2022 MacBook Pro 13 Review – M2 unleashes new power that doesn’t come close to the M1 Pro

Apple’s first laptop with their new more powerful M2 Processor is ready to hit the stores but reviewing it isn’t as easy as one might think.  Hear me out.  

I used the previous generation M1 MacBook Pro 13 for a long while after it came out, and bloody hell it’s a great laptop.

So to look at the new 2022 MacBook Pro 13 with M2 Apple Silicon we need to ignore the previous generation, because upgrading from year to year would be madness and would likely account for a decimal percentage of sales. 

Instead, this device takes aim at those who are using pretty much any Intel based Apple MacBook with new levels of performance and importantly advanced levels of power efficiency, basically, better battery life even when you’re pushing the device hard.

Don’t expect photos here, I’m in Las Vegas working and haven’t had a huge amount of time for that kinda vanity, and frankly, if you read the review of the previous model, you see all you need – it’s the same thing, same dimensions, weight, the lot.

To appreciate where this device sits in the Apple Lineup, you can best describe this as the “entry level Pro laptop” for Apple.  It’s $500 more than the M1 MacBook Air which remains on sale, and just $100 more than the New MacBook Air which shares the same processing power, but without the availability of thermal cooling that comes in the Pro Models.

Above this, comes the 14 and 16 inch MacBook Pro devices which have the upper level Pro and Max chips in them.  What I did do was look at this new 13 as compared to the M1 Pro and I can tell you the M1 Pro knocks it out of the park.

So your base level M2 doesn’t achieve the “Pro” level performance of the “Pro” level chips, but it does allow you to harness a stack more performance while being efficient with power consumption over and above the previous generation.

But again, this isn’t about last model versus this model, it’s about what Apple is creating with this Apple Silicon lineup of devices.

Processing power that would normally be found in devices with such high performing chips from Intel or AMD that they would be thick large computers with noisy cooling to suit the powerful chip output.  That Apple is able to even come close with the profile of these devices is mind-blowing still.

I see no reason why the gaming community won’t embrace Mac computers in large numbers to grow their gaming base given how impressive the GPU performance is on the M2.

Of all the specs here, there’s just one that really bugs me and I think lets this down as a MacBook Pro.  In 2022 this brand new device still has a 720p webcam.  Apple know how to make them better, the 14 and 16 inch MacBook Pros have a 1080p camera.  Come on, that’s just lazy – or a supply shortage.

In a lede burying revelation, it should also be pointed out that the 13 inch MacBook Pro still has the TouchBar! I think we all thought that died with the 14 and 16 inch launches, in fact I think we thought the 13 inch was dead.  So here lay the Pheonix that rose from the ashes.

The real problem with the MacBook Pro 13 inch is that it’s just $100 more than the New MacBook Air – which is a fresh new look, and is slightly lighter, but has the same processor albeit throttled by it’s lack of cooling – something I think 99% of people wouldn’t even edge close to needing.

Bottom line, this is a powerhouse, a beast, and at $1,000 less than the 14 inch MacBook Pro, it’s a great option for those who tinker at the higher end spectrum of video editing and development for sure.