While initial reports found the issue on laptops with Apple’s retail stores (leading some to believe Apple was using better graphics cards on its demo computers), that’s not the case. Several readers reported a similar inconsistency on laptops sold to them, indicating some type of issue.
It does appear to be a bug within MacOS Sierra. Some reports note that the type of card reported changes depending on whether or not it was plugged to external power. The lower-end card is listed when running on battery power, but the Iris Pro 580 when it’s plugged in.
More evidence that Apple is indeed using the HD Graphics 530 is found in the Device ID string, which is listed as “191b.” That’s the string for the card listed in the specs.
Iris Pro 580 graphics cards are only intended to work with Intel’s Core i5-6350HQ and Core i7-6770/6870/6970HQ mobile processors, which are not included in any of the new MacBook Pros. While just speculation, Apple instead opted for lower end processors within the Skylake family, likely in an effort to extend battery life.
At least for now, it doesn’t appear as if the reporting inaccuracies are anything more than just a “reporting error,” as no users reported any type of show-stopping problem. Even so, it’s yet another black mark for Apple’s latest laptop.
Friday’s report is the second in as many days on Apple’s stumbles with the new MacBook Pro. On Thursday, reports surfaced that the laptop’s System Integrity Protection feature was disabled on some Touch Bar MacBook Pro models, potentially opening up users to malware attacks.
Apple has so far not commented publicly on the issue.
