We purchased the Apple MacBook Pro 13-inch (2019) so that our expert reviewer could put it through its paces and give it a thorough review. Read on for our full product review.

Apple recently streamlined and updated its laptop line, ditching the standard MacBook entirely, improving the MacBook Air’s display, and giving the entry-level MacBook Pro a significant upgrade over previous models. It’s got a lot more power inside it, and one of the other big changes is immediately apparent: the Touch Bar, a sleek, dynamic strip of OLED screen that sits where the physical function keys used to be.

The Touch Bar was previously exclusive to higher-end MacBook Pro models, but with the introduction of the $1,299 base version, Apple's performance-oriented MacBook has a different kind of edge over previous models. Here's why the new MacBook Pro is the Apple laptop to buy if you need a machine with muscle.

The 2019 MacBook Pro doesn’t take any undue liberties with Apple’s enduring design, which has been gradually refined and slimmed down over the years. It’s noticeably thinner and lighter than models from a few years ago, with other tweaks and improvements thrown in the mix — but this design with the Touch Bar and Touch ID sensor has been used in more expensive MacBook Pro models since 2016.