The new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models will begin arriving to customers and launch in stores this Tuesday. Ahead of time, the first reviews of the laptops have been shared by select media publications and YouTube channels
Powered by Apple’s latest M2 Pro and M2 Max chips, the new MacBook Pros offer up to 20% faster performance and up to 30% faster graphics. The laptops can be configured with up to 96GB of RAM, compared to the previous maximum of 64GB. Other improvements include Wi-Fi 6E, an upgraded HDMI 2.1 port that supports up to 8K external displays, and extra hours of battery life over the previous generation.
The new MacBook Pros have the same design as the previous models released in October 2021 The laptops can be pre-ordered at Apple’s online store, with prices starting at $1,999 for the 14-inch model and $2,499 for the 16-inch model.
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Last week’s Geekbench results revealed that the M2 Pro and M2 Max chips deliver up to 20% faster performance and up to 30% faster graphics compared to the M1 Pro and M1 Max chips, consistent with Apple’s advertised claims.
Jason Snell shares his additional benchmarks six colors Revaluation:
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the edgeIts Monica Chin says the 16-inch MacBook Pro continues to offer “the best combination of performance and efficiency” in a high-end laptop:
The M1 Max, despite having less raw power than its successor, was an obvious choice for buyers trying to maximize their CPU power in 2021. The M2 Max is no more — core-hungry buyers who never unplug their laptops will have better options in 2023 from Intel and AMD. What we don’t expect these options to have in any capacity is battery life. That’s where the M1 Max is the undisputed champion. And that’s the calculus that will remain unchanged from 2021: The MacBook Pro 16 is the best combination of performance and efficiency you can get. That’s why the M2 Max, despite being more powerful than the M1 Max, may be less targeted by the “power user” crowd this year.
CNETIts Laurie Grunin achieves faster wireless speeds with Wi-Fi 6E:
I generally get more reliable performance from the 6E than the 6, at least in my environment. For example, a casual speedtest run delivered a consistent 483Mbps download on the 6E but an average of 392Mbps on the 6 (for a 400Mbps service). The latter started higher but fell partially along.
EngadgetIts Devindra Hardawar says the new 14-inch MacBook Pro offers about three hours more battery life than the previous generation:
The previous MacBook Pro lasted 12 hours and 36 minutes during our test, but the new model made it to 15 hours and 10 minutes. It’s a healthy move, especially if you find yourself stuck on a long flight without a work outlet. Apple says the new MacBook Pros can reach up to 22 hours of battery life, but note that the figure only refers to the 16-inch model.
roadIts Jacob Kroll says the new MacBook Pro remains a powerhouse for performance-intensive tasks like exporting 4K or 8K video:
You’ll see fast performance and a high level of responsiveness with any app on any route. When it comes time to export an HD, 4K, or even 8K video you’ll find that the application doesn’t need to wait for something to render for playback and export times will decrease dramatically. The same goes for live-previewing an app in XCode, 3D animation, batch photo edit, or illustration export.
Ars TechnicaIts Samuel Axon says the new MacBook Pro models are overkill for most consumers and recommends the MacBook Air:
If this review seems short, it’s because there isn’t much to talk about; It’s basically the 2021 MacBook Pro but 20-30 percent faster in some tasks, and some connectivity options have been upgraded to better match what you’d expect from an expensive laptop like this.
And that’s okay because the 2021 MacBook Pro was excellent. The 2023 version is the same but slightly better. The performance and efficiency of the M2 Pro and M2 Max make them attractive devices to many.
That said, you shouldn’t spend this much money if you don’t need that much performance, and let’s be real: most people don’t. One of the more powerful Windows Ultrabooks, such as the MacBook Air or Dell XPS 13, will also meet many people’s needs, and for much less money, they offer more portability.
More written reviews
- GizmodoBy Michelle Ehrhart
- TechCrunchIts Brian Hitter
- Tom’s GuideIts Mark Spooner
- MacworldRoman Loyola
- TechRadarIts Matt Hanson