Apple refreshes MacBook Air and MacBook Pro range with speed boosts

If the Apple Watch and new MacBook were not enough, Apple had more hardware to reveal at today's launch event. In addition to the 'regular' MacBook (if such a word is really applicable), there was also the updated 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina Display.

Key changes include the addition of a fifth generation Intel Core processor, improved battery life, and double-speed flash storage as well as the Force Touch trackpad. Updated 11-inch and 13-inch MacBook Airs were also unveiled, with the larger model gaining a fifth generation Intel Core processor, Intel HD Graphics 6000, Thunderbolt 2, and faster storage.

Unlike the MacBook, the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro have received more standard upgrades, although the MacBook Pro does benefit from the addition of the Force Touch trackpad. The 13-inch laptop's trackpad feature haptic feedback as well as support for Force Clicks -- a click followed by a deeper press -- to perform context-sensitive actions such as looking up word definitions. Battery life is key for any laptop user, and Apple has boosted longevity to 10 hours -- or 12 hours of iTunes movie playback.

Changes to the MacBook Airs are rather simpler: upgrades to processors, graphics and storage. Both the 11- and 13-inch models gain Thunderbolt 2, while the larger version gets the faster storage found in the MacBook Pro.

Those specs in full.

13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display:

• Fifth generation Intel Core processors up to 3.1 GHz, with Turbo Boost Speeds up to 3.4 GHz
• Faster integrated Intel Iris Graphics 6100
• Flash storage that is up to two times faster, with throughput up to 1.6GBps
• Up to 10 hours of battery life and up to 12 hours of iTunes movie playback

Pricing is dependent on processor speed and storage size. 2.7 GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 processor with Turbo Boost speeds up to 3.1 GHz, 8GB of memory and 128GB of flash storage starts at $1,299; increase to 256GB of flash storage and the prices start at $1,499. The 2.9 GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 model with Turbo Boost speeds up to 3.3 GHz, 8GB of memory and 512GB of flash storage starts at $1,799. Customization means you can boost memory to 16GB, increase storage to 1TB, and opt for a Core i7 processor.

11-inch MacBook Air:

• Fifth generation Intel Core processors up to 2.2 GHz, with Turbo Boost speeds up to 3.2 GHz
• Integrated Intel HD Graphics 6000
• Thunderbolt 2, delivering up to 20Gbps, twice the bandwidth of the previous generation

The 11-inch MacBook Air comes with a 1.6 GHz processor with Turbo Boost speeds up to 2.7 GHz, 4GB of memory and is available with 128GB of flash storage starting at $899, while upgrading to 256GB of flash storage moves the starting price to $1,099. Upgrades to a Core i7 processor, 8GB of memory and up to 512GB flash storage are also available.

13-inch MacBook Air:

• Fifth generation Intel Core processors up to 2.2 GHz, with Turbo Boost speeds up to 3.2 GHz
• Integrated Intel HD Graphics 6000
• Thunderbolt 2, delivering up to 20Gbps, twice the bandwidth of the previous generation
• Faster flash storage that is up to two times faster than the previous generation

The 13-inch MacBook Air comes with a 1.6 GHz processor with Turbo Boost speeds up to 2.7 GHz, 4GB of memory and is available with 128GB of flash storage starting at $999. The 256GB model start at $1,199. Again, upgrades to a Core i7 processor, 8GB of memory and up to 512GB flash storage are also available.

The MacBook Pro and MacBook Airs are available to buy from today.