Overview

The Apple MacBook Pro Retina 13-inch (A1708), produced between late 2016 and mid-2017, holds a unique position in Apple's modern laptop history. Positioned as the entry-level offering within its slim aluminum unibody generation, the A1708 omitted the OLED Touch Bar in favor of traditional physical function keys and featured two left-mounted Thunderbolt 3 ports. Crucially for hardware longevity, it is one of the very few USB-C era MacBooks to include a removable, socketed PCIe NVMe SSD module rather than soldering storage directly to the main logic board.

In daily use, this machine remains a common option on the secondary market for light computing, general office tasks, and student projects. However, keeping the A1708 operational over many years requires managing a known cluster of component failure patterns typical of this hardware generation. If you are tracking down specs or board revisions for this specific laptop, you can review our detailed A1708 device page.

Design and build

Visually, the A1708 set the aesthetic blueprint for modern MacBook Pros. The aluminum unibody enclosure feels remarkably rigid and light, coming in at just over three pounds. The chassis fits easily into sleeves and backpacks, maintaining a sleek, modern profile.

However, the design compromises of this era are evident under daily typing. The low-travel butterfly key switches yield a firm, clicky feel that offers very little cushion, dividing user preferences. Port selection is limited exclusively to two Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) ports on the left edge and a standard headphone jack on the right, meaning dongles or multi-port hubs are essential for standard USB-A peripherals or HDMI video output.

Everyday performance

Powered by 6th or 7th-generation Intel Core i5 and i7 dual-core processors paired with Intel Iris Graphics, the A1708 handles lightweight daily workflows fine. Web browsing, document editing, video streaming, and casual photo management run comfortably on lightweight software builds.

Where the machine begins to show its age is under heavy multitasking and modern web apps. Dual-core architectures struggle with heavy background tabs, localized media rendering, or compiling complex software. In addition, because system memory (RAM) is soldered directly to the logic board at the factory, models configured with 8GB of RAM run into memory bottlenecks far faster than 16GB configurations.

Battery, durability, and longevity

Longevity on the A1708 is a tale of two distinct components. On one hand, the socketed modular SSD provides a massive safety net. If the main logic board suffers a power failure or liquid exposure, your data can often be recovered simply by moving the SSD drive module into another compatible housing or external board adapter.

On the other hand, the internal battery pack is adhered directly into the aluminum top case beneath the trackpad. As these lithium-polymer cells age over hundreds of charge cycles, runtimes decline significantly and chemical degradation can lead to cell swelling. Replacing the battery pack demands chemical adhesive removers and deliberate patience to avoid bending the thin battery casing.

Common issues owners hit

Operating an A1708 over several years means staying mindful of a few widely documented hardware failure points:

• Butterfly Keyboard Failure: Dust and tiny particulate debris easily settle beneath the keycaps, causing keys to stick, fail to register, or output double characters.
• Flexgate Display Backlight Issues: The fragile ribbon cable that connects the display panel to the logic board can wear out from repeated opening and closing of the display lid. This leads to uneven uneven screen lighting along the bottom edge or a total display blackout when tilted past a right angle.
• Battery Swelling: Swollen battery cells exert upward pressure on the trackpad assembly, causing erratic mouse clicks or a bulging top case.
• Storage Sleep/Wake Kernel Panics: Aging proprietary NVMe drives can occasionally trigger random crashes during sleep-to-wake state transitions.

If you run into system stability issues or hardware glitches on your machine, explore our comprehensive common problems index and step-by-step maintenance guides to isolate the root cause.

Who it's for

The MacBook Pro A1708 is ideal for budget-conscious buyers, writers, and students who want a lightweight macOS laptop for light tasks and specifically prefer traditional physical function keys over Touch Bar controls. It is also a smart option for users who value file recoverability, thanks to its removable SSD module. It is less suitable for heavy video editors, power users, or anyone who dislikes shallow keyboard travel.

Bottom line

The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (A1708) remains a uniquely practical transitional laptop. Its removable SSD and physical function keys make it easier to maintain and preserve than many of its contemporaries, even if its butterfly keyboard and delicate display cables require careful handling over the long haul. content-hub-review-v1