What you need to know
- M2 MacBook Pro pre-orders kicked off last week.
- After some website quirks, all but one type of model is readily available.
- Only the 24GB version of the new MacBook will see you waiting to receive your order.
After one weekend of pre-orders, the M2 MacBook Pro remains in plentiful supply on Apple's website, possibly indicating a lack of demand for a device overshadowed by the looming new MacBook Air.
Pre-orders for the new M2 MacBook Pro kicked off early on Friday, but an early glitch on Apple's website saw that only the two base-spec configurations with 8GB of RAM were available to order. While delivery times did start to slip later that day, four days after launch stock for the device has stabilized and only one type of M2 MacBook Pro (2022) is hard to get hold of.
Our research conducted on Apple's website shows that all but the 24GB unified memory option for the new MacBook Pro are readily available. The base spec 8GB version with 256GB of storage is still available to order with a launch day shipping date of June 23. Another other 8GB version with expanded storage of 512GB, 1TB, or 2TB of SSD storage will ship in just 4-6 business days, possibly again on the release date of June 23. Likewise, the 16GB version of all of these storage configurations has the same paltry 4-6 wait time.
As noted, only the 24GB version is proving harder to get hold of, with shipping of the best MacBook Pro configuration available sat at a steady 5-6 weeks. The new 24GB unified memory option is a new feature of Apple's all-new M2 processor and a distinguishing feature over the old 13-inch MacBook Pro with M1. The M2 offers users an improvement of some 20% in performance over the old one, more if you examine graphics performance.
Unpopular demand?
It seems then that demand for the new MacBook Pro, on the whole, seems to be muted, possibly because the device is overshadowed somewhat by the new M2 MacBook Air which is set to debut next month. The Air has the same processor (albeit with 8 GPU cores instead of 10 as standard), unified memory, storage, improved display, and a better FaceTime HD camera.
The only reason it seems that one might choose the Pro over the Air is the improved battery life, active cooling of the M2 chip, and the aforementioned boost to the GPU on the lower-spec models. You can get a 10-core GPU in your MacBook Air, but it's a pricier optional extra. Another major difference is the Touch Bar, which doesn't get much love from Apple these days but could be a deal-breaker (or maker) for some. The Pro also ships as standard with a more powerful USB-C charger, however, that same charger when added to the Air supplies fast charging which is good for 50% battery in just 30 minutes.
The good news out of all this is that the new MacBook Pro is probably the perfect device for someone out there, possibly for those who need a bit more juice but can't justify buying the MacBook Pro (2021). If you find yourself in that category, then the new M2 MacBook Pro is readily available for pre-order as we speak.
The newest and best
The 13-inch MacBook Pro now features the M2 chip but remains otherwise unchanged from the previous M1 model.
