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Apple’s new 13-inch MacBook Pro is the first to arrive with the Apple Silicon M2 processor, but in all other respects, it clings to an old design style in every aspect.
When Apple first introduced the M1, the 13-inch MacBook Pro was part of a trio of devices that would use the chip. As the only MacBook Pro on the list, it demonstrated where Apple Silicon could progress and hinted at what the larger MacBook Pro models could offer.
With little difference between the MacBook Air M2 and the 13-inch MacBook Pro, there wasn’t much reason to switch from the cheapest model to the second cheapest, unless you wanted a hair more performance in long processes with active cooling.
The launch of the second generation of Apple Silicon has brought a new M2 chip and, once again, Apple has put it at the value end of the MacBook range, upgrading both the MacBook Air and the 13-inch MacBook Pro .
Although, as of this writing, only one is available today.
1322 2022 MacBook Pro Specifications
Specifications 13-inch MacBook Pro, M2 Screen size (inches) 13.3 Maximum resolution2560 x 1600 Pixel density227 Brightness 500 nights Screen backlight LED display technology Wide color (P3), True ToneEight Apple M2 processors cores 8GB Unified Memory, 16GB 6GB Integrated Video, 16GB 6GB Screen, 12GB 6GB Integrated Screen, 12GB Integrated Video, 1TB, 2tbTouct baryesBiometricStouct idTrackPadforceBoardbacklit with ambient light SensOrdimensions SensOrdimensions (inches ) 0.61 x 11.97 x 8.36Weight Fine 6Bluetooth 5.0 Charger 67W USB-CCColor OptionsSilver, Space GrayPriceFrom $ 1,299
A familiar face
However, while the MacBook Air got a lot of changes that bring it closer to the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro, the same cannot be said of the 13-inch MacBook Pro.
The MacBook Air enjoyed a new screen, a design update, a new webcam and many more welcome changes. Externally, the 13-inch MacBook Pro has virtually nothing new.
If you were to compare the 13-inch MacBook Pro M2 spec sheet to the M1 model, you’ll find many of the same details. You still have an 11.97-inch by 8.36-inch footprint and a 0.61-inch thickness. The pair also weighs the same with exactly 3 pounds.
Can you spot the latest generation of 13-inch compared to the new model?
You’ll also see the same IPS Retina display with 13.3-inch LED backlight, which has thick bezels but no camera notch, unlike its stable counterparts. The lack of mini LED backlighting from its larger counterparts makes its 2,560 by 1,600-pixel screen produce 500 nights of familiar brightness and retains the same True Tone and Wide Color (P3) support as usual.
The notched webcam is a 720p FaceTime HD camera, which continues to use the same specification as the previous iteration. Of course, it benefits from the advanced video signal processor with computer video that is included as part of Apple Silicon, but unfortunately it is not an updated version of 1080p as has been seen elsewhere.
Your MacBook Pro’s webcam has not changed
Looking to the sides, there’s not even a change in the number of ports, as you still have to struggle with two Thunderbolt / USB 4 connections and a 3.5mm headphone jack. The latter has at least received an update, which now includes “advanced support for high impedance headphones.”
This low port count is not helped because the 13-inch MacBook Pro is now the last MacBook device that does not have a MagSafe connection. If you want to recharge it, you will still have to sacrifice one of the two ports to a charger or rely on a dock or other connection device with sufficient power supply via USB-C while managing data.
The two type C ports
Moving on to the keyboard, there are no changes here either. It is a magical backlit keyboard with 65 keys (US) or 66 (ISO), with four arrow keys in an inverted T formation.
At the top is the Touch Bar, which frustratingly still exists. On other MacBook Pro models, it has been replaced by a row of 12 full-height function keys, leaving the 13-inch last bastion for those who find the Touch Bar really useful.
Touch Bar with Touch ID
Again, the Touch Bar handles Touch ID tasks, which isn’t surprising. Below the keyboard is the usual Force Touch trackpad, with pressure-sensitive features that allow you to click Force Touch and multi-touch gestures.
Adding M2 to the mixture
The fundamental change for this version is the elimination of SoC M1 in favor of M2.
The new Apple Silicon M2 processor uses an eight-core CPU with four high-performance chips accompanied by four high-efficiency chips, similar to the M1, except that it is 18 percent faster than its predecessor. The GPU has also been upgraded from an eight-core GPU to a ten-core version, which Apple says represents a 35 percent performance improvement.
There is also the 16-core neural motor, which has the same number of cores as the M1, but runs 40% faster again. Unified memory increases bandwidth, from 68.25 GB / s in M1 to 100 GB / s in M2. This is an improvement, but not quite the 200 GB / s of the M1 Pro.
There is an increase in memory capacity, with the 8GB and 16GB options joined by a 24GB option. This is a welcome addition, but not quite at the 32GB you normally expect as the next level of memory.
Although it was not included in the M1, the media engines reach the lower level of the M2. The hardware video encoder and decoder can handle 8K H.264 and HEVC video, speeding up video processing.
The M2 has better graphics for creatives, but not as much as the M1 Pro or M1 Max
The media engine also includes encoding and decoding engines for ProRes 4K and 8K videos, making it more useful for professional productions. This is the same configuration you might expect on the M1 Pro.
Bringing the Media Engine to the M2 will no doubt open up the 13-inch MacBook Pro to video editors. But since almost all models in the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro range have some sort of multimedia engine, with the exception of the MacBook Air M1, it’s not a notable addition.
Apple also upgraded the image signal processor to the M2 with better image noise reduction. This would look best if you combine it with a 1080p FaceTime HD camera.
While this is the same as you’d get for the MacBook Air, the 13-inch MacBook Pro benefits from including active cooling instead of passive. You’ll enjoy slightly better performance for longer with the MacBook Air with less acceleration, simply because the MacBook Pro is changing the air to cool, but more on that in a while.
When the 2020 editions of the 13-inch MacBook Pro and the MacBook Air with the Apple Silicon M1 processor were introduced, a lot of testing was done. From Sunday the speeds were measured in six directions and all possible angles were taken in the machines, as always.
There was also a lot of drama on the Internet about the thermals of the two machines. Created both content on and with long loads, the 13-inch MacBook Pro was far superior due to the active cooling of the computer.
And again, the “thermal acceleration” conversation has skyrocketed. People are talking again as if it were somehow new and a scourge to humanity, and not as computer science has been for about two decades.
French fries heat up over time. When they get too hot, they slow down a bit. Cooling of some kind cools them. Repeat as needed.
There’s an active cooling system in this 13-inch MacBook Pro from 2020 and 2022, and there’s none in the MacBook Air M1 or M2 – all of that is true. What is not true is the hyperbole madness limit on how much is of universal importance.
Almost all workloads applied by almost all users are single-core and a burst process. The processor doesn’t run long enough, hot enough, for any of this to make a real difference for the vast majority of Mac users who observe that price.
Of course, Apple Silicon accelerates thermally. All computers do that.
If you render videos or compile code, it will make a very small difference in the time it takes to complete the job, and may affect a single-digit percentage of lost time compared to the total rendering for more than a few minutes. If you’re processing texts, receiving your email, playing most games, or just about anything else, you won’t notice or care much, even if you perceive it.
If maximum performance, heat is damn, during a long run of processors you care, you should look at the larger MacBook Pro models or the Mac Studio. Both are at an astonishing distance in terms of the price of an upgraded 13-inch MacBook Pro.
Geekbench 5 results
We started our benchmarks with the Geekbench 5, too common. In the single-core test, we scored 1,928 and 8,990 in our multi-core test. Cinebench R23 showed similar gains over the M1 model, with 1,576 for the single core and 8,694 for the multicore.
At our browser benchmark, we saw that Speedometer got an impressive 395 rpm, which was even above the 293 rpm we had on the M1 Max MacBook Pro.
We then turned to some landmarks with graphs. The Affinity Photo test gave 12,206 for the combined GPU. He also got a 745 in the combined CPU test. For comparison, the M1 Max scored a 947 in the combined CPU test.
Geekbench 5’s Metal Compute test rated the graphics with a score of 30,931. The 14-inch MacBook Pro M1 Pro with the 16-core GPU scored 41,328 points.
In the aging Unigine Heaven benchmark, with Rosetta 2, the new MacBook Pro M2 averaged 117.8 frames per second with a score of 2,968. Its maximum frame rate was 199.6 frames per second.
In exporting a …