Apple changed the mobile computing landscape with the launch of their ARM architecture processors. It changed how people viewed laptops. The first generations of the MacBooks demolished processors from traditional laptops in performance benchmarks. The entire line of MacBooks since then has been in demand and Apple seems to be showing no signs of slowing down. Apple just announced the 2023 line-up of MacBook Pros, running even more powerful M-series of processors. This should change the game altogether and there are certainly exciting times ahead for everyone.
The MacBook Pros are available in two sizes, 14.2 and 16.2-inch displays. Both sizes are available in configurations that run the two new processors, the M2 Pro and M2 Max. The performance Apple claims for these processors is 20 per cent higher in CPU performance than the older M1 Pro and M1 Max respectively. GPU performance is 30 per cent higher than the respective legacy graphics processors too. A lot of the performance comes from the increase memory bandwidth; the M2 Pro has 200 GB/s at its disposal, compared to the M2 Max’s 400 GB/s. The M2 Pro has 10-core base options, along with 12-core processors options for the latter model too, but the M2 Max has 38 GPU cores compared to 19 on the M2 Pro. Make no mistake though, these are both absurdly powerful processors for laptops. Memory configurations range from 16 GB going all the way up to 32 GB as stock configurations although customizations are available up to 96GB for the M2 Max models.
All this power translates into the ability to connect to two displays on the MacBook Pros running the M2 Pro. In comparison, the M2 Max can run four monitors, even handle 10 8K streams at ProRes quality. That truly is unbelievable performance coming to notebooks. This is heaven-sent performance for anyone who likes performance laptops but more importantly, those who are content creators, vloggers, audio and video editors, even 3d artists.
Brute performance is one part of the package, what’s practical is also battery life so you can use the MacBook Pros on the go. Fortunately, that’s been a great success story on the previous generation models and things only get better on the M2 Pro and M2 Max powered models. The 14.2-inch model Apple claims can go 18 hours, while watching content at a stretch, compared to 22 hours on the larger model. If you browse the web wirelessly, you can use the 14.2-inch model for 12 hours, versus 15 hours on the 16.2-inch MacBook Pro. Both these MacBook Pros enable you to go through a day of work without connecting to a wall power charger, much like you would say, smartphones. Speaking of wall chargers, the 14-inch models ship with 96 W USB-C power adapters, and the 16-inch models come with 140 W chargers.
The configurations of the new MacBook Pros are flexible, with storage options starting from 512GB (for the 10-core M2 Pro model) going all the way up to 8 TB for both sized models. All models run the brilliant Liquid Retina XDR display with the smaller 14.2 models running a resolution of 3024 x 1964 and the larger 16.2-inch display running a 3456 x 2234 resolution. Both displays can scale up to 120 Hz as part of the ProMotion technology feature set. This offers smoother scrolling through pages but more importantly for content shot at higher frame rates being edited. The display is world-known for its colour-accuracy and vibrancy, so you never feel like you’re compromising on the picture quality. Apple even boasts of its 4 mm thin enclosure that houses the world-class display.
Other quality of life features are present, such as support for WiFi 6E (802.11ax) and Bluetooth 5.3, which is rarely seen on devices. These should enable more efficient and better performance wirelessly connectivity to peripherals. Other connectivity options include three Thunderbolt 4 (USB Type-C) ports that can be used for charging, connecting displays and with support for USB 4 transfer rates. You can also use traditional earphones using the 3.5mm headphone jack in addition to connect displays using the standard HDMI port. These are welcomed, comfortable features that help the MacBook Pro be versatile in every work setup.
Apple ships a 1080p camera for video calls for remote workers or students, that’s been tweaked to perform even in low-light environments. It coupled with the three-microphone setup helps cut out background noise so your voice is heard loud and clear to those listening to you. While you can use earphones of your choice, the speakers on the new MacBook Pro aren’t sub-par. There are six of them, four of which are woofers that make the sound performance punchy despite the compact shell that makes up the MacBook Pro. These are Dolby Atmos compliant speakers. The refined Magic Keyboard is built into this MacBook Pro, so you get a Touch ID button that unlocks the MacBook Pro in a moment, and you can use it also to unlock software and websites without using complex passwords.
The MacBook Pros should soon be available in the professional colours we’re used to – Silver and Space Grey. While the MacBook Pros were just announced, their official launch in India isn’t too far out. If you are interested in knowing more, keep checking reliancedigital.in for prices, details and pre-booking. You can also inquire at your nearest Reliance Digital store.
