Apple Sunset

MacBook Pro (15-inch, Mid 2010)

Discontinued 24 Feb 2011

Released

13 Apr 2010

Announced

13 Apr 2010

Launch price from

$1,799

Discontinued

24 Feb 2011

Lifespan

10 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 2009)
Replaced by
MacBook Pro (15-inch, Early 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, Mid 2010) in three versions: $1,799 for a 2.4GHz Core i5 with a 320GB hard drive, $1,999 for a 2.53GHz Core i5 with 500GB, and $2,199 for a 2.66GHz Core i7 with 500GB and twice the video memory. All three came with 4GB of memory.

Automatic graphics switching was introduced on the MacBook Pro (15-inch, Mid 2010). Two graphics processors sat inside, an NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M and Intel’s own, and Apple’s software decided which one each program needed and swapped between them, so demanding work got the faster chip while everything else saved power.

Intel’s Core i5 and Core i7 came to the 15-inch here, with two cores apiece and Turbo Boost lifting the top model from 2.66GHz to 3.06GHz when the work called for it. Apple put the new 15-inch and 17-inch models at up to 50 per cent faster than the ones before them.

Apple rated it at 8 to 9 hours on a charge, up to three hours more than the generation before, from a 77.5 watt-hour battery. The headline on Apple’s own announcement promised up to 10 hours, but that figure belonged to the 13-inch model announced the same day.

A Mini DisplayPort handled external screens, with two USB 2.0 ports, a FireWire 800 port, a Gigabit Ethernet socket, an SD card slot, separate audio in and out, a MagSafe charger and an 8x SuperDrive for CDs and DVDs. Thunderbolt was ten months away.

The screen measured 15.4 inches at 1440 by 900 and was glossy as standard, with a higher 1680 by 1050 resolution available in glossy or antiglare. An iSight camera sat above it, the name Apple used before FaceTime HD. Memory came as two 2GB sticks that could be swapped out, up to a total of 8GB.

Apple replaced it on 24 February 2011, when Thunderbolt and four-core processors came to the 15-inch MacBook Pro and the middle model at $1,999 was dropped from the range.

It was announced on 13 April 2010, 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, Early 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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