The new MacBook Pro models come out tomorrow, and we're anxious to know what reviewers think about them. Of course, we're itching to get our hands on one ourselves, but until then we'll salivate over those product shots and video reviews.
Initial impressions of the machines seem good, with reviews loving the more powerful chips. People don't seem bothered by the lack of a cosmetic redesign, which is always good, especially considering how good the machine already looked.
We've rounded up all the top reviewers to see what think of the new MacBook Pro M2 Pro and M2 Max.
M2 MacBook Pro Video reviews
iJustine
iJustine got her hands on one of the M2 Max MacBook Pros, and comments on the design, key differences, and the new chips. She unboxes the machine, so if you're curious about what comes in the box and what some of the setup looks like she'll show you.
Cnet
The Cnet review is detailed as ever, and it's bundled the MacBook and the new Mac Mini into the same video. You'll find out more about the new chips as well as the performance thereof, ultimately discovering whether you should invest in an upgrade.
Brian Tong
Brian wanted to know if it would be worth upgrading from the last model M1 Max MacBook Pro to this one, so he tries out a fully loaded M2 Max MacBook Pro. As a creative, he goes through the power of the chips and how they relate to real world use for video and photo editors.
MKBHD
As always if you want to see the most attractively filmed video reviews, you go to Marques Brownlee. He goes over the performance gains, and tells you all about all the changes in the latest model, and whether it's enough of an update to upgrade your old machine.
Tyler Stalman
Tyler Stalman wants to find the limits of the M2 Max MacBook Pro. He looks at the machine through a creative video editing lens, although also tests the machine out with some AI rendering. He really puts the new MacBook through its paces, giving you a good idea as to whether this is the new machine for you.
Tom's Guide
Our friend Mark Spoonauer at Tom's guide had a good play with the new MacBook and gave the machine four and a half stars out of five. He loved the incredible power on display, as well as the screens and the battery life. He didn't like the notch, however, and comments that the laptops are still very expensive.
"The MacBook Pro 14-inch 2023 once again sets a new standard for laptop performance, thanks to its M2 Pro chip. It blows away the Windows competition, at least until we're able to test systems with 13th gen Intel Core CPUs. The M2 Max is even faster, especially when it comes to intensive tasks like photo editing in Photoshop and video editing in Premiere Pro."
TechRadar
TechRadar reviewer Matt Hanson gave the MacBook Pro 16-inch four and a half stars out of five, only dropping the last star due to the cost of the machine and the bulk of the chassis. It also received the best-in-class award - high praise indeed. Hanson had this to say about the MacBook:
"The MacBook Pro 16-inch (2023) is another triumph from Apple. The company is clearly comfortable with making its own chips, and while the 2023 model isn’t the gaming-changing revelation that the 2021 model was, it remains an incredibly powerful workstation laptop with an industry-leading screen and battery life."
The Verge
The Verge gave the M2 MacBook Pro a nine out of ten, commenting on the incredible power of the machine, the only downsides being the lack of upgradability, expense, and limited need to upgrade from the previous model. In reviewer Monica Chin's words:
"the MacBook Pro 16 is far ahead of most Windows laptops in areas like screen quality, audio, touchpad size, and build. And there are just so many compromises that today’s Windows workstations ask when it comes to battery life, efficiency, noise, and heat — and if you can get your hands on one of these 16-inch MacBooks, you just don’t have to worry about any of them anymore."
Six Colors
Jason Snell of Six Colors starts his review in an unconventional manner, telling you what the machine isn't, rather than what it is. The review details the performance gains of the new chips, giving detailed benchmarks to show visually how the new MacBooks perform. While there is no numbered score here, Snell is overall extremely positive about the new machine, and gives reasons why you may want to upgrade from an older machine. He finishes his review like so:
"The fact remains, though: If you want the very best laptop Apple has to offer, the MacBook Pro will not disappoint you. The M1 models were great in late 2021, and these new M2 models are even better—albeit incrementally so."
GQ
Wielding descriptive language like a well-hewn hatchet, GQ review Robert Leedham writes about his experience with the new MacBook Pro. He details the excellent new battery life, the incredible (albeit not new) screens, and the raw power of the new M2 chips. He details his final thoughts on the MacBook Pro M2:
"Having put in the hard yards to revolutionise its computing roster in the last few years, these latest MacBook Pros represent something of a victory lap for Apple. They’re nowhere near as transformative as their predecessors, but they didn’t really need to be. With the addition of the latest M2 Pro and M2 Max chips, these machines remain one step ahead of the competition without resting on their laurels."
The reviews are in
So the reviews all look super positive for the new MacBook Pro models. Reviewers seem to really like the upgrade that comes from the new chips, as well as the boosted battery life. The screen continues to be a strong point, as well as the new HDMI port and WiFi card.
The notch does bother some reviewers, even after years of its presence, and the price of the new MacBooks looks to be the main bugbear that testers share about the new MacBooks. Either way, reviews are uniformly positive, so you're going to get a stunning machine by the looks of things. As soon as we've got to have a play with one, we'll let you know what we think.
All new M2 MacBook Pro
Apple's new M2 Pro and Max MacBook Pro is available in both 14-inch and 16-inch sizes. It sports the same form factor as the M1 MacBook Pro, with all the same ports and the same Liquid Retina XDR 120Hz ProMotion display for vibrant visuals and a high refresh rate.
Big gains come under the hood, however, with the new M2 Pro clocking faster speeds than the M1 Max in benchmarking. The M2 Max is also fast but excels in terms of graphics performance rather than pure CPU performance.
The new MacBook is available to pre-order now before it is released tomorrow.
