Toni Hobrecht
Apple today introduced the 2023 versions of the 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro and the Mac mini with the new M2 Pro and M2 Max processors. The MacBooks get upgraded connectivity options and the Mac mini gets a lower entry price.
Apple MacBook Pro M2 Pro and M2 Max
The 14- and 16-inch Apple MacBook Pro M2 can now be configured with the M2 Pro and M2 Max chipsets. According to Apple, the processors offer up to 20% more CPU power and a 30% faster GPU over the previous generation M1 variants. There are three standard configurations from Apple or you can build your own processor, memory and storage configuration.
In the case of the M2 Pro, there are 10 and 12 core CPUs and 16 or 19 core GPUs to choose from. The M2 Max is available with 12-core CPUs and 30- or 38-core GPUs. A 16-core neural engine is added to all models. RAM options include 16 and 32GB on the M2 Pro and 32, 64 and 96GB on the M2 Max. The RAM starts at 512 GB and goes up to 8 TB. The entry-level model offers 16 GB of RAM and 512 GB of storage.
Thanks to the new processors, the battery life has also increased. The 14-inch model manages 18 hours of video playback and 12 hours of web surfing. The 16-inch version gets 22 hours of video playback and 15 hours of browsing. Also new to the MacBook Pro models are improved connectivity options. In addition to Wi-Fi 6E, HDMI 2.1 is also on board, which supports up to 8K at 60 Hz and 4K at 240 Hz.
The 14-inch MacBook Pro starts at $1,999. The 16-inch model ist at least $2,499.
Apple Mac mini M2
The new Apple Mac mini also gets the M2 and M2 Pro processors. The older version with an Intel CPU has finally retired. From $599 there is an M2 with an 8-core CPU and 10-core GPU. Both have 8 GB of RAM as standard and go up to 16 or 24 GB. A maximum of 2 TB of storage is possible.
The $1,299 model comes standard with the M2 Pro with a 10-core CPU and 16-core GPU. You can optionally upgrade to a 12-core CPU and a 19-core GPU. The Mac mini M2 Pro has a minimum of 16 and a maximum of 32 GB of RAM. Up to 8 TB of storage can be configured for this. However, Apple has dropped the M2 Max option for the Mac mini.
All new Mac mini models come with Wi-Fi 6E. Only the M2 Pro gets the new HDMI 2.1 connection. Also, the Pro has four Thunderbolt 4 ports instead of two on the regular M2 models.
