Apple MacBook Pro M2 Pro (2023) Review

About the Apple MacBook Pro 14 M2 Pro

Here are the specs of the laptop we tested:

• Processor: Apple M2 Pro 10-Core
• Graphics: Apple M2 Pro 16-Core
• RAM: 16GB
• Storage: 512GB NVMe SSD
• Display: 14-inch Liquid Retina XDR (3024 x 1964) with Mini-LED backlight
• Wireless connectivity: Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3
• Wired connectivity: 3x Thunderbolt 4 / USB-C, 1x HDMI 2.1, 1x SDXC card, 3.5mm audio
• Weight: 3.5 pounds
• Size: 12.31 x 8.71 x 0.61 inches
• Warranty: 1-year manufacturer warranty, extension (Apple Care) available for a fee

The Apple MacBook Pro 14 M2 Pro I reviewed was the base model, which retails at $2,000. Apple offers various CPU, GPU, RAM, and storage upgrades, which top out at an M2 Max chip with 12-core CPU and 38-core GPU, 96GB of RAM, and 8TB of solid state storage for $6,300. The M2 Max chip also comes with two video encode engines and two ProRes encode and decode engines instead of the single one of each in the M2 Pro chip.

You can find the full configuration list on Apple’s website.

What we like

Out-of-this-world battery life

This MacBook achieved a whopping 24 hours and 12 minutes of battery life. This level of endurance is simply astounding and makes the MacBook Pro 14 an excellent choice for those who travel often for work or fun. The battery lasts so long that the laptop only needs to be charged once every few days when used for less demanding work.

To put things into perspective, the MacBook Pro 16 with an M1 Max chip achieved an impressive 22.5 hours of battery life. That’s still an excellent result but obviously falls short of the latest MacBook Pro 14’s performance. It's clear Apple’s M2 chips make strides in optimizing battery life beyond the already high standards set by Apple’s M1, M1 Pro, and M1 Max.

Compared to Windows laptops, the MacBook Pro 14 M2 Pro wins yet again. For instance, the Lenovo ThinkPad X13s achieved a respectable 18 hours of battery life, which is impressive for an ARM-based Windows machine but is still six hours short of the MacBook. The Dell XPS 13 Plus, which offers hardware more comparable to the MacBook Pro 14, lasts only seven hours on battery power. That’s a huge difference and limits Dell's potential for on-the-go performance.

While the MacBook Pro 14 achieved 24 hours in our usual battery test, this doesn’t mean it will always last that long; Apple Silicon is very good at limiting power draw in more mundane situations. (Napkin math suggests the Pro 14 uses an average of three watts of power during our benchmark run.) It can and will use more power (up to 40 watts, as measured by a wattmeter) in more demanding apps like Blender, Final Cut Pro, Photoshop, and modern 3D games.

The same is true of Windows laptops with Intel and AMD processors, however. The MacBook Pro 14 will outlast its competitors, regardless of what programs you commonly use.

Blazing-fast performance

Don’t let the base configuration of the MacBook Pro 14 M2 Pro fool you—the 10-core CPU, 16-core integrated GPU, and 16GB of RAM crank out excellent performance.

This MacBook achieved a single-core score of 1956 and a multicore score of 12129 in Geekbench 5, one of the programs we use to measure raw processing and compute performance. The MacBook Pro 13 M2 is a close competitor to this laptop, hitting a single-core score of 1985 and multicore score of 8983 that's also very impressive, but the two extra CPU cores in the M2 Pro compared to the M2 chip gives the MacBook Pro 14 a notable bump in multicore performance.

The older MacBook Pro 16 M1 Max, which we tested last year, achieved a GeekBench 5 single-core score of 1777 and a multi-core score of 12791. This indicates an improvement in per-core performance, but also shows the M1 Max retaining an edge in multi-core. That’s an interesting result, as both the M2 Pro and M1 Max have ten CPU cores. It’s likely that thermal considerations give the MacBook Pro 16 M1 Max an edge over the smaller MacBook Pro 14 M2 Pro.

Compared to most laptops with 12th-gen Intel U or P chips, this MacBook speeds past them. For instance, the Dell XPS 13 Plus falls into a lower performance tier, scoring 1508 in single-core and 8212 in multicore, but Intel’s H chips are a different story. While most Windows laptops of comparable size can’t beat the MacBook Pro 14, something like the Asus ROG Flow Z13, a gaming-centric Windows tablet with Intel’s Core i9-12900H, can achieve comparable single-core and multicore scores (1924 and 13379, respectively, in this case).

Cinebench R23 tells a similar story to Geekbench 5. The MacBook Pro 14 M2 Pro scored 1641 in single-core and 11721 in multicore tests. This beats the MacBook Pro 13 M2, which scored 8696 in multi-core, and the Dell XPS 13 Plus, which scored 1301 in single-core and 10685 in multicore. The MacBook Pro 16 M1 Max achieved a single-core score of 1543 and a multi-core score of 12390, once again putting it ahead of the MacBook Pro 14 M2 Pro in single-core, but behind in multi-core.

Windows laptops can pull off a win in this test, but generally require a higher tier of hardware that targets gaming and professional workloads. The Asus ROG Flow Z13, for example, beats the MacBook Pro 14 with M2 Pro, pulling off a score of 13,611 in multi-core.

Our Blender benchmark, which runs the CPU version of the “Car Demo,” was favorable to the MacBook Pro 14 M2 Pro. It completed the render in two minutes in 59 seconds, easily defeating the Dell XPS 13 and MacBook Pro 13 M2. The Pro 14 even defeats the older MacBook Pro 16 M1 Max, which required three minutes and 41 seconds to complete this test.

Overall, the base MacBook Pro 14’s 10-core CPU doesn’t set records, but it’s quick for the laptop’s size and pricing, and more than capable of handling most tasks even though it’s the base chip configuration. Apple offers an upgrade with two additional CPUs which, presumably, will provide a roughly 20% improvement in multicore processor tests.

The 16-core GPU also performs well, though keep your expectations in check if you plan on gaming on this laptop at all; Shadow of the Tomb Raider achieved an average of 51 frames per second at 1080p resolution and the Highest graphical preset. That’s ok performance for a slim laptop (or surprisingly good for an integrated GPU, depending on your view), but way behind much cheaper and more powerful entry-level Windows gaming laptops like the Acer Nitro 5 and HP Victus 15. Gamers can expect the MacBook Pro 14 to deliver acceptable frame rates in PlayStation 4/Xbox One-era games with native Mac versions, but the laptop may struggle with newer titles.

But for a productivity chip, the MacBook Pro 14 packs a lot of performance while also remaining a breath of gentle, cool air compared to its power-hungry Windows competitors; I measured a maximum external temperature of 37.7 degrees Celsius (about 100 degrees Fahrenheit) and observed a maximum CPU temperature of 57 C (about 135 F). Both figures are lower than most Windows competitors, and the cooler your CPU stays, the longer it will last.

The MacBook 14 is also quiet. The fan purrs softly during heavy workloads only and is nearly silent at idle. That’s an important point if you plan to run intense multi-core applications, such as Final Cut Pro or (most) modern games, for hours at a time. Windows alternatives like the Dell XPS 13 Plus are much louder and can be annoying when their fans rev up.

The display remains top-notch, especially in HDR

Apple’s new MacBook Pro 14 retains the Liquid Retina XDR display from the prior model. It measures 14 inches diagonally, offers 3024 x 1964 resolution, and uses a Mini-LED backlight system with 2,554 dimming zones.

The Mini-LED backlight is a unique selling point, at least for now; some Windows laptops with Mini-LED displays were announced at CES 2023, but none are currently available. The backlight provides a claimed maximum HDR brightness of up to 1,600 nits, though only for brief periods of time, with a claimed sustained brightness of 1,000 nits.

That’s unparalleled, though it’s worth remembering this applies to HDR only. I measured a sustained SDR brightness of 406 nits, which is significantly lower but still bright enough for comfortable day-to-day use. Keeping SDR brightness in check is likely a decision made to preserve battery life, as higher display brightness leads to higher power draw.

The display looks excellent in both HDR and SDR content. It achieves black-level performance that often seems similar to OLED (though, objectively, it falls short) and hits a brighter, purer white in bright content, especially in HDR. This is most obvious when watching HDR movies.

Color performance is strong, too, with the color gamut covering 100% of the sRGB and DCI-P3 color space, and 89% of AdobeRGB, all with excellent color accuracy. Laptops with OLED displays can meet and sometimes exceed the Liquid Retina XDR display’s color performance, but those with a standard LCD display fall behind. The MacBook Pro 14 is a good choice for both amateur and professional content creators.

Apple pairs the great display with strong audio. Wherever you place the laptop, the upward-firing speakers won’t be muffled by the surface, providing strong volume and clarity in any situation. They’re well-tuned to handle music and movies, too, keeping the mid-range crisp. Bass lacks oomph, though, and the maximum volume is a bit mundane, so don’t expect an audiophile experience. Even still, the MacBook Pro 14 is one of—if not the best—laptop for watching movies and TV shows.

The design remains a classic

The latest MacBook Pro 14 retains the same design as the prior model. Our review laptop was ordered in the reserved Space Gray color, but it’s also available in classic Mac silver. Build quality is top-notch, as usual, with zero flex in the laptop’s bottom half and almost none in the display lid.

Personally, I find Apple’s design a bit stale compared to Windows alternatives like the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5, which has a fabric-clad interior, or the Dell XPS 13 and XPS 13 Plus, which have a brighter, friendlier look.

Still, Apple’s “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” approach clearly works. The laptop looks excellent out of the box and, if treated well, should continue to look as nice for years to come.

The Pro 14's design includes a robust port selection that combines future-proof and legacy port options. It offers three Thunderbolt 4 / USB-C ports, all of which can charge the laptop (a MagSafe connector is included with the power brick, too). There’s also one HDMI port for video input from older devices, a 3.5mm audio jack, and an SDXC port, which is great for photographers, developers, and anyone else who uses SD card storage.

Just one thing is missing from the list of ports: USB-A. That means you’ll need an adapter or dock to connect older USB devices. It’s a bummer, though not unexpected, as Apple ditched USB-A ports on its laptops several years ago.

What we don’t like

The keyboard is falling behind

I praised the MacBook Pro 16’s keyboard when I tried it, and Reviewed’s Senior Electronics Editor, Joanna Nelius, also enjoyed the prior MacBook Pro 14. Yet as I type this review a year later, in 2023, I can’t help but feel the MacBook Pro is falling behind in this area.

My change of heart is rooted in Apple’s new MacBook Air M2. Unlike the MacBook Pro 14 M2 Pro, the MacBook Air M2 received a complete rework from the ground up. This includes a new keyboard with better key travel and an improved sense of tactile feel. It definitely outperforms the Pro 14—which seems odd, as the MacBook Pro is sold as a more serious laptop meant for professional work.

I’ve noticed improved keyboard designs in Windows laptops, as well, such as the Dell XPS 13 and Lenovo ThinkPad X13s. Both laptops are significantly less expensive than the MacBook Pro 14 (the base Dell XPS 13 is just $800) and offer a better typing experience. That’s not to say the Pro 14’s keyboard is bad, and it wouldn’t put me off buying the laptop, but I do think it needs some love.

The touchpad remains excellent but, once again, Apple’s advantage is eroded by modern Windows alternatives. Competing model lines such as the Razer’s Blade and Dell’s XPS now offer large touchpads, so the Pro 14’s touchpad no longer feels uniquely massive. It’s undeniably responsive, though, and retains an edge with multi-touch gestures due to its tight integration with macOS.

High price for simple computing

Apple’s base MacBook Pro 14 with M2 Pro (the model reviewed here) retails for $2,000. That’s not a tame price for a high-end laptop marketed to professionals, prosumers, and Mac enthusiasts, but it’s not affordable, and some may find the price hard to swallow.

The heart of the problem? Apple’s insistence on linking larger display sizes with higher performance. The MacBook Pro 14 can be excellent value only if you’ll use all its strengths. However, if you just want the larger, higher-resolution display, but don’t need the performance, the MacBook Pro 14 starts to feel overpriced.

Windows competitors solve this by offering a budget tier, even for larger laptops. You can buy a Dell XPS 15 for as little as $1,350, or the Asus Vivobook Pro 15 OLED for around $1,100. Both ditch higher-end performance options but deliver the same build quality and display size as their more expensive configurations. Apple doesn’t offer the choice; shoppers are forced to go high-end or buy a smaller laptop.

Unfortunately, I don’t expect Apple will resolve this tension any time soon, as the company has stuck to this approach for its entire history in the laptop market. If you want a bigger, better display, you’ll have to pay at least $2,000 (or $2,500 for the 16-inch model). End of story.

Should you buy the Apple MacBook Pro 14 M2 Pro?

Yes, it’s a great do-it-all laptop

The Apple MacBook Pro 14 is an excellent laptop that can fit a wide variety of needs. “A jack of all trades is a master of none,” or so the cliche goes—but the Pro 14 is a master of all trades across battery life, performance, display quality, and day-to-day use without major drawbacks.

Price is the only obstacle. The base model we tested starts at $2,000, but increasing the amount of RAM, storage space, and processing power easily puts the price around $3,000. That’s a lot and, depending on your needs, the MacBook Pro 14 might feel too expensive.

But if you’re willing to pay up or tend to hang on to a laptop for as long as it’s still working, it’s hard to go wrong with the MacBook Pro 14 as it outclasses much of its Windows competition.

Buy now at Apple

$1,949.99 from Amazon