The new M2 MacBook Pro has been on the market for almost a week now and the more we learn about it, the more perplexing of a machine it becomes. In fact, it has us questioning whether anyone should even buy it. If you’re considering the M2 MacBook Pro, don’t buy it just yet. Head below for some details on why it might not be worth the buy.
The current MacBook lineup
When the first reviews of the M2 MacBook Pro were published, a consensus was immediately clear: it’s the same exact MacBook Pro that Apple has sold for years, just with an M2 chip inside. It features the previous generation design, the same Touch Bar, the same two USB-C ports, and the same limitations.
For context, here’s the current slate of Apple’s MacBook lineup:
There’s a glaring hole in that lineup, with a $700 price delta between the M2 MacBook Pro and the 14-inch MacBook Pro.
The 13-inch MacBook Pro exists to fill that gap, but it’s so far below the 14-inch MacBook Pro, in terms of both price and capabilities, that it doesn’t really fill that gap. It gets even more confusing when you look at how close the M2 MacBook Pro is to the M1 MacBook Air and the M2 MacBook Air, again in terms of both price and features.
The M2 MacBook Air specifically offers some benefits over the M2 MacBook Pro. You get an extra port thanks to the MagSafe charging connector, the webcam is 1080p vs 720p on the MacBook Pro, and the speaker system is more powerful. The display is slightly larger as well, with Apple branding it as a “Liquid Retina Display.”
Again, remember the MacBook Air with M2 is $100 cheaper than the M2 MacBook Pro – despite the advantages. And don’t forget the modern design of the MacBook Air, the color options, and the lighter and thinner form factor.
Which MacBook should you buy?
I hope I’ve made the argument clear enough that you already know the answer to this question. Unless you are an absolute Touch Bar fanatic, there’s no reason to buy the M2 MacBook Pro. Not only is it more expensive than the two MacBook Air models, it’s inferior in a number of different ways.
I hope that Apple closes the gap between the $1299 MacBook Pro and the $1999 MacBook Pro. There are whispers of a new 15-inch MacBook/MacBook Air of some sort coming in 2023. This machine might even feature options for either an M2 or M2 Pro chip inside. Ideally, this will sit right in between the two MacBook Pro models.
If you’re shopping for a MacBook and you need it immediately, the M1 MacBook Air is the best option without shelling out $2,000 for the 14-inch MacBook Pro. If you can wait just a few weeks, the M2 MacBook Air will be an even better option.
Wrap up
So why does the M2 MacBook Pro exist? Well, it exists to fill the gap between the MacBook Air and the 14-inch MacBook Pro. It does that poorly. Looking beyond that, it seems to purely come down to marketing. There are some people (and particularly enterprise buyers) who are dead set on buying a “Pro” machine from Apple.
It’s actually a bit deceiving. The 13-inch MacBook Pro with an M2 chip is branded as a “Pro” machine, but it’s not “Pro” in any way. The only argument you could make is that it’s “Pro” is thanks to its fans and its longer battery life. The fans might let the M2 MacBook Pro sustain peak performance longer than the fan-less MacBook Air.
Other than that, it’s not a “Pro” machine. In fact, you could even argue that the MacBook Air fits that branding better.
What do you think of the current MacBook lineup? Are you planning to buy a new MacBook soon? Let us know down in the comments.
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