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All in all, it looks just like any other recent MacBook.
Samuel Axon
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The luxuriously spacious trackpad returns with an updated no-longer-butterfly “magic keyboard”.
Samuel Axon
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Here is the bottom of the laptop.
Samuel Axon
One of the interesting side effects of Apple’s move to use its own silicon is that the Mac update cycle now looks a lot like the iPhone: mostly predictable regular updates that add modest performance gains from generation to generation, and maybe a few more improvements or new features.
That’s the case with the 2023 MacBook Pro. For most purposes, it is it is. The 2021 MacBook Pro. The only difference is the inclusion of the new M2 Pro and M2 Max chips on 2021’s M1 Pro and M2 Max for improved CPU, graphics and machine learning performance, and some connectivity improvements that directly address some of our more minor gripes. 2021 models.
That said, the 2021 MacBook Pro was far from a disappointment when it launched, and the market hasn’t changed enough in the past two years to make the largely identical 2023 models less attractive. These are still the best laptops you can buy for multiple uses – if you don’t want to spend a small fortune, that is.
Details and design
For the most part, both the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros are the same this year as last year.
In fact, their design is the same. The 16-inch model with the M2 Max still weighs 4.8 pounds (2.2 kg) and measures 0.66 by 14.01 by 9.77 inches (1.68 by 35.57 by 24.81 cm). The 14-inch model with the same chip weighs 3.6 pounds (1.63 kg) and measures 0.61 by 12.31 by 8.71 inches (1.55 by 31.26 by 22.12 cm). Compared to both of them before 2021, there is nothing different, at least from the outside.
In the year I still feel, as I do in 2021, that the 16-inch model is bulky and a bit unwieldy by today’s standards, while the 14-inch is perfect except for a little tighter real estate, but your mileage may vary. For more detailed thoughts on the design, take a look back at our 2021 MacBook Pro review.
My only issue with the laptop’s design is Apple’s decision to include an iPhone-style camera notch at the top of the screen, adding a bit more screen real estate overall. Nowadays, most of the apps that had some issues with this design have been updated, but there are still some bumps here and there.
Those are the exception to the rule, though, so I believe most people will get used to it quickly.
Ports and communication
Ports are mostly the same. Both sizes include three Thunderbolt 4 USB-C ports supporting up to 40GB/s, a MagSafe port, a 3.5mm headphone jack and an SDXC card slot. The HDMI port also returns from the 2021, but has received an upgrade, addressing one of our criticisms of previous models. You’re no longer limited to HDMI 2.0, which means you can now achieve 4K at a higher refresh rate of 60Hz over HDMI, or push 8K at 60Hz.
Apple claims the port can even manage 4K at an impressive 240 Hz. This is surprising because HDMI 2.1 does 48Gbps, but that’s typically not enough for 4K above 120Hz. It seems like there might be some display stream throttling going on here, but I can’t confirm yet because I have a 4K 240 Hz display on hand during testing.
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HDMI returns, and this time it’s HDMI 2.1.
Samuel Axon
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MagSafe connector.
There’s a reason we don’t have a 4K 240Hz monitor on hand: barely any. For the immediate future, 4K at 120Hz is all most people need, so any debate about 4K at 240Hz is largely academic now.
Either way, it’s nice to see the leap to HDMI 2.1. It was possible to achieve 4K at 120 Hz via Thunderbolt in the previous MacBook Pro, but it seems odd that such a high-end device is using an older HDMI standard. That has now been resolved, and laptops are a little more attractive to him.
When it comes to wireless connectivity, the MacBook Pro now supports Wi-Fi 6E, a bump from the previous unit’s Wi-Fi 6 and another welcome answer to one of our earlier minor conundrums. Bluetooth 5.3 is also on tap.
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