Sizing up the MacGuide Pro: Go huge, go small, or go Max?

With the introduction of all-new 14-inch and 16-inch MacGuide Pro fashions, Apple formally moved each laptop computer it sells away from Intel processors, and now Apple has moved to the second era of its personal processors with the introduction of the M2 MacGuide Pro.

Apple sells three MacGuide Pro fashions: A 13-inch mannequin with the M2 processor, a 14-inch mannequin with both the M1 Pro or M1 Max, and a 16-inch mannequin with both the M1 Pro or M1 Max.

Even although the M2 is the newer processor, the M1 Pro and M1 Max processors are nonetheless superior, and quite unimaginable, however these laptops are about greater than only a killer processor. They’re stuffed with nice options like a ProMovement HDR show and the return of beloved options like HDMI output and MagSafe that make the 13-inch mannequin, which nonetheless hasn’t gained both of those options, appear downright antiquated. So for those who’re having bother deciding which one to get, right here’s how they examine.

For extra recommendation about selecting the Mac laptop computer for you learn: MacGuide shopping for information 2022: Which Mac laptop computer is greatest? and MacGuide Pro vs MacGuide Air.

Specs at a look

We’ll focus on a few of the extra salient variations point-by-point, however first listed here are all an important specs at a look.

The very first thing you’ll discover is the staggering worth distinction between the 13-inch MacGuide Pro with M2 and the brand new 14-inch and 16-inch fashions. The beginning worth is over 50 p.c larger, though a fully-loaded 13-inch mannequin now prices the identical because the beginning worth because the 16-inch mannequin.

But hold wanting and also you see the place that cash goes. The 14-inch or 16-inch MacGuide Pro fashions get a selection of two processors, the lesser of which is almost twice as succesful because the M2. Starting storage is doubled, and most storage is quadrupled. The shows have the identical pixel density however are bigger, with thinner bezels, have HDR with distinctive brightness and distinction, and have ProMovement variable refresh price know-how as much as 120Hz. There are extra Thunderbolt ports, plus HDMI and an SD card slot.

In quick, the brand new 14-inch and 16-inch MacGuide Pros are vastly costlier, but in addition vastly extra succesful in ways in which go properly past the processor.

An enormous distinction in efficiency

We had been impressed by the M1 processor launched in a number of Mac fashions late in 2020…it completely sips energy however is far quicker than all however probably the most highly effective Intel laptop computer chips. But that chip had its limitations: the one actual possibility you had is between 8GB or 16GB of RAM. With the appearance of the M2 that has modified. The M2 chip brings assist for 24GB RAM (dubbed Universal Memory by Apple). For those who felt 16GB RAM was too limiting, there may be at the least a motive now to think about the 13-inch MacGuide Pro. Read: 13-inch MacGuide Pro M1 vs M2.

But the 14-inch and 16-inch MacGuide Pro fashions provide you with far more choices, beginning with the processors. There’s the M1 Pro, which has double the high-performance CPU cores, double the GPU cores (16), and 3x the reminiscence bandwidth, with choices for 16GB or 32GB of RAM. Stepping up from that, you may get the M1 Max, which has the identical CPU however doubles once more the GPU cores (32), reminiscence bandwidth (400GB/sec), and reminiscence (32GB or 64GB).

These chips ought to make for a completely huge enhance in efficiency. Apple claimed a 70 p.c higher CPU efficiency and double the GPU efficiency (or 4x within the M1 Max) over the M1, and whereas the M2 will enhance on that due to a rise in reminiscence bandwidth and different enhancements, it definitely received’t attain the identical ranges as these superior chips. Read: M2 vs M1 Pro, Max, and Ultra: Why Apple’s latest chip isn’t one of the best.

In the 14-inch model, the entry-level mannequin has an M1 Pro with two high-performance CPU cores disabled and two GPU cores disabled, for a complete of 8 CPU and 14 GPU cores. That reduced-performance chip is just not obtainable on the 16-inch mannequin. If you need the total M1 Pro on the 14-inch MacGuide Pro, you must spend $300 extra or you may get a 10-core CPU with a 14-core CPU for $200 extra.

An enormous distinction in show high quality

There’s nothing unsuitable with the show on the 13-inch MacGuide Pro. It’s acquired glorious decision (227 pixels per inch), shade depth, and accuracy. But Apple has been fairly behind the instances in adopting HDR and high-refresh charges on its laptops, whereas Windows laptops have provided these applied sciences for years.

The 14 and 16-inch MacGuide Pro modified all that. The show nonetheless has the identical decision (227 pixels per inch) but it surely’s bigger, with slimmer bezels throughout. More importantly, they use 1000’s of mini-LED backlights for higher vitality effectivity, distinction, and brightness. With SDR content material they nonetheless high out at 500 nits, however with HDR content material the brand new shows can go as much as 1,000 nits sustained and 1,600 nits peak. That’s unimaginable HDR efficiency that beats practically every other laptop computer show available on the market.

ProMovement is a game-changer, because it brings 120Hz excessive refresh charges to the MacGuide Pro (lastly!), but in addition permits for dynamic variable refresh charges all the way down to 24Hz, which isn’t solely nice for movie-watching, it’s a giant profit to battery life.

Speakers, mics, and headphones

The audio system within the 13-inch M1 MacGuide Pro are wonderful, and the M2 mannequin does achieve assist for Spatial Audio, however the bigger fashions have a six-speaker sound system that guarantees a lot better constancy along with assist for Spatial Audio. All the MacGuide Pros have a beamforming three-mic array, however the 14-inch and 16-inch fashions have improved sensitivity and a decrease noise ground, so recordings ought to sound higher.

There’s a headphone jack on all of the MacGuide Pros, and now that the M2 MacGuide Pro is right here it joins the 14 and 16-inch fashions in assist high-impedance headphones. That’s nice for studio headphones, which want extra energy to drive them.

A greater webcam, and a notch

The 720p FaceTime digital camera on most macs, together with the 13-inch MacGuide Pro, has been a thorn in our aspect for much too lengthy. Apple talks quite a bit about how improved picture processing within the M1 chip makes the digital camera higher, and it does, but it surely’s nonetheless a crummy and out-of-date piece of {hardware}. A reality that’s much more jarring following Apple’s failure to replace the FaceTime digital camera when it up to date the 13-inch mannequin in 2022.

The greater MacGuide Pros have a 1080p webcam. But extra essential than the decision enchancment is the optics with a wider aperture. It’s in all probability the identical {hardware} as on the M1 iMac, which inspired us with its webcam high quality.

Apple

Unfortunately, the wide-angle digital camera with assist for Center Stage stays an iPad-only know-how, for some motive. So, whereas the brand new MacGuide Pros have a a lot better webcam and that’s nice, it’s nonetheless not the one we actually need.

The new webcam is housed in a fairly significant-sized notch on the high of the show. Despite wanting very very similar to that on the iPhone, it’s not a TrueDepth sensor. There’s no Face ID or Animoji or something like that. The notch doesn’t really lower into the principle show space, although. The space beneath the notch is a 16×10 show, similar to all prior MacBooks. The show space on both aspect of the notch extends upward from there, including display screen space on high of the 16×10 rectangle. The menu bar is positioned in that space, successfully providing you with extra vertical house for all of your apps. Developers can select to make use of that additional display screen house in the event that they wish to.

Connectivity and growth galore

The ports are again!

Years in the past, Apple removed our beloved MagSafe charging connector, opting as an alternative to take up one of many few Thunderbolt ports for charging. And they removed the SD card slot and HDMI port, too. That’s how it’s with the 13-inch Pro—you get simply two Thunderbolt ports, a headphone jack, and nothing else.

With the 14- and 16-inch MacGuide Pro fashions, Apple has given us one further Thunderbolt port, and it introduced again the HDMI port, SDXC card slot, and MagSafe connector. Somewhat confusingly, the corporate additionally makes use of MagSafe because the model for the iPhone’s magnetic charging and accent attachment know-how, which is type of a distinct factor but in addition includes magnetic charging.

Yeah, we want the HDMI port supported HDMI 2.1 (it’s HDMI 2.0, so it tops out at 4K and 60Hz), however that is nonetheless an enormous leap in the best route–backward!

Bye-bye Touch Bar

The 13-inch MacGuide Pro with an M2 processor is the one MacGuide obtainable with the Touch Bar. The 14 and 16-inch MacGuide Pros are solely obtainable with out it! Instead, Apple provides you a full-height row of Function keys with a Touch ID sensor on the proper.

I’ll go away you to resolve which one is best, however each methods have a Touch ID button within the higher proper of the keyboard just like the iMac’s Magic Keyboard with Touch ID.

Apple

Battery Life

While the brand new 14 and 16-inch MacGuide Pros have actually glorious battery life specs, particularly when you think about the a lot greater and quicker processors, extra RAM, and higher shows, it’s not fairly as stellar because the 13-inch mannequin.

Call it a profit of getting an M2 chip that’s round half as highly effective because the M1 Pro and a few quarter as highly effective because the M1 Max…you get extra life out of the battery. The 13-inch M2 mannequin has a 58.2Wh battery and might go 20 hours of watching video, whereas the 70Wh battery within the 14-inch mannequin will hold it going for 17 hours and the 16-inch mannequin will get 21 hours of video playback out of its 100Wh battery.

Another word: The entry-level 14-inch MacGuide Pro and the 13-inch MacGuide Pro each include a 67W energy adapter (the M1 mannequin solely provided a 61W energy adapter), each additionally provide an possibility for a 96W adapter. The 96W mannequin is important for quick charging and comes normal with some configurations, in any other case, it’s a $20 improve. The 16-inch mannequin comes with a 140W energy adapter in all configurations.

Conclusion

On paper, the brand new 14-inch and 16-inch MacGuide Pros completely crush the 13-inch MacGuide Pro, even now that it has a M2 chip, and we count on the benchmarks and real-world use to bear that out. They have have higher processors, higher shows, extra ports, and a greater webcam. But these bigger MacBooks even have a $700 larger beginning worth and are lacking the Touch Bar, a characteristic that after set Apple’s professional laptops aside from its non-pro ones. Take the Touch Bar away from the 13-inch MacGuide Pro and it’s principally a MacGuide Air.

So we wouldn’t be shocked to see the 13-inch Pro faraway from the lineup sooner or later, or maybe reinvented as a MacGuide to higher replicate the distinction between it and its really professional siblings. If you just like the Touch Bar, you must in all probability seize a 13-inch Pro when you nonetheless can.

But for everybody else, the 14-inch or 16-inch MacGuide Pro is absolutely the pinnacle of the transportable Mac. We suggest getting as a lot RAM and storage as you’ll be able to afford—the candy spot for most individuals would be the 10-core/16-core M1 Pro with 32GB of RAM and 1TB of storage—however we’re assured that you just’ll be pleased with any of the configurations Apple presents. We would keep away from the 8-core entry-level mannequin for future-proofing’s sake, but when that’s all of your price range will enable, it’ll nonetheless be a lot quick for years to return.