Apple Supercharges the Macbook Pro and Mac Mini with M2 Pro and M2 Max Chips
Earlier today, Apple has officially unveiled the M2 Pro and M2 Max chips for their next gen products, starting with a new Macbook Pro and Mac Mini.
Apple Macbook Pro
The new MacBook Pro 14 and 16 inch models have similar designs to their predecessors, but offer improved performance, with the M2 Max model offering up to 96GB of unified memory. The M2 Pro version offers up to 20% better CPU and 30% better graphics performance, while the M2 Max version offers a similar boost over the 2021 MacBook Pro models with M1 Max CPUs.
Furthermore, the MacBook Pro models now have a longer battery life of up to 22 hours, supports WiFi 6E for faster connection speeds, and has an HDMI port that supports 8K up to 60Hz and 4K displays up to 240Hz. It also comes with three Thunderbolt 4 ports, an SDXC card slot, and MagSafe 3 charging.
The new MacBook Pro models use the same Liquid Retina XDR displays as the 2021 models and do not include the rumoured touchscreens, which are not expected until 2025. These new models are geared towards content creators and other power users and are available for preorder starting at USD $1,999 / SGD $2,899 / RM8,799 for the 14 inch MacBook Pro with M2 Pro and USD $2,499 / SGD $3,599 / RM10,799 for the 16 inch MacBook Pro with M2 Pro. Shipping is expected to begin on 24th January 2023.
Apple Mac Mini
The M2 and M2 Pro chips will also be available in the new Mac mini, providing buyers with a budget option. Apple promises faster graphics processing and AI speeds for content creation, gaming, music, and more. The M2 version has a maximum of 24GB of unified memory and 100GB/s of bandwidth, which can increase image editing speeds in Photoshop by up to 50%. It can also “simultaneously play up to two streams of 8K ProRes 422 video at 30FPS, or up to 12 streams of 4K ProRes 422 video at 30FPS,” according to Apple.
The M2 Pro version offers improved performance, supporting up to 32GB of unified memory and 200GB/s of memory bandwidth. Apple claims it provides 2.5x faster graphics performance in Affinity Photo, 4.2x faster ProRes transcode in Final Cut Pro and 2.8x faster gameplay in Resident Evil Village.
As before, the new Mac mini offers two Thunderbolt 4 ports that support up to two displays, including a single 8K display, which is a first for a Mac. It also has two USB-A ports, an HDMI port, a gigabit ethernet port with a 10GB option, and an upgraded headphone jack that supports high-impedance headphones. The Mac mini also offers Wi-Fi 6E connectivity and Bluetooth 5.3. It is available for preorder starting at USD $599 / SGD $849 / RM2,499 with the M2 chip or USD $1,299 / SGD $1,849 / RM5,599 with the M2 Pro, shipping starting on 24th January 2023.
Pokdepinion: Given the claim with the Mac Mini, now I’m tempted to see how well you can actually game on it. It’s such a small PC, would be convenient to bring for my travels.
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