two minute review
The 13-inch MacBook Pro (M2, 2022) is a laptop of contradictions. It's revolutionary... but play it safe. Fascinating… but a bit boring. It's a strange choice... and quite a sensible one.(*13*)
The good news is that it comes with Apple's new M2 chip, which the company says offers a 40% performance boost over the M1, while still being the same price as the previous model, starting at €1,299 / €1,299. / AU$1,999. For anyone who was about to buy a 13-inch MacBook Pro (M1, 2020), getting the 13-inch MacBook Pro (M2, 2022) is a no-brainer, because you somehow get the Mise to even out. M2 free.(*13*)
However, that lack of price increase comes at a price...well...a price, as the 13-inch MacBook Pro (M2, 2022) features the same design as the previous model, and the one before it. If you like the look of older MacBooks, that won't be a problem, but the lack of a new design leaves Apple feeling a bit left out. While this is one of the best laptops you can buy right now, could this be the last 13-inch MacBook Pro we'll see?(*13*)
If so, then this is a great way to retire. The M2 chip does a good job here, it provides great performance, especially when it comes to video editing, and daily use is, again, excellent, with multiple applications running at the same time without the 13-inch MacBook Pro (M2, 2022) any problem. Throughout our time with the laptop, we've also been impressed by how quiet it is, with fans rarely turning on to keep things cool.(*13*)
(*13*)(Image credit: Future)
You can even play games on the 13-inch MacBook Pro (M2, 2022), and while the performance doesn't quite compare to that of a dedicated gaming laptop, it's an exciting glimpse into a future where Apple embraces gaming more online. Mac. We look forward to seeing more when Resident Evil Village and No Man's Sky hit Mac later this year. These games will support the M3 chip's Metal 2 graphics API, and we hope this will lead to more ambitious and impressive games running on M2 MacBooks.(*13*)
Perhaps our favorite aspect of the 13-inch MacBook Pro (M2, 2022) is its battery life. At over 15,5 hours, it's incredibly impressive. Typically, for portable workstations used for intensive workloads like video editing, you're looking for about half the battery life, or even less.(*13*)
It even outperforms the previous 1-inch MacBook Pro M13, showing that the M2 consumes less battery power than its predecessor.(*13*)
However, despite all this success, it seems that the 13-inch MacBook Pro (M2, 2022) is the last of its kind. Not only does the lack of a redesign suggest a lack of enthusiasm for the product, and perhaps a way to deplete existing stock of older models, but with Apple getting into the habit of releasing new MacBooks, it's getting harder to see what the 13-inch MacBook Pro fits. (*13*)
Le prochain MacBook Air (M2, 2022) a nouveau design, a larger and more luminous screen, and will offer similar performance levels in light of the same M2, tout en coûtant €100 / €50 / €100 AU less. There seems to be little reason to buy the more expensive 13-inch MacBook Pro over the new MacBook Air. The MacBook Air's default configuration offers an M2 chip with an 8-core GPU, so for graphics-intensive tasks the MacBook Pro should have the upper hand, though you can upgrade the MacBook Air to an M2 chip with the same GPU. 10 core GPU. like the 13-inch MacBook Pro.(*13*)
Meanwhile, for people who want to work on a more powerful MacBook, last year's 14-inch MacBook and 16-inch MacBook Pro offer better displays, better performance, and more ports.(*13*)
This means that despite being undeniably a fantastic laptop, the 13-inch MacBook Pro (M2, 2022) is strangely hard to justify.(*13*)
MacBook Pro 13-inch (M2, 2022) review: Price
- From € 1,299 / € 1,299 / AU € 1,999
- Same price as previous model
Announced at Apple's WWDC 2022 event and as of June 24, the 13-inch MacBook Pro (M2, 2022) retails for €1,299 / €1,299 / AU$1,999.(*13*)
The good news is that it's the same price as the previous release 13-inch MacBook Pro (M1, 2020), which means you'll basically get a free upgrade from the M1 chip to the M2.(*13*)
The M1 was Apple's first revolutionary attempt at making its own computer chip, instead of relying on Intel to provide the processing power. It offered great performance and long battery life, and it led to a resurgence of MacBooks, and we're not just talking about sales, but also about Apple. For a while, the company had been more interested in iPhones and iPads, but M1-powered MacBooks (and Macs) seemed to reinvigorate Apple's passion for its computers.(*13*)
(*13*)(Image credit: Future)
Technical sheet(*13*)
Here is the configuration of the 13-inch MacBook Pro (M2, 2022) sent to TechRadar for review:(*13*)
Processor: Apple M2 (8 cores)
Graphics: Integrated 10-core GPU
RAM: 16GB LPDDR5 unified
Display: 13,3-inch Retina display, 2560 x 1600 (LED-backlit, IPS, 500 nits brightness, P3 wide color gamut)
Storage: 1TB SSD
Ports: 2x Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C), 3,5mm headphone jack
Connectivity: WiFi 6, Bluetooth 5.0
Camera: 720p FaceTime HD webcam
Weight: 3,0 pounds (1,4 kg)
Size: 11,97 x 8,36 x 0,61 inches (30,41 x 21,24 x 1,56 cm; W x D x H)(*13*)
So the announcement of the sequel to M2 got a lot of us excited. It comes with published specs (more on those later) and promises a huge performance boost. Therefore, since the 13-inch MacBook Pro with M2 technology costs the same as the released M1 version, it makes this new model very good value for money.(*13*)
It's also cheaper than the 2021-inch MacBook Pro (14) and 2021-inch MacBook Pro (16), which are aimed at high-end users looking for powerful workstations. Although still equipped with M1-class chips, the M1 Pro and M1 Max are actually more powerful than the M2. The 13-inch MacBook Pro (M2, 2022) is therefore presented as a more affordable alternative to these MacBook Pros, aimed at people who need a powerful laptop, but who do not need to perform such strenuous tasks.(*13*)
Apple also announced the MacBook Air (M2, 2022), which will go on sale at the end of July. This too comes with an M2 chip and a completely new design, and costs $1,199 (£1,249, AU$1,899), but despite having the same 8-core processor, the MacBook Air starts with an 8-core GPU.( *13*)
So the 13-inch MacBook Pro isn't the cheapest way to get an M2, but the more expensive new MacBook Air M2 is now priced very similarly to the MacBook Pro, with just $100 separating them. .(*13*)
As with previous models, there are several configuration options available with the 13-inch MacBook Pro (M2, 2022), such as increasing the unified memory to 16GB or 24GB (which is a new option with the M2 chip), as well as expand storage up to 2TB The base model comes with 256GB, which is a bit low these days, especially for workstations that will be used by IT professionals, who often use large files, so they pay more for a larger SSD might be worth it. However, as you increase the specs, the price of the 2-inch MacBook Pro (M2022, 13) starts to climb dramatically.(*13*)
2-inch MacBook Pro (M2022, 13) review: Design
- Same design as the previous model
- The touch bar lives on!
While the internal updates to the 13-inch MacBook Pro (M2, 2022) are welcome and exciting, on the outside it's a different story. Essentially, there were no design changes, so this year's model looks identical to two years ago. This may appeal to anyone who likes the current design, but it does make the 13-inch MacBook Pro (M2, 2022) a bit of an oddity, considering the MacBook Air, 24-inch iMac, and 16-inch MacBook Pro they had redesigns.(*13*)
So the lack of changes to the overall design is a bit confusing. This means the 13-inch MacBook Pro retains the 720p FaceTime webcam from previous models, while almost all other MacBooks now have a 1080p webcam, including the MacBook Air (M2, 2022).(*13* )
The older webcam means there's no distracting notch on the screen (something some people found annoying on last year's MacBook Pros, though they never bothered us). (*13*)
That means the 13-inch MacBook Pro (M2, 2022) also has the old thick bezels surrounding the screen, making it look a bit dated. Meanwhile, the redesigned MacBook Air has slimmer bezels, making it a more modern device and allowing Apple to fit a larger screen without increasing the overall size of laptops.(*13*)
While the 2-inch MacBook Pro (M2022, 13) and MacBook Air (M2, 2022) are ostensibly 13-inch laptops, the MacBook Air now has a larger screen than the MacBook Pro, at 13,6-inches vs. 13,3 inches. Now we're in a weird situation where the MacBook Air offers a better display than the 13-inch MacBook Pro (with a better webcam and microphones), and it costs less.(*13*)
(*13*)(Image credit: Future)
The same design means the 13-inch MacBook Pro (M2, 2022) still comes with the Split Touch Bar, which is a thin screen above the keyboard that displays contextual buttons.(*13*)
It's a bit of a surprise inclusion, as most people expected Apple to kill it. People didn't universally love it, and an increasing number of third-party apps stopped supporting it. Since all other MacBook lines have now ditched the Touch Bar, it will be an even more specific feature.(*13*)
Of course, there's still a lot to like about the design of the 13-inch MacBook Pro (M2, 2022). It's solidly built, the display is still great, and the Touch ID button lets you quickly and easily log into macOS with your fingerprint. Apple's style and build quality are still evident here, and it's still one of the thinnest and lightest business laptops on the market, though that means there are only two Thunderbolt ports left for inputs, which is low for a computer. laptop aimed at professionals.(*13*)
(*13*)(Image credit: Future)
So what is going on here? Although Apple may not have seen any reason to change the MacBook Pro…(*13*)
