Summarized
The MacBook Pro 2023 is a sturdy, beautifully finished laptop, with a mini LED screen that provides a beautiful (HDR) image and is also well calibrated. The response times are unfortunately poor for a 120Hz screen. The 2023 update brings a 20 percent faster processor than the M1 and an approximately 25 percent faster GPU. Furthermore, Wi-Fi 6E and HDMI 2.1 are now available. It is a pity that this relatively modest update is accompanied by a price increase of two to three hundred euros. The upgrades have also not become cheaper.
When Apple presented its new 14″ and 16″ MacBook Pro in 2021, it was accompanied by a lot of fanfare. The laptops were presented at a major event. Things went a little differently with the 2023 models that will be delivered from January 24. No event, just a press release and a video on Apple’s own website hinting at the new models. Fairly or unfairly? To find out, we had Apple send us the (almost) most expensive MacBook Pro, with a 16-inch screen, M2 Max processor, 4TB of storage and a bizarre 96GB of RAM.
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Those specs just mentioned are the most significant change to the MacBook Pro. If you are curious about that, check the next page. There is not much new to tell about the outside of the laptop, because the housing is the same as that of the 2021 model. For the sake of completeness, we will go through that exterior and discuss a visible and an invisible change to it.
Housing
With the introduction of the 2021 model, the MacBook Pro received a new housing, which was broadly similar to that of the previous year’s model. It is made of metal and has become slightly thicker than the 2019 model. The Touch Bar, the touchscreen strip at the top of the keyboard, was replaced by physical keys, and the top right key became a slightly larger fingerprint scanner. On either side of the keyboard are the speakers, which provide an impressive sound for a laptop. There is a ‘full’ sound from the six speakers in total, with more bass than you would expect from a laptop. You can also put them pretty hard. It’s no better than a good set of external speakers, but for laptop-integrated audio, these are top notch.
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The housing is otherwise as you would expect for this price and given Apple’s reputation. The metal feels sturdy and the different parts of the housing fit together almost seamlessly. The hinge for the display rotates smoothly, but offers enough resistance so that the display does not wobble when opened. At the top of the screen is the webcam with 1080p resolution, which is also unchanged from the 2021 model.
New: HDMI 2.1 and colored MagSafe
There is an innovation in the connections and that is one that you should know, because it is not listed. The HDMI connection is on the right. With the 2021 model that was an HDMI 2.0 connection and with the 2023 MacBook it has been upgraded to 2.1. Although ‘HDMI 2.1’ has become a collective name, this connection offers the full bandwidth of 48Gbit/s. Good for a 4k screen at 240Hz or an 8k screen at 60Hz.
Of course there are also USB4 connections, three in total, to which you can also connect screens. The number of screens you want to connect is important when choosing between an M2 Pro and M2 Max processor. If you opt for an M2 Pro, you can connect two external screens with a maximum resolution of 6k. With the M2 Max, the maximum is four screens. You can then connect up to three 6k screens via USB4 and a 4k144 screen via HDMI.
Another innovation is… drum roll… the MagSafe connection. The magnetic charging port isn’t new, but the cable and connector are now the same color as the laptop, just like the MacBook Air. If your MacBook is Space Grey, your magnetic connector is now also dark grey. If you don’t have your MagSafe charger with you, you can also simply use the USB-C ports to charge the laptop. Finally, there is an SD card reader on the right side.
