Granted, details are a little thin on the ground, but when we combine the rumor mill that’s running in overdrive right now with some historical context, the next generation of Apple’s pro-level laptops becomes clear.
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MacBook Pro M2 14-inch and 16-inch release date
Apple has always been pretty consistent with its launch timetables, so our money would be on seeing the updated 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros in Spring 2023. This has been corroborated by industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who predicts production will begin towards the end of 2022 (opens in new tab) with a launch window early next year. This contradicts rumors that the top-end MacBook Pro models may already in the works, with a view to launch these at the end of 2022 “at the earliest.” But if we look at the release schedule of the M1 machines, it was always clear that this window was a little optimistic. The first M1 models in the MacBook Pro and MacBook Air launched at the end of 2020, with the M1 Pro and M1 Max dropping almost a year later. With the 13-inch M2 MacBook Pro only just recently dropping, the wait could be a little longer than the end of this year.
MacBook Pro M2 14-inch and 16-inch price
There have been no rumors on pricing so far, so this is just our guess that pricing will remain the same across the M2 Pro and M2 Max MacBook Pro models. That means a starting price of $1,999 for the 14-inch and $2,499 for the 16-inch. Apple normally reserves any price changes for significant redesigns, which we’re not expecting.
MacBook Pro M2 14-inch and 16-inch design
With this being a second generation spec bump to the radically redesigned 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros, we would be shocked to see any design changes. Expect the same flatter, utilitarian aesthetic and the same aluminum unibody design, along with that same generously-sized trackpad and spacious keyboard. As you can read in our MacBook Pro 14 review, it’s a stunning reimagination of the prosumer laptop that we love. If we could dream a little, though, it would be awesome to see the Midnight color make it to the MacBook Pros. Apple would need to work on making the paint a lot more scratch-resistant, to avoid another ‘scuffgate.’
MacBook Pro M2 14-inch and 16-inch display
Currently, the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros pack a really nice mini-LED display with a 120Hz refresh rate — amazing for pro workloads and for all your entertainment needs. It’s a fantastic technology that we’re sure will continue to exist in its current state for a few years to come. Outside of potential peak brightness gains, don’t expect new displays. The only real difference that could very well make it into here is Face ID. Reports have been polarizing — either Face ID for Mac is in the works or it’s not needed because Touch ID on the keyboard is more convenient. Personally, I’d prefer to see it happen, and the real estate is there in that notch to make it a reality.
MacBook Pro M2 14-inch and 16-inch specs
The big story here will be the jump to M2 Pro and M2 Max chipsets. Mark Gurman shared some details about what these chips will entail as part of some leaked testing, and the focus definitely seems to be on graphics performance. Codenamed J414, the next pro-tier M2 chips are set to sport up to 12 CPU cores and 38 graphics cores — an impressive increase from the 10 CPU cores and 32 graphics cores in the current MacBook Pros. As for RAM, the chips seem to be supporting up to 64GB of memory, and with no rumors or leaks around the onboard storage, it’s fair to assume that they will remain the same (from 512GB to 8TB SSDs). Does that graphics focus mean that Apple is going to give a damn about gaming? Time will tell.
Outlook
Is it worth waiting for the M2 Pro and M2 Max MacBook Pros? Maybe. It depends on how urgently you need a new prosumer system and how big those performance increases will be. On paper, this looks set to be a killer pair of laptops for all your creative pro needs, but conversely, this does mean you can expect to see some mighty discounts on the outgoing M1 MacBook Pros — especially during Black Friday. So, enjoy the hype train as it runs into winter, but don’t be blind to the huge price cuts, as that trade-off for power could well be worth your while.
