Apple Expands Build-to-Order Configuration Options on Retina MacBook Pro [Updated]

Apple today quietly expanded the available configuration options for the Retina MacBook Pro, now offering a full slate of individual upgrade options on the base model that starts at $2199. Previously, customers who opted for the base model were locked into a 2.3 GHz Core i7 processor and 256 GB of flash storage, with the only configurable onboard option being a $200 RAM upgrade from 8 GB to 16 GB. Customers looking to boost either the CPU or storage were required to step up to the high-end $2799 model, which offers both a 2.6 GHz i7 processor and 512 GB of storage, with additional upgrades beyond that.

Apple is now offering all available upgrades on the low-end model, giving customers full control over their configuration needs. For example, users who want to upgrade storage on the low-end model can now do so with 512 GB ($500) and 768 GB ($1000) standalone options that do not also require an upgraded CPU. Similarly, users interested in boosting the base 2.3 GHz CPU to the 2.6 GHz chip can now do so on the base model for just $100 without having to step up the full $600 to the high-end model with both CPU and storage upgrades.

retina macbook pro full customization
Apple continues to quote 1-2 week shipping estimates for the Retina MacBook Pro as the company continues to try to keep up with demand.

Update: Some readers have noted that selection of the new CPU and storage options on the low-end model does not seem to register with the online store system. Typically, changing options results in live updating of the price and shipping estimates during the configuration process, but changes to the CPU and storage are not having that effect. Consequently, customers are unable to place orders with these new custom configurations on the low-end model.

Update 2: Within minutes, Apple has now pulled the new configuration options entirely, once again leaving RAM as the only available onboard hardware upgrade for the low-end model.

Update 3: There are now conflicting reports on whether or not the new options have been pulled. Many readers are reporting still seeing the options and are able to add the configurations to their shopping carts, while others viewing the same pages are not seeing the new options.

Update 4: The new configuration options are now appearing more consistently, and Apple has also added the ability to have individual iWork apps preinstalled. With the move to the Mac App Store, it is not difficult for users to obtain the apps on their own, but some customers will undoubtedly prefer to have their machines as ready to go as possible upon delivery.

Related Roundup: MacBook Pro

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro Blue Feature Tighter Crop

iPhone 17 Pro Launching in Three Months With These 12 New Features

Saturday June 14, 2025 5:45 pm PDT by
The iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are three months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of June 2025:Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone X through iPhone 14 Pro have a...
apple watch ultra 2 new black

Apple Watch Ultra 3 Finally Coming After Two-Year Hiatus

Monday June 16, 2025 8:45 am PDT by
Apple will finally deliver the Apple Watch Ultra 3 sometime this year, according to analyst Jeff Pu of GF Securities Hong Kong (via @jukanlosreve). The analyst expects both the Apple Watch Series 11 and Apple Watch Ultra 3 to arrive this year (likely alongside the new iPhone 17 lineup, if previous launches are anything to go by), according to his latest product roadmap shared with...
Logitech Logo Feature

Logitech Announces Two New Accessories for WWDC

Friday June 13, 2025 7:22 am PDT by
Alongside WWDC this week, Logitech announced notable new accessories for the iPad and Apple Vision Pro. The Logitech Muse is a spatially-tracked stylus developed for use with the Apple Vision Pro. Introduced during the WWDC 2025 keynote address, Muse is intended to support the next generation of spatial computing workflows enabled by visionOS 26. The device incorporates six degrees of...
iPadOS 26 App Windowing

Apple Explains Why iPads Don't Just Run macOS

Friday June 13, 2025 7:46 am PDT by
iPadOS 26 allows iPads to function much more like Macs, with a new app windowing system, a swipe-down menu bar at the top of the screen, and more. However, Apple has stopped short of allowing iPads to run macOS, and it has now explained why. In an interview this week with Swiss tech journalist Rafael Zeier, Apple's software engineering chief Craig Federighi said that iPadOS 26's new Mac-like ...
iphone 16 pro models 1

17 Reasons to Wait for the iPhone 17

Thursday June 12, 2025 8:58 am PDT by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models simultaneously, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 17 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect from Apple's 2025 smartphone lineup. If you skipped the iPhone...
apple watch ultra snow

6 Features Coming to the Apple Watch Ultra 3

Tuesday February 25, 2025 9:00 am PST by
The Apple Watch Ultra 3 is expected to launch later this year, arriving two years after the previous model with a series of improvements. While no noticeable design changes are expected for the third generation since the company tends to stick with the same Apple Watch design through three generations before changing it, there are a series of internal upgrades on the way. By the time the ...
terminal macos tahoe

Apple's Terminal App Gets Colorful Redesign in macOS Tahoe

Monday June 16, 2025 4:12 am PDT by
Apple's Terminal app is getting a visual refresh in macOS Tahoe, and it's the first notable design update since the command-line tool debuted. The updated Terminal will support 24-bit color and Powerline fonts, according to Apple's State of the Platforms presentation at WWDC25. The app will also adopt the new Liquid Glass aesthetic with redesigned themes that align with macOS 26's broader...

Top Rated Comments

DarlokDC Avatar
168 months ago
Anyone else annoyed this comes after they ordered their base level rRMBP w/upgraded RAM? Definitely would've bumped the processor at those prices, too. :(
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
WannaGoMac Avatar
168 months ago
Steve Jobs would never allow this to happen

lol, sorry someone had to say it :)
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Ryth Avatar
168 months ago
Still needs a 2GB GPU/Card on this thing...

Anyone else annoyed this comes after they ordered their base level rRMBP w/upgraded RAM? Definitely would've bumped the processor at those prices, too. :(
That's why you always wait on something this new...
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
paulro Avatar
168 months ago
$1000 for a 768GB SSD upgrade ???

Unbelievable price!

In the UK, SSDs seem to be hovering around the 50p/Gig mark currently.

So if you buy from Apple, you're paying $1.30 per gig and losing the stock drive in the process.

EDIT: Just looked at the UK site and it's £800 for the 768GB upgrade. So only double what I'd expect to pay at £1.04 per gig. Bargain!!
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
maxwelltech Avatar
168 months ago
Early adopters are kind of ripped.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
KnightWRX Avatar
168 months ago
Options. Nice.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)