Apple Slashes Some MacBook Prices, But iPhone 5 Stays As Is

Apple CEO Tim Cook said the company was working to make products more affordable

The company said the 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display will now start at $1,499 for the 128-GB model, which marks a $200 price cut. The 256-GB MacBook Pro with Retina display received both a price cut and a modest technical spec boost; the 256-GB model is now $300 cheaper, starting at $1,699, and has a slightly faster Intel Core i5 processor, jumping to 2.6GHz from 2.5GHz.

The 15-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display, meanwhile, now features faster Intel Core i7 processors. The lower-end 15 inch model now comes with a 2.4GHz processor, up from 2.3GHz previously, and the higher-end 15-inch model now packs a 2.7GHz processor, up from 2.6GHz previously, as well as twice the amount of RAM (16 GB).

[Related: Tim Cook: Apple Eyeing Potential Acquisition Targets ]

Lastly, Apple shaved $100 off the price of the 13-inch MacBook Air, which now starts at $1,399.

Cook, speaking at the Goldman Sachs Technology and Internet conference Tuesday, was asked about the possibility of a more affordable iPhone. While Cook didn't dismiss or embrace the possibility of a discounted iPhone, he did say the company is "making moves to make things more affordable." The company had dropped the prices of the iPhone 4 and 4S following the iPhone 5's release in order to appeal to the more "price-sensitive" customer.

During the same event, Cook dismissed the idea of marketing products based on technical specs, arguing that customers cared more about great user experiences than processor speeds or megapixel counts. "These are things that technology companies invent because they can't have a great experience," Cook said, "and so they talk about the spec of something."

The updated MacBook Pros with Retina display and MacBook Air are currently available with the new pricing and specs through Apple's online store, Apple retail stores and authorized Apple resellers.

PUBLISHED FEB. 13, 2013