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Apple launched a brand new iteration of the MacBook Pro series in early 2023, featuring the company's most advanced Silicon chips: M2 Pro and M2 Max. Despite being a young product in the premium laptop market, the pocket-pinching laptop is already causing fans to wonder whether to buy it this year.
The MacBook Pro's M2 Pro variant is slightly economical compared to the M2 Max model. However, users still have to shell out over $1500 (with discounts) for the base M2 Pro model, which is definitely not easy on one's budget.
The M2 Pro MacBook Pro is one of the best laptops for professionals and content creators in the current competition, offering potent hardware and highly capable functionalities. That said, its price may seem exorbitant for some laptop seekers who prefer to invest consciously in technology.
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To make it easier for potential buyers, the article's next section discusses the MacBook Pro M2 Pro's features and available models, sharing a fair verdict on its relevance in 2023.
The entry-level 2023 MacBook Pro with the M2 Pro chip: One of Apple's priciest laptops so far may be worth your dollars
The MacBook Pro M2 Pro features a starting price tag of $1999, offering a 14-inch display. There are two storage and display variants you can purchase. The 1TB model can be purchased at $2499 and also offers a boosted version of the M2 Pro chip, featuring more CPU and GPU cores.
Overall, here is a list of base M2 Pro MacBook Pro models and their rates:
- 14-inch, 512 GB: Starts at $1999
- 14-inch, 1 TB: Starts at $2499
- 16-inch, 512 GB: Starts at $2499
- 16-inch, 1 TB: Starts at $2699
Features
Processor
The M2 Pro chip may not be as potent as the M2 Max Silicon, but it can comfortably process everyday tasks and medium graphical processing without any hiccups.
According to Apple, editing and streaming 4K and 8K videos should be a breeze on M2 Pro laptops. You can also indulge in light gaming sessions on the laptop, but it's recommended to opt for more RAM (unified memory) for better performance in this segment.
The 512GB model offers a 10-core CPU and 16-core GPU, while the 1TB variant comes with a 12-core CPU and 19-core GPU. Both chip variants come with a 16-core Neural Engine.
While the base models in the 2023 Pro lineup come with 16 gigs of RAM, you can choose to get up to 32 GB of unified memory (costs $400 extra). You can also boost the laptop's storage by up to 8TB, if required, at an additional cost.
Display
Coming to the display, there are two variants: 14-inch and 16-inch. All models come with a beautiful Liquid Retina XDR display, which is pleasing to look at; rendering visuals on the laptop is nothing less than a treat.
The smaller the size, the better the mobility, so the 14-inch model is more travel-friendly. These laptops also support up to two external displays for those who love multitasking or enjoy a wider viewing resolution.
Additional features
In addition to a lovely display and powerful processor, the M2 Pro MacBook Pro comes with three Thunderbolt 4 ports for seamless connectivity, a Magic Keyboard with Touch ID, and a Force Trackpad. Note that the 16-inch variant supports 140W charging, while the 14-inch model only has 96W charging.
Verdict
If you want to upgrade to Apple's premium range of laptops for the first time, purchasing a MacBook with an M2 Pro chip may be worth it. The machine is a powerful beast, capable of handling intensive tasks up to 20% faster (30% faster graphical processing) than its predecessor (M1 Pro chip).
The M2 Pro MacBook Pro is also more power efficient than previous iterations, making it worthwhile for professionals looking for a long-lasting battery.
That said, it's best to skip this upgrade if you already have an M1 Pro or M1 Max MacBook Pro. Apple's 2021 Pro laptops with M1 Pro and Max processors remain relevant even today and offer almost the same experience as the latest M2 Pro-driven laptops for most users.
Instead of buying a MacBook with an M2 Pro processor, you can wait for the next advanced Apple Silicon to drop or go for a discounted M1 Max MacBook to ease your budget.
You can also go for the M2 Max MacBook Pro models, which offer significantly better performance and features: the 512GB and 1TB storage variants (16GB RAM) may seem like a better deal for hardcore creators.
