The 13 ”MacBook Pro was among the first Macs with the M1 processor, and is the first with the M2 chip. Among the Apple products it also boasts another peculiar feature: it is the only one to remain unchanged for 6 years; the current model, which will go on sale from 24 June, is identical to the one launched in October 2016.
Aesthetic judgments are inevitably personal, even if from a design point of view it doesn’t seem dated at all; if anything, after having seen (and used) it in all these years, even the slightest novelty would have been welcome. It is solid, well finished, not too heavy, pleasant to use, but, as it is, the most recent MacBook is the one that least betrays the technology adopted on the outside.
In comparison
What is the best Mac? Small guide to buying Apple computers
by Bruno Ruffilli
A new brain
In fact, there is only one novelty, but for a computer it is of paramount importance: a new processor, the second generation of Apple Silicon. Two years ago, Cupertino announced that he would end his long association with Intel to make his own chips for the next Macs, building on the long experience accumulated on the iPhone and iPad. Thus the M2, launched at the last WWDC, is the second stage of a journey that has so far translated into excellent products and increasing sales. Compared to the M1, the new chip is made with an improved 5nm process, and has 20 billion transistors against 16 billion. This allows to further increase the thermal performances, that is to have a greater computing power with the same consumption. The basic operation remains the same: the chip includes 8 cores (cores), 4 of which are optimized for performance and another 4 for basic operations, and chooses which ones to use in relation to the type of effort required, thus favoring the power or autonomy. Apple claims up to 18% more maximum computing power than the M1, and in our tests with GeekBench 5 these data are confirmed, ranging from increments of a few percentage points, up to 40% more on a specific calculation test. mathematician, called N-Body Physics. The difference again corresponds to the company’s statements, according to which the Neural Engine is able to process 15.8 trillion operations per second, more than 40% more than the M1. So much power is needed, for example, to radically redefine the experience of automatic contouring of a photo in Photoshop, which with the M2 takes a fraction of a second.
In general, the difference is more evident in processes that require the simultaneous use of multiple cores, while it is almost unnoticeable for single-core ones. In practice: the MacBook Pro is faster just where it is needed, with the most complex software, while for example those who use it to write in Word will hardly notice any improvement.
But the M2, like its predecessor, is a System on a Chip (SoC), so it also includes elements that in other computers would be separate: graphics card, Ram memory, various controllers. And all have been revised and corrected in this second generation: the Ram now travels at 100 GB / sec, while the GPU (8 or 10 cores) has a larger cache and is 25% or 35 more powerful than the M1. % with the same core and energy performance. So, in addition to working with 3D rendering and video editing software in very high definition, the MacBook Pro 13 ”2022 is also excellent for video games, and who knows if it is not the right time that the catalog of titles available for Mac really grows ( at the last WWDC they were announced in the meantime Resident Evil Village, No Man’s Sky e Grid Legends).
For the rest, the M2 integrates a media engine with a higher bandwidth video decoder that supports 8K H.264 and HEVC playback, as well as a ProRes media engine for hardware accelerated encoding and decoding, the latest version. Secure Enclave and a Neural Engine capable of processing 15,800 billion operations per second (over 40% more than the M1).
In uso
These improvements translate into three main characteristics: speed, stability, autonomy. The first is evident from the beginning: to start the new MacBook Pro 13 2022, copying 170 GB of data from the 2020 model, set all the settings and start working, it took less than 14 minutes. The aluminum chassis just got warmer and the fan never started, it was never possible to feel the slightest movement of air from the cooling holes; a behavior that was repeated in every moment of our test, which lasted a whole week. Yet this is precisely the biggest difference with the new MacBook Air, which we will try shortly: the more efficient heat dissipation allows the Pro to face demanding workloads even for long periods, as is expected of professionals and not those who use the computer for email, web browsing and perhaps occasional video editing.
But beware, the MacBook Pro is also lightning-fast in installing new programs, converting old Intel software with Rosetta 2, even deleting thousands of files, a sign that SSD disk management is excellent.
At no time during our test, the MacBook Pro 13 ”2022 showed slow, uncertain, never a snap when viewing movies, streaming, video previews. No trace of beach balls spinning, no interruptions due to excessive temperatures, not even after the computer was left for almost 40 minutes in the Ligurian sun at 2 pm.
Among the many positive effects that a good computer can have on mood, that of allowing you to work for a long time without having to look for a recharging socket is perhaps the most important. Here, it must be said, the comparison is very difficult, because the M1 processor and the 58.2 W / h battery already guaranteed the previous model an autonomy of 17 hours in web browsing and up to 20 hours of video playback. Even if the data declared by Apple are the same, the feeling is that the new model still does a little better: it is never a problem to get to the end of an intense work day, but with a little foresight, two days they are not difficult to reach. The charger has a slightly higher power (67W vs 61W), but we don’t think this shortens the charging times in an obvious way.
The sample under test is the basic version of the MacBook Pro 13 ”2022, with 8 GB of Ram and 256 GB SSD, on sale for 1629 euros; all comparisons were made with an M1 model with the same configuration.
What does not change
The display is identical: very good, although not the best possible for working outdoors, the three microphones with beamforming work great for calls, the keyboard is excellent, with excellent key travel accompanied by a remarkable rigidity of the structure . Writing on the MacBook Pro has always been a pleasure and it is now too. The TouchBar replaces individual function keys, aside from Esc – it hasn’t been very successful and has disappeared from all other MacBook Pros, but in emoji times it may have its why. Easy and safe to use the fingerprint sensor that allows you to replace the password. Unfortunately, only two USB-C ports, which also integrate the Thunderbolt standard; one of your choice is also used for recharging. And the FaceTime HD camera is exactly what the name implies: a 720p camera just big enough for video calls, but it won’t win you any beauty contests.
All these characteristics were exactly the same on the model of a year and a half ago. For the rest, the changes are minimal: there is support for spatial audio when playing music or video in Dolby Atmos both with internal speakers, and for those who use third-generation AirPods, AirPods Pro or AirPods Max. the 3.5mm headphone jack, and this time – a detail designed especially for professionals – there is support for high impedance models, such as those often used in recording studios.
We like it
- Excellent performance
- Solid
- Fantastic autonomy
We do not like it
- Design unchanged since 2016
- Two USB-C ports, one of which is for charging
- 720p video camera alone
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In fine
The 13-inch MacBook Pro with M2 is an excellent computer, just like the model it replaces. However, it is necessary to understand what kind of use you want to make of it: the MacBook Pro 14 “and 16” have an older but more powerful processor, even in the basic model, as well as a greater number of ports, a larger and brighter screen, and they can be used with more than one external monitor, so they are more suitable for strictly professional use, especially if you work with videos. For audio professionals, however, this model has enough computing power to be able to deal with even the most complex Logic sessions, perhaps increasing the available RAM, since this time it is possible to reach 24 GB against the 16 GB of the M1.
So the strengths of the new MacBook Pro M2 are as usual the performance, the autonomy, the reasonable price. Those who own the previous model have no reason to hurry to buy it, considering that everything else has remained the same, but for those who still use an Intel MacBook the step forward is enormous. It will be interesting, then, the comparison with the MacBook Air which shares the same chip, has a completely new design and a comparable price list, even if the intended uses are decidedly different.