It was time to upgrade my MacBook Pro – Intel. Seems like Apple heard my call and sent over the newest MacBook Pro (M2 Pro) for me to review what’s new and what’s improved. Before we get the article started, the main difference between the design is the lack of the touch bar seen on the Intel Macbook.
In this article, I’ll be covering the main improvements of switching from a 2019 Intel MacBook Pro to the newest MacBook Pro (M2 Pro). Follow along with this article as I uncover the reality of the newest MacBook Pro (M2 Pro).
2019 Intel MacBook Pro vs MacBook Pro (M2 Pro)
There were a couple of stark differences between the two laptops but to summarise, I experienced a significant experience improvement in performance, display, connectivity, and more. It was mainly due to the differences in the operating processor, graphics, battery life and display.
Aside from the differences in the processor, the MacBook Pro (M2 Pro) has an operating system of 12 Core CPU, 38 Core GPU, and 96GB unified memory while the Intel MacBook Pro runs on an 8 Core CPU, AMD Radeon Pro 5600M GPU, 64 GB Memory. The biggest difference between the two is the display, and battery life.
On top of the Intel MacBook Pro specs, the MacBook Pro (M2 Pro) has the Liquid Retina XDR display and features 5.9 million more pixels with a pixel density of 251 ppi. As for battery life, the MacBook Pro (M2 Pro) can be used for up to 18 hours on video playback while the Intel can only last 11 hours.
Performance
With the specifications out of the way, it was clear as day to me that the MacBook Pro (M2 Pro) was superior when I was going about my day-to-day creating content for both NXT’s magazine and website. As I recently came back from Japan, my main focus was editing my Japanese photos and crafting content with them. With the SDXC card slot and Airdrop, it was convenient to transfer photos and videos from my camera and phone for editing.
Plus, when it came to editing both videos and photos, I didn’t experience any hiccups in loading and exporting and it was fluid throughout the journey of editing. This is all thanks to the Pro Performance operating systems, display as well as ProMotion which enabled a refresh rate of 120 Hz.
For video editors, you can expect to playback up to 10 streams of 8K ProRes videos. In addition, the (M2 Pro) can transcode media 16x faster than its Intel counterpart.
With that being said, for those whose professions belong either in the creative space of animation or motion graphics or the specs-heavy space of software development, the Macbook Pro (M2 Pro) would be a perfect work companion.
Camera
For those that regularly go on virtual meetings with external attendees, there’s a heavier importance to looking presentable and clear. Not sure about you but for me, it’s better when my video calls are clear so that all first impressions go smoothly. Especially when I work from the garden, the background can get distracting. The Macbook Pro (M2 Pro) has a 1080p FaceTime HD camera with a 4-element lens and a neural engine that ensures your video is at its utmost clarity and fluidity.
Battery Life
When there were days I had to be on the go across different meetings and locations, I was thankful for the long battery life of up to 22 hours that reduces my need to constantly find a power source wherever I went and carry the bulky charger. However, it is crazy to think that my Intel MacBook Pro has lasted me 5 years so in terms of durability, MacBook Pro is the way to go.
MacOS Ventura
With the software foundation of Ventura, the power of these new chips can be fully realised. When playing my game, Nino Kuni Cross Worlds – which usually crashes my phone on a daily basis, when put on the highest graphics, frame rate and resolution, the gameplay was fluid and enjoyable.
Apple Ecosystem
As Apple products are meant to work with their counterparts smoothly, for those who regularly work across their Macs, iPhones and iPad, it is also a good note to know that there’s universal control as well as Universal Clipboard to make your life easier.
Depending on the specifications chosen, the MacBook Pro (M2 Pro) can retail from $2,899 onwards while its stronger counterpart (M2 Max) starts from $4,999. For more information head to Apple online shop.
