Apple announces the most powerful MacBook in history: M2 Pro and M2 Max chips, price, availability, everything we know
JVTech News Apple announces the most powerful MacBook in history: M2 Pro and M2 Max chips, price, availability, everything we know
We look forward to them, they miss us, this is the most powerful MacBook Pro ever made by Apple. With the next generation of self-made chips, the true Mac Pro is being shaped to become the new standard.
The new MacBook Pro is here!
Few people expected it, Apple doesn’t have a habit of putting our main product out in mid-January. Don’t worry, you didn’t miss the possibility of the official presentation from Apple. As a result, everything happens through updates on the Cupertino brand website, but not only: for the first time, a short 15-minute keynote-like announcement video accompanied the launch.
Without warning, a new page has arrived revealing what the new MacBook Pro will look like. And as you might expect, there isn’t much you can do about it. There are no visual changes from the previous version.
Released in 2021, the 14 and 16-inch MacBook Pros adopt a completely new format and design. It’s therefore normal not to see a change in appearance from the second iteration, especially since the second was already such a success. The chassis adopts an assumed thickness to allow for optimal air circulation, even if everything remains easily transportable.
Still no concessions made to provide the best Pro experience, start from the screen. We found the Mini-LED to be top contrast, a variable refresh rate of up to 120 Hz, and a smooth border to the notch placed at the top of the screen. If you have never had the opportunity to test the product in the store, know that it does not interfere with use at all. This notch holds a 1080p webcam.
What makes the strength of this model is also the variety of ports. It’s been a few years since Apple ignored the many questionable decisions it’s made in the past, but the conclusion is there: does it taste good? good old HDMI port and SD card port. Professionals rub their hands over it. Along with that, 3 USB-C ports and a high-impedance headphone jack round out the delightful array of ports.
Same thing for MagSafe charging port, that merged in the twinkling of an eye, that old people knew well. In short, nothing has changed on the outside of this MacBook Pro, but it’s the inside that interests us.
The M2 Pro and M2 Max chips
Following the arrival of the M1 chip in 2020, the M1 Pro and M1 Max chips in the first editions of the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros are two notches above that. The logical continuation of things, the M2 architecture takes place in these new top-of-the-range models:
M1 Pro / Max (MacBook Pro 14/16 inch 2021):
- 5nm architecture
- 8, 10 CPU cores
- 14, 16, 24, 32 GPU cores
- RAM 16, 32, 64 GB
- SSD storage up to 8TB
- Min/max price: €2249/€6659
M2 Pro / Max (MacBook Pro 14/16 inch 2023):
- 5nm architecture
- 10, 12 CPU cores (up to 20% faster than M1 Pro/Max each)
- 16, 19, 30, 38 GPU cores (up to 30% faster respectively than M1 Pro/Max)
- RAM 16, 32, 64, 96 GB
- SSD storage up to 8TB
- Minimum / maximum price: 2399€/7379€
The M2 generation brings more power but also and most importantly, more refined optimization. This is an area that Apple is passionate about, and the M1 2021 models already provide excellent autonomy for near-constant silence. The M2 Pro and M2 Max add about 1 hour additional use on all models: 18 hours video playback on 14 inches, 22 hours on 16 inches.
2 little bonuses: WiFi 6E and HDMI compatibility that switches from 2.0 to 2.1 to support displays up to 4K at 144Hz.
The Mac mini is upgraded with the M2 chip, and a Pro touch
Remains unchanged since 2020 and arrival of the M1 chip, The Mac mini finally benefits from its switch to the M2. Therefore joining the MacBook Air and 13-inch MacBook Pro 2022, which are already convinced by this new SoC.
But the magic doesn’t stop, because The Mac mini M2 also comes with the M2 Pro, by far the strongest chip ever in a Mac mini. According to Apple, the new machine will be 14x faster than the good old Mac mini under an Intel processor. This adds new uses for mini, such as more advanced photo or video editing.
The big surprise was starting price of mac mini M2, which is reduced by 100€ compared to Mac mini:
M2 Version:
- 8 CPU cores, 10 GPU cores
- 8, 16, 24 GB of RAM
- Storage up to 2TB
- Min/max price: 699€/2194€
M2 Pro Version:
- 10, 12 CPU cores
- 16, 19 GPU cores
- 16.32GB of RAM
- Storage up to 8TB
- Min/max price: €1549/€5229
MacBook Pro and Mac mini M2 availability
For the new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro M2 and Mac mini M2, all models are available starting January 24, 2023, You can already order it on Apple’s official website.
