Apple announced in the latest edition of WWDC 2022 their new 13-inch MacBook Pro with M2 chip, but beyond that little has changed compared to the M1 version which was launched on the market in 2020 (also its price, which is higher).
Although the design of the new MacBook Pro probably went unnoticed, all eyes were on the Macbook Air which has been completely redesigned with a bigger screen, many may be wondering if they should buy the new model.
In fact, it is already possible to reserve the new model in the Apple Store start receiving the first units from June 24th. Let’s see what has improved between the new MacBook Pro M2 and the previous generation M1.
MacBook Pro M1 vs. M2: Design
We can’t deny that even diehard Apple fanatics will have a hard time telling the MacBook Pro M1 from the M2 by design. Nothing has changed between the two models. It’s not that the design isn’t sleek, it’s just that it looks dated compared to the redesigned 2022 MacBook Air or 14-inch MacBook Pro.
If you place a 13-inch MacBook Pro next to one of the other Mac laptops, you’ll notice that the bezels around the screen are much thicker and the screen is smaller.
However, there is also an advantage to this, depending on your point of view. The 13-inch MacBook Pro is now the only Mac laptop (other than the MacBook Air M1 which is still on sale) that doesn’t have a notch on its screen.
The purpose of the notch is none other than to house the front camera, allowing Apple to reduce the bezel at the top and stretch the screen a bit more. Some believe that the notch spoils the design, others point out that it is not inconvenient to be located on either side of the notch.
MacBook Pro M1 vs. M2: Touch Bar
There’s another feature that sets the 13″ MacBook Pro apart from all other Macs. It’s the only model that retains the Touch Bar, a feature that Apple added to MacBook Pros in 2016 and removed from the Pro 14 and 16. inches in 2021.
The Touch Bar is an equally controversial feature – some find it incredibly useful, others miss the point. Basically, it replaces the function keys with an LED strip that can automatically adjust depending on the app you’re using.
It is quite useful for certain environments such as video editing for example or to add emojis or correct typographical errors in documents. But the Touch Bar market was always meant to be power users of apps like Photoshop and Final Cut Pro, and it turns out they didn’t want it.
Now that it’s gone from all other models, it seems unlikely the Touch Bar will survive another update. So if you’re a fan, this might be your last chance to buy one that has it built in.
MacBook Pro M1 versus M2: Pantalla
The 13-inch MacBook Pro’s screen size hasn’t changed since the 13-inch MacBook Pro in 2009. It’s actually slightly larger than 13 inches at 13.3 inches measured diagonally.
In this way, it becomes the laptop with the smallest screen sold by Apple after the screen of the MacBook Air with M2 increased to 13.6 inches.
Display technology has improved since 2009, but not that much in recent years. You can expect 2560×1600 pixels, 500 nits brightness, wide color (P3), and True Tone technology (meaning colors and brightness adjust based on ambient light, making it easier the eyes).
None of these features are different from the previous generation. If you want a better screen, the options are to buy the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro.
On these devices, you’ll find Liquid Retina XDR displays with 1,000 nits full screen sustained, 1,600 nits peak brightness, and ProMotion technology for adaptive refresh rates up to 120Hz.
For its part, the MacBook Air comes with a Liquid Retina display with rounded corners and supports a billion colors.
MacBook Pro M1 vs. M2: Specs
Fully involved in the comparison of the two laptops, what really makes the difference between MacBook Pro M1 and M2 is inside.
There are two models MacBook Pro M2 Standard:
- 8-core CPU, 10-core GPU, 8GB (up to 24GB) unified memory, 256GB (up to 2TB) SSD storage: $1,619 / MXN$34,524.28
- 8-core CPU, 10-core GPU, 8GB (up to 24GB) unified memory, 512GB (up to 2TB) SSD storage: $1,849 / MXN$39,428.9
For his part, the MacBook Pro M1 it also had two standard configurations:
- 8-core CPU, 8-core GPU, 8GB (up to 16GB) unified memory, 256GB (up to 2TB) SSD storage: $1,249 / MXN$26,634.23
- 8-core CPU, 8-core GPU, 8GB (up to 16GB) unified memory, 512GB (up to 2TB) SSD storage: $1,499 / MXN$31,965.34
As you can see, the M2 chip offers many advantages, including 10-core graphics and up to 24 GB of unified memory, compared to the 8-core graphics and up to 16 GB of memory on the M1 model.
The extra graphics cores and the ability to support 24GB of memory might be reason enough to choose the new MacBook Pro, but the M2 offers more than that.
The M2 offers improved performance and efficiency for a faster CPU and more powerful GPU. There is also 40% faster Neural Engine technology with 50% more bandwidth associated with memory.
We hope to have references for the M2 soon, once we have the opportunity to carry out the tests. reference. We will update this article as soon as we have comparable data.
We’re expecting slight improvements of around 20% over the M1, but don’t expect the M2 to outperform the M1 Pro or any of the other M1 variants.
Another hidden improvement concerns the audio capabilities of this laptop. Although the new MacBook Pro M2 does not offer the quad-speaker audio system of the new MacBook Air M2, the new model does support Spatial Audio when playing music or videos with Dolby Atmos on its speakers. integrated.
This includes Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking when using AirPods (3rd Gen), AirPods Pro, and AirPods Max. Consult the article where we exhibit best apple headphones what can you buy.
MacBook Pro M1 vs M2: Battery and battery life
The battery life is the same as the M1 model, which can cover 20 hours in the best case. However, some of the improvements in the M2 processor may result in improved battery life.
We will update this article as soon as we have some data from the tests carried out.
MacBook Pro M1 vs M2: ports and connectors
While the MacBook Air M2 just got an extra charging port in the form of MagSafe, meaning you don’t have to use any of its USB/Thunderbolt ports for charging, the MacBook Pro M2 13 inches still offers the same (2 Thunderbolt/ USB 4 ports.
There’s a slight change to the 3.5mm headphone jack, now adding support for high-impedance headphones, but nothing else.
The only other difference is that the MacBook Pro M2 comes with a 67W power adapter, instead of the previous model’s 61W power adapter. In theory, this could speed up charging, but it’s unlikely to make much of a difference, as the 13-inch MacBook Pro doesn’t support fast charging.
MacBook Pro M1 vs M2: prices
Although the price of the 2022 generation of 13-inch MacBook Pro has not changed in the United States, it has prices in other countries and regions such as Europe and Latin American countries, which makes you think twice its acquisition.
It should be noted that a similarly spec MacBook Air M2 is available at a similar price to the more expensive MacBook Pro. This way you can get a Macbook Air M2 with 512 GB SSD and 10-core GPU at $1,819.
Don’t rule out the fact that you may find discounted prices as official distributors try to get rid of hardware stock. Discover our special classification of which MacBook to buy: Buying guide.
MacBook Pro M1 vs. M2: Veredicto
To tell the truth, it will be necessary to wait to test the performances of the MacBook Pro M2 to be able to give a final verdict, but without a doubt, for many, the attractiveness of the MacBook Air’s new design, as well as its bigger, better and brighter screen, will make them choose this model.
We have already predicted that the two have a very similar price, which could lead many people to opt for the Macbook Air M2 lighter. It will also be necessary to wait for the times of use that each model can offer.
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