Apple unveils next-gen M2 Pro and M2 Max MacBook Pros with faster speeds and longer battery life
On the evening of January 17th, Apple released on its official website including the new 14/16-inch MacBook Pro, Mac mini and two new generation SoC chips - M2 Pro and M2 Max.
According to Apple's official data, M2 Pro adopts the second-generation 5nm process technology, inherits about 40 billion transistors, supports up to 12-core CPU and up to 19-core GPU, and supports up to 32GB unified memory and 200GB/s unified memory bandwidth. Compared with M1 Pro, it is up to 20% higher.
The M2 Pro chip integrates 40 billion transistors, providing 200GB/s unified memory bandwidth and up to 32GB high-speed and low-latency unified memory.
The M2 Max has 67 billion transistors — 10 billion more than the M1 Max and more than 3 times the M2 — pushing the performance and capabilities of Apple chips even further. Its 400GB/s unified memory bandwidth is twice that of M2 Pro and 4 times that of M2, and it supports up to 96GB of extremely fast unified memory. Massive files open instantly, and working across multiple professional applications is fast and smooth.
The M2 Max chip integrates 67 billion transistors, providing a unified memory bandwidth of 400GB/s and up to 96GB of high-speed and low-latency unified memory.
The M2 Max uses the same next-generation 12-core CPU as the M2 Pro. The GPU is more powerful, with up to 38 cores, and comes with a larger L2 cache. 30% faster graphics than M1 Max. The new MacBook Pro with 96GB of RAM and M2 Max can handle graphics-intensive projects that competing systems can't even run. From powerful visuals to training machine learning models to stitching gigapixel images, MacBook Pro with M2 Max delivers incredible performance, whether plugged in or running on battery power. M2 Max is the world's most powerful and efficient chip for professional laptops.
In addition, custom technologies for the M2 Pro and M2 Max include Apple's next-generation 16-core Neural Engine and a powerful, efficient New Media Engine with hardware-accelerated H.264, HEVC and ProRes video encoding and decoding.
Along with the launch of the M2 Pro/M2 Max, Apple also updated the 14-inch/16-inch MacBook Pro products. The new products feature Apple's latest M2 Pro and M2 Max chips. Apple says the processor is "6 times faster than the fastest Intel-based MacBook Pro."
New MacBook Pro
Compared with the previous generation, these two products have not changed much. They are still in 14-inch and 16-inch specifications and still retain the notch design. Apple says the new CPU is 40 percent faster than the M1 Max, while the GPU offers 20 percent more performance than the M1 Max. The top-end M2 Max chip supports up to 96GB of RAM, significantly higher than the previous MacBook's 64GB limit. That includes Wi-Fi 6E, which debuted on the M2 iPad Pro last year, as well as "advanced HDMI" for multi-channel audio output, connection to 8K displays at up to 60Hz and 4K displays at up to 240Hz, and support for Bluetooth 5.3.
Elsewhere, the new MacBook Pros are identical to the 2021 models, with a thin bezel design and plenty of connectivity options, including three Thunderbolt 4 ports, an SDXC card slot, and MagSafe 3 charging. They run macOS Ventura and feature the same 1080p FaceTime HD camera and six-speaker sound system as the older model.
Battery life is also better. The 16-inch MacBook Pro has 22 hours of battery life (21 hours for the 2021 model), the "longest battery life ever in a Mac," while the 14-inch model comes in at 18 hours, an hour more than the previous model .
In terms of price, the 14-inch MacBook Pro (default M2 Pro chip) starts at 15,999 yuan, and the 16-inch MacBook Pro (M2 Pro chip) starts at 19,999 yuan. It will be released on February 3.
New Mac mini interface
In addition to the MacBook Pro, Apple also upgraded the hardware configuration of the Mac mini. While keeping the existing appearance unchanged, the chip of the whole series of Mac mini has been upgraded to the M2 series processor, and the Intel version of Mac mini on the official website is officially off the shelves. The new Mac mini has two chip options, M2 and M2 Pro. Among them, the M2 model is equipped with 2 Thunderbolt 4 ports, which supports the connection of up to 2 displays; the M2 Pro model is equipped with 4 Thunderbolt 4 ports, which supports the connection of up to 3 displays, or the connection of up to 1 8K display. In addition, the Mac mini is equipped with two USB-A ports, a Gigabit Ethernet interface, and a headphone jack that supports high-impedance headphones. At the same time, the Mac mini also supports Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3 connections.
The price of the M2 version of the Mac mini starts at 4,499 yuan, and the price of the M2 Pro version of the Mac mini starts at 9,999 yuan. Both are also available for pre-order on January 19 and will be officially released on February 3.
In addition to CPU and GPU upgrades, the two chips of M2 Pro and M2 Max also support the WiFi6E protocol and 8K HDMI connection. The highest RAM can choose 96GB unified memory and the highest 8TB storage option, which undoubtedly makes MacBook Pro products professional again. The improvement has also opened up a bigger gap with computer products equipped with Intel processors.
The surprise this time is the Mac mini with M2 and M2 Pro chips. The two have different positioning. The M2 version of Mac mini is suitable for the public, and the price of 4499 yuan is more acceptable. In addition, Mac mini enters the professional level for the first time, which is a good choice for advanced users. For more professional users, you can also choose Mac Studio.
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