The new 13-inch MacBook Pro with a faster M2 chip launches this Friday. In advance, some YouTube channels and media outlets have shared the first reviews of the laptop, offering a hands-on look at the performance improvements.
The only noticeable change in the 13-inch MacBook Pro is the M2 chip, which features an 8-core CPU and 10-core GPU. Apple said the M2 chip has up to 18% faster CPU, up to 35% faster GPU, and up to 40% faster Neural Engine compared to the M1 chip. The new 13-inch MacBook Pro features the same design as the previous model, including the Touch Bar and two Thunderbolt 3 ports on the left side of the machine.
The headphone jack on the new 13-inch MacBook Pro has also gained support for high-impedance headphones, in line with the 14- and 16-inch models.
With the M2 chip, the 13-inch MacBook Pro can be configured with up to 24GB of unified memory, while the M1 chip maxes out at 16GB of memory. In line with the previous model, the laptop also supports up to 2TB of SSD storage.
Pricing for the 13-inch MacBook Pro continues at $1,299 in the US, with space gray and silver color options available.
Reviews
Many reviews agreed that the redesigned MacBook Air with the M2 chip, which Apple says will be available in July, might be worth the wait. The new MacBook Air starts at a lower price of $1,199 and features newer design elements like MagSafe charging, a 1080p camera, slimmer bezels around the display, physical function keys and more.
However, one notable difference between the laptops is that the MacBook Air features a fanless design, while the MacBook Pro has an active cooling system to ensure sustained performance for users with more demanding workflows.
WITH CABLEBy Brenda Stoylar:
If you just need a good new laptop, wait for the next MacBook Air. You get a slightly larger, more modern-looking screen, a better webcam, better speakers, and fast-charging support, all in a lighter package (and fun colors!). This MacBook Pro is still an awkward middle child and doesn’t bring enough to the table to make it worthwhile.
gizmodoby Philip Tracy:
Seen from a vacuum, the MacBook Pro 13 is a great laptop with exceptional performance and unmatched battery life, features that put it ahead of some of its PC rivals. Zoom out and it’s hard to see where this model fits within Apple’s portfolio. The most direct rival of this basic Pro is not the more premium versions, but the MacBook Air. The Air not only has a lower starting price, but it has a bigger screen, a better webcam, quad speakers, more interesting color options, a slimmer chassis, and the benefit of a traditional shortcut row.
the edgeFrom Monica Chin:
This would be the perfect device for someone like me, were it not for the new MacBook Air. This new MacBook Air, also powered by the M2, is coming very soon. It will be, from what I can tell from Apple’s website, the same price as the M2 MacBook Pro for the same specs in most cases (they level out at the $1,499 mark). But unlike the MacBook Pro, the MacBook Air M2 has received a major redesign and includes all sorts of new features, including new colors, a larger screen, a 1080p webcam, and especially MagSafe, which this device doesn’t have. . to have.
Chin shared several benchmarks comparing the new 13-inch MacBook Pro to the previous model with the M1 chip. Geekbench 5 results confirm that the new 13-inch MacBook Pro has 18-20% faster multi-core performance than the previous model.
The streetJacob Krol of ‘s said that the new 13-inch MacBook Pro offers even more impressive battery life compared to the previous model:
In particular, our battery test exceeded Apple’s promised 20 hours of video playback. In our tests, the 13-inch MacBook Pro lasted 23 hours and 15 minutes on a 4K playback test. I also set the brightness to 50% and turned off the connectivity during playback. It’s pretty impressive, and in everyday use, it’s hard to make the MacBook Pro die.
You could easily get the 13-inch MacBook Pro to last more than a full day of use, with around 18 hours of full use, and the laptop can stay in standby mode for several days.