Apple originally planned the touch bar as a revolution. However, she did not assert herself and quickly became an unloved stepchild. Kind of always got in the way, without delivering the crucial added value, and users had to tap it twice as often as a simple button, for example to increase the volume. For the 14 and 16 inch Macbook Pro, Apple also abolished the touch bar last fall. In the new 13-inch MacBook Pro, the touch bar is now making a surprising comeback, as product images show.
The new 13-inch MacBook Pro: M2 chip, touch bar and USB-C
And that’s surprising, because Apple demands an RRP of almost 1,600 euros for the cheapest, new Pro model. It seems as if the tech giant is almost a little embarrassed itself. One official press release received only the new MacBook Air (without touchbar) for the keynote at Apple’s developer conference WWDC 2022, in which the new Pro is only mentioned in passing.
The 13-inch MacBook Pro has a larger battery with a whopping 20 hours of runtime, 8 to 24 GB of RAM and up to 2 TB of SSD hard drive storage. The new 13-inch MacBook Pro also lacks the new MagSafe connector, which Apple has reintroduced for the 14- and 16-inch MPBs and is now also bringing to the new MacBook Air.
We can only speculate about the reasons why Apple continues to rely on the touch bar and USB-C, as it did in the predecessor of the 13-inch MacBook. Observers of the scene suspect that Apple simply may not have had the time to develop a new design. Apple worked on the new MacBook Air for two years. The new 13-inch Pro would then be comparable to the iPhone SE (2022) – i.e. an old design in which Apple just put a new chip.
Maybe you even missed the touch bar? Then all the better! If not, your alternative might be this 14 inch MacBook Prowhich is only marginally larger and heavier, but is quite a bit more expensive.
Apple’s new M2 chip: bigger and more powerful
The new M2 chip, which is also used in the 13-inch MacBook Pro, is a bit larger than its predecessor, but is also based on ARM technology, which is new for Apple. This works in almost every smartphone and is characterized by good computing power with minimal power consumption. Apple also has the M2 processor manufactured in 5nm, but wants to have increased the efficiency again.
Four high-performance and four very efficient processor cores including 10 graphics processor cores are combined on the chiplet. The increase in performance compared to the previous generation is moderate at 18 percent in processor performance and 25 percent in graphics calculation. This is particularly interesting for users with slightly higher demands. The previous M1 chip, which is also based on ARM technology and made a good impression on us in the MacBook Air M1, for example, is still available as a cheaper variant for MacBook Airs.
The real novelty: MacBook Air (2022)
The also new MacBook air (2022) has a more angular design and is 20 percent smaller than the previous generation. The case is available in four colors and offers a MagSafe connection, two Thunderbolt 4 ports and a 3.5 mm jack connection. Spatial audio, Touch ID, 1080p camera in the notch and the mentioned M2 processor complete the package.
The Air is a good choice for mobile working. The 13.6-inch retina display is bright enough for graphics and office editing at 500 nits. The battery life is really good at 18 hours of video playback.
The new MacBook Air (2022) should be available from 1,499 euros. This means that the Air 2022 costs more than its predecessors. In return, Apple wants to offer the M1 models of the previous year at a lower price.
macOS Ventura: Focus on productivity and convenience
The two new MacBook lines can update to the new macOS Ventura. Ventura can hardly be distinguished from its predecessor Monterey. Again, the developers decided to tackle the details and the foundation of the desktop operating system:
- the Stage manager said multitasking management should please many users. This manager pushes all unused but open apps to the screen where they are neatly sorted and waiting for their next use.
- The integrated spotlight search shows recently Content Previews of the found files.
- The mail function lets you already sent retrieve posts and send messages on a specific date.
- Apple is giving the Safari browser one collaboration feature, with which you can share entire collections of tabs with other users. Passkey, which uses Touch or Face ID to generate a security key (unbreakable according to Apple) with which you can unlock websites, is also making inroads.
- Gamers look forward to metal 3a new graphics routine that polishes games and boosts performance.
- The improved Continuity offers the possibility to use an iPhone as a Mac webcam, for example.
Tag: macbook issue, macbook pro, macbook release, macbook macos