveils Groundbreaking New MacBook Pro ·
↩endoflife.date — Apple macOS ·
↩MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2017, Two Thunderbolt 3 ports): No USB-A ports. No MagSafe port. Intel processor, not Apple silicon.
↩MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2016, Four Thunderbolt 3 ports): No USB-A ports. No MagSafe port. Intel processor, not Apple silicon.
↩MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2017, Two Thunderbolt 3 ports): No HDMI port. No SD card slot. No Touch ID. No Touch Bar. No fast charging. No Ethernet port.
↩MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2016, Four Thunderbolt 3 ports): No HDMI port. No SD card slot. No fast charging. No Ethernet port.
↩Apple Support (UK) — MacBook Pro: how to remove or install memory ·
↩Apple Support (UK) — Determine battery cycle count for Mac laptops ·
↩Not published by Apple.
↩Apple Support (UK) — Identify your MacBook Pro model ·
↩Geekbench Browser (Primate Labs) ·
↩
Not published by Apple
MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2017, Two Thunderbolt 3 ports). Apple doesn’t publish for this Mac: refresh rate, nano-texture option, GPU cores, storage upgradeable by user. Geekbench 7 Metal: the Mac chart has no Metal score for this Mac (chart read 10 Oct 2026). Pages checked: Apple Support (UK) — MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2017, Two Thunderbolt 3 ports) - Technical Specifications; Apple Support (UK) — Identify your MacBook Pro model; Apple Newsroom (UK) — iMac receives major update featuring more powerful graphics, faster processors, Thunderbolt 3 and brighter displays, read 9 Oct 2026.
MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2016, Four Thunderbolt 3 ports). Apple doesn’t publish for this Mac: refresh rate, nano-texture option, GPU cores, storage upgradeable by user. Geekbench 7 Metal: the Mac chart has no Metal score for this Mac (chart read 10 Oct 2026). Pages checked: Apple Support (UK) — MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2016, Four Thunderbolt 3 ports) - Technical Specifications; Apple Newsroom (UK) — Apple Unveils Groundbreaking New MacBook Pro; Apple Support (UK) — Identify your MacBook Pro model, read 9 Oct 2026.
If you own one of them
Whether to move is a different question from which is better. Each Mac has a page on it: what its successor changes (the newest Mac in its line where Apple sells one, otherwise the Mac this site treats as its replacement, which can be in another line), what it fetches and whether it still gets updates. Should I upgrade my MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2017, Two Thunderbolt 3 ports)? · Should I upgrade my MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2016, Four Thunderbolt 3 ports)?
Other comparisons
The pairs a buyer of either Mac would also weigh. Any two Macs in the catalogue can be compared from the chooser.