Apple | Macbook Pro M2 13 inch: 5 reasons why you should wait before buying | macbook

Lloyd Coombes, Eugen Wegmann

The new 13-inch MacBook Pro has been available for pre-order since Friday, June 17th – the first Mac with Apple’s new M2 processor, followed by the new, revised MacBook Air , which Apple has so far only announced for “the next month”. While the Macbook Pro M2 appears to be a new machine, there are quite a few old tech and features packed inside that we weren’t expecting. So is it worth upgrading to the new Macbook Pro? Here are five reasons why you should wait.

It is significantly more expensive than the Macbook Air M2

While Apple hasn’t increased the price of the M2 Macbook Pro, it’s still in an odd position when it comes to pricing. With a starting price of 1,599 euros, it is 100 euros more expensive than the new M2 Macbook Air with a larger screen and a similar processor (eight-core GPU instead of ten-core GPU). The MacBook Pro comes with more memory – 512GB instead of 256GB – and better cooling, which allows for high loads over longer periods of time, but most users will hardly notice this.

MacBook Air M2 vs. MacBook Air M1: Is it worth the upgrade?

True professionals, however, will probably fare better with the M1 Pro and M1 Max models in the 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro. These cost more, of course, but offer a larger screen, better battery life and more choice in configuration.

It has an old design and an old screen

The 13-inch Macbook Pro has long relied on the well-known classic design, which of course is not really wrong. However, after Apple shook up its portfolio with 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pros and an updated MacBook Air, the edges of the 13-inch MacBook Pro just seem outdated.

Then there was the screen. The 13-inch MacBook Pro doesn’t feature the new Liquid Retina technology, which offers more colors and rounded corners to match the overall design. The screen is still nice, but compared to the other Pro models with XDR and the MacBook Air M2, it’s just not good enough. It’s also now the smallest screen in Apple’s lineup after the company increased the display to 13.6 inches in the Macbook Air.

There is a lack of connections

Apple and the question of ports go hand-in-hand, but the reintroduction of an SD card reader, HDMI and Magsafe in the 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro last year seems like an acknowledgment that consumers and professionals alike want more ports .

The Macbook Pro M2 has none of that. Instead, you’ll find the same ports here as last year: two Thunderbolt/USB 4 ports and a 3.5 mm stereo jack. Even the Macbook Air M2 has a better selection of ports thanks to Magsafe, so you don’t have to occupy a USB-C port when charging, and support for high-impedance headphones. Of course, that’s not a problem if you use a docking station with your laptop, but we still prefer Magsafe.

The camera is still 720p

Apple’s long-standing commitment to the 720p Facetime HD camera is often laughed at for a reason, but last year it was finally replaced with a 1080p sensor in the 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro. As expected, the Macbook Air M2 has new hardware, but not the 13-inch Macbook Pro M2.

Admittedly, you’ll be able to use your iPhone as a webcam thanks to Continuity Camera when macOS 13 Ventura comes out, but that’s no excuse for installing a bad webcam in 2022.

Better models are on the way

It has always been a good idea to save money and buy a much better product later, but so far this has mainly applied to smartphones and tablets. Now that Apple has (almost) completely switched to its own chips, the question arises as to whether it would be better to wait a few months for the next wave of hardware announcements, including for laptops.

While you never really know what the future will bring, it’s pretty certain that another MacBook will appear soon. Rumors are circulating about a 15-inch model and an upgrade to M2 Pro/M2 Max for already available Macbook Pro models. You should keep that in mind before you spend 1,599 euros now.

But… the touch bar!

Aside from the processor, there’s little that’s new in the Macbook Pro M2. However, that also means it’s the last MacBook with a touch bar – maybe forever. So if you like it, there is no other model with it. And admittedly, we’re missing them a little since the larger MacBook Pros have been missing them.

This article was first published by colleagues from the

Macworld
and was translated from English.