Apple has quietly released refreshes to their MacBook Pro and Mac Mini lines with the M2 Pro and Max chips.
Rumored to be released towards the end of last year, it seems Apple has just decided to go ahead with a reveal of its M2 Pro & Max equipped systems this month. Much like with Intel’s silent drop of the i9-13900KS, it seems January is for quiet releases of exceptional hardware.
The M2 Pro and Max chips come with an improved version of the M1 Pro & Max, found in the Mac Studio and MacBook Pro.
New to the M2 Pro is the option for up to 12-core CPU and a 19-core GPU, with up to 32GB of RAM supported. Of course, with these all being soldered to the motherboard, there’s no room for upgrades once you’ve committed.
On the M2 Max end of things, it now supports up to a bizarre 96GB of unified RAM, as well as a 38-core GPU. The Max chip is intended for professional work more than the Pro, offering blistering speeds when video editing.
According to Apple, the M2 Pro is 40% faster than the M1 Pro in Photoshop, and 25% faster in compiling code in Xcode.
However, despite the chips leading the news charge, it’s the products that a more intriguing. After a much-needed update to M1 in 2020, the Mac Mini never saw an upgrade to M1 Pro or even the regular M2. Now, Apple has released the long-rumored Mac Mini, starting at $599 for just the M2 chip. Mac Mini with M2 Pro starts at $1,299.
Mac Mini (2023) price & release date
The Mac Mini equipped with the M2 Pro starts at just $1299, though you can get the standard M2 model for just $599. The device is available to order today, with a shipment date of January 24.
Mac Minis were Apple’s unsung hero during their Intel years, offering content creators, server owners, and more a great mini PC that didn’t take up a lot of power. Now with M2 and M2 Pro, it should begin to replace a lot of outdated setups.
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It supports two Thunderbolt 4 ports, HDMI, and USB-A (which is strange to see on a modern Mac!). Upgrading to the M2 Pro version opens up an additional two Thunderbolt 4 ports.
The Ethernet on the back can be changed for the 10Gb option too.
As well as the Mac Mini making a triumphant return, the mighty MacBook Pro is also getting the refresh to M2. Both 14 and 16-inch versions will come with either the Max or Pro. The 14-inch starts at $1999, and the 16-inch begins at $2499.
Macbook Pro (2023) price & release date
The 14-inch Macbook Pro, which houses an M2 Pro will begin at $1999, while the 16-inch model begins at $2499.Both devices are available to purchase now, with orders shipping out on January 24.
Apple claims that working in DaVinci Resolve’s color grading section is two times faster than Intel laptops from 2019.
Outside of the insides being changed, there’s nothing particularly new to report on the MacBook Pro. They seem much faster, more powerful, and better at certain pro-level applications. However, if you’re on M1 Pro or M1 Max, it might not be time to upgrade just yet.
All products begin releasing in the US and UK on January 24.
