Apple has refreshed its 14-inch and 16-inch Macbook Pros to now feature its newly released M2 Pro and M2 Max processors. The 14-inch Macbook Pro starts at $1,999, while the 16-inch model starts at $2,499. Both laptops are available for pre-order at the time of writing. Retail availability and shipping will start by January 24.Â
The major changes in this refresh are the processors themselves, as everything else remains the same. The only other notable change is the presence of WiFi 6E and something that Apple calls “more advanced HDMI” that supports 8K displays up to 60Hz and 4K displays up to 120Hz, meaning these Macbooks most likely got upgraded to HDMI 2.1,
Both new processors are based on Apple’s second-generation 5nm process and feature 12-core CPUs. They also seriously up the transistor count from their predecessors, with the M2 Pro offering 20 per cent more transistors than the M1 Pro and M2 Max offering 5.7 per cent more than the M1 Max.Â
The M2 Max is the stronger of the two processors. While the CPU core count might be the same, the M2 Pro can be configured with up to 19 cores and up to 32GB of Unified Memory running at 200GB/. The M2 Max ups with by supporting up to 38 GPU cores, up to 96GB of unified memory running at 400GB/s and a bigger L2 cache.
However, if Apple’s claims about the M2 Pro and M2 Max are true, you can expect serious performance and efficiency improvements. The company claims that the 15-inch model has the “longest battery life ever in a Mac”, promising up to 22 hours of video playback or 15 hours of web browsing when using an M2 Pro.Â
As for the 14-inch model, Apple is claiming up to 18 hours of video playback and up to 12 hours of web browsing. The battery life estimates beat the previous gen Macbooks by one hour for both models. And while Apple’s battery life tests are rather particular, The Verge reported getting 16 hours out of the updated 16-inch Macbook Pro.Â
Other than this, there’s also a decent port selection with an SDXC card slot, four Thunderbolt 4 ports, a full-size HDMI port and support for Magsafe 3 charging. Oh, and there’s still a 3.5mm headphone jack.
| Specifications | 14-inch Macbook Pro | 16-inch Macbook Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Processor | Apple M2 Pro or M2 Max | Apple M2 Pro or M2 Max |
| Memory | Up to 96GB unified memory | Up to 96GB unified memory |
| Storage | Up to 8TB SSD | Up to 8TB SSD |
| Display | 14.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR 3024 x 1964 resolution Up to 120Hz with Promotion | 16.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR 3456 x 2234 resolution Up to 120Hz with Promotion |
| Connectivity | WiFi 6E Bluetooth 5.3 | WiFi 6E Bluetooth 5.3 |
| Battery and Charging | 70Whr battery Up to 96W fast charging with USB-C | 100Whr battery Up to 140W fast charging with USB-C |
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