Apple Sunset

MacBook Pro (15-inch, Early 2011)

Discontinued 24 Oct 2011

Released

24 Feb 2011

Announced

24 Feb 2011

Launch price from

$1,799

Discontinued

24 Oct 2011

Lifespan

8 months

Category
MacBook Pro
Status
Discontinued
Apple support status
Obsolete (Apple no longer services it)
Release type
Refresh of an existing model
Previous model
MacBook Pro (15-inch, Mid 2010)
Replaced by
MacBook Pro (15-inch, Late 2011)
Official Apple page
No longer available on Apple’s website
Tech specs
Apple specs ↗
Press release
Apple Newsroom ↗
More information
MacBook Pro (Intel-based) on Wikipedia ↗

Notes

Apple sold the MacBook Pro (15-inch, Early 2011) from $1,799, with a 2.0GHz quad-core processor, 4GB of memory, a 500GB hard drive and AMD Radeon HD 6490M graphics, or $2,199 for 2.2GHz, a 750GB drive and a 6750M carrying four times the video memory.

Thunderbolt was introduced on the MacBook Pro (15-inch, Early 2011), and Apple called it the first computer on the market to include it. One socket carried data at up to 10 gigabits a second in both directions at once and drove a display through the same connector, so an adapter could turn it into HDMI, DVI or VGA. Intel developed it with Apple’s help.

That put a 10 gigabit socket beside two USB ports running at 480 megabits, and the pairing stayed until USB 3 reached the 15-inch MacBook Pro in June 2012. Alongside them were a Gigabit Ethernet socket, a FireWire 800 port, an SD card slot, separate audio in and out, a MagSafe charger and an 8x SuperDrive for CDs and DVDs.

A FaceTime HD camera was introduced here too, which Apple put at triple the resolution of the one before it. The model it replaced had carried an iSight camera instead.

The graphics moved from NVIDIA to AMD with this generation, and Apple went back to NVIDIA in June 2012, so AMD supplied the 15-inch MacBook Pro for about sixteen months.

The screen measured 15.4 inches at 1440 by 900, glossy as standard, with an antiglare finish available and a higher 1680 by 1050 resolution offered as an upgrade in either finish.

Memory came as 4GB in two swappable sticks and could be taken to 8GB. Storage was a 5400rpm hard drive as standard, with faster drives or flash up to 512GB available instead, and the 77.5 watt-hour battery was rated at up to 7 hours of web browsing.

Apple replaced it on 24 October 2011, quietly and with no announcement, when faster processors and better graphics appeared in the online store at the same prices.

It was announced on 24 February 2011, by press release rather than at an event. It went on sale the same day, priced from $1,799.

Check out the MacBook Pro (15-inch, Late 2011) that replaced it.

MacBook Pro release history

  1. 2026

  2. 11 Mar 2026

    MacBook Pro M5 Pro and M5 Max ReleasedCurrent

  3. 3 Mar 2026

    MacBook Pro (M4) Discontinued

  4. ↑ 4 months later
  5. 2025

  6. 22 Oct 2025

    Macbook Pro M5 ReleasedCurrent

  7. ↑ about 1 year later
  8. 2024

  9. 8 Nov 2024

    MacBook Pro (M4) Released

  10. 30 Oct 2024

    MacBook Pro (M3) Discontinued

  11. ↑ about 1 year later
  12. 2023

  13. 7 Nov 2023

    MacBook Pro (M3) Released

  14. 30 Oct 2023

    MacBook Pro (M2 Pro / M2 Max) Discontinued

  15. ↑ 9 months later

  16. 24 Jan 2023

    MacBook Pro (M2 Pro / M2 Max) Released

  17. 17 Jan 2023

    MacBook Pro (M1 Pro / M1 Max) Discontinued

  18. ↑ 1 year, 3 months later
  19. 2021

  20. 26 Oct 2021

    MacBook Pro (M1 Pro / M1 Max) Released

  21. 18 Oct 2021

    MacBook Pro 16-inch (2019) Discontinued

  22. ↑ about 2 years later
  23. 2019

  24. 13 Nov 2019

    MacBook Pro 16-inch (2019) Released

    MacBook Pro 15-inch (2019) Discontinued

  25. ↑ 6 months later

  26. 21 May 2019

    MacBook Pro 15-inch (2019) Released

    MacBook Pro 15-inch (2018) Discontinued

  27. ↑ 10 months later
  28. 2018

  29. 12 Jul 2018

    MacBook Pro 15-inch (2018) Released

    MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Mid 2015) Discontinued

    MacBook Pro 15-inch (2017) Discontinued

  30. ↑ about 1 year later
  31. 2017

  32. 5 Jun 2017

    MacBook Pro 15-inch (2017) Released

    MacBook Pro 15-inch (2016) Discontinued

  33. ↑ 7 months later
  34. 2016

  35. 14 Nov 2016

    MacBook Pro 15-inch (2016) Released

  36. ↑ 1 year, 6 months later
  37. 2015

  38. 19 May 2015

    MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Mid 2015) Released

    MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Mid 2014) Discontinued

  39. ↑ 10 months later
  40. 2014

  41. 29 Jul 2014

    MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Mid 2014) Released

    MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Late 2013) Discontinued

  42. ↑ 9 months later
  43. 2013

  44. 22 Oct 2013

    MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Late 2013) Released

    MacBook Pro (15-inch, Mid 2012) Discontinued

    MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Early 2013) Discontinued

  45. ↑ 8 months later

  46. 13 Feb 2013

    MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Early 2013) Released

    MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Mid 2012) Discontinued

  47. ↑ 8 months later
  48. 2012

  49. 11 Jun 2012

    MacBook Pro (15-inch, Mid 2012) Released

    MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Mid 2012) Released

    MacBook Pro (15-inch, Late 2011) Discontinued

  50. ↑ 8 months later
  51. 2011

  52. 24 Oct 2011

    MacBook Pro (15-inch, Late 2011) Released

    MacBook Pro (15-inch, Early 2011) Discontinued

  53. ↑ 8 months later

  54. 24 Feb 2011

    MacBook Pro (15-inch, Early 2011) Launch

    MacBook Pro (15-inch, Mid 2010) Discontinued

  55. ↑ 10 months later
  56. 2010

  57. 13 Apr 2010

    MacBook Pro (15-inch, Mid 2010) Released

    MacBook Pro (15-inch, Mid 2009) Discontinued

  58. ↑ 10 months later
  59. 2009

  60. 8 Jun 2009

    MacBook Pro (15-inch, Mid 2009) Released

    MacBook Pro (15-inch, Late 2008) Discontinued

  61. ↑ 8 months later
  62. 2008

  63. 14 Oct 2008

    MacBook Pro (15-inch, Late 2008) Released

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