Apple announces price cuts and speed bumps for MacBook Pro Retina, MacBook Air

Apple has dropped the starting price for both configurations of its 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display while bumping some of the internal specs on the entire line too. Specifically, the starting model with 128GB of storage now costs $1,499, and the step-up 256GB variant is $1,699 with a slightly faster 2.6GHz dual-core Core i5 chip. That’s a $200 and $300 reduction, respectively, though you’re still paying a premium for the display.

The bigger 15-inch MacBook Pros with Retina display didn’t receive a price cut but were also revised with faster processors. The base 256GB model now comes with a quad-core 2.4GHz Core i7, up from 2.3GHz, while the top end 512GB model went from 2.6GHz to a 2.7GHz processor. The latter also comes standard with 16GB of RAM. These are priced at $2,199 and $2,799, respectively, and feature Nvidia GeForce GT 650M graphics.

Finally, the 13" MacBook Air featuring 256GB of flash storage received a $100 price cut and now starts at $1,399. According to Apple, the new prices and configurations will go into effect starting today from the Apple Store and authorized resellers.

The changes come after another record quarter for Apple that never the less sent its stock down in part due to slowing profit growth compared to previous years. Commenting on its stance on the matter, CEO Tim Cook recently told attendees at a Goldman Sach’s conference that  Apple will accept lower profit margins to build up products for strategic reasons because the company can "execute the supply chain and walk down costs."