13-inch MacBook Pro review: Apple M2 is a worthy continuation of M1

Apple’s new 13-inch MacBook Pro is a little hard to recommend given the options in Apple’s lineup, but that doesn’t change the bottom line: The new second-gen M2 chip doesn’t disappoint.

However, the real story is that this is the first Apple laptop to launch with second-generation ARM-based processors for the Mac. The M2 is an exciting sequel to the already impressive M1 and a promising herald of future Macs that deserve the Pro moniker.

Characteristics

There’s only one major difference between the 2022 13-inch MacBook Pro and the 2020 model it replaces: it features the second-generation Apple M2 system-on-a-chip instead of the M1. We’ll spend most of our time on this, but let’s get a few other key details out of the way.

Starting at $1,299, the laptop offers two base storage configurations: 256GB or 512GB for an additional $200. You can upgrade to 1TB or 2TB, which will increase the price significantly.

Regardless of which configuration you buy, the port selection is the same and rather limited, with just two Thunderbolt/USB-4 ports and a 3.5mm headphone jack. Because it lacks the new MagSafe charging port found on its 14-inch and 16-inch larger siblings (and the upcoming MacBook Air redesign), one of those will often be used to connect to the power bank.

This means that most of the time this laptop actually has one port. Thunderbolt has the bandwidth to work with an external dock or multi-device adapter. That said, it seems a bit odd that a laptop aimed at professionals offers less flexibility than a similarly priced and spec-packed MacBook Air coming in a few weeks.

Like its M1-based successor, the 2022 13-inch MacBook Pro can only drive one external display (up to 6K) in addition to the built-in display. This is a potentially crushing limitation for power users and several types of professional workflows, and it looks like it will also be common to the upcoming MacBook Air.

Other key specs include a 1080p front-facing camera, Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity, and a 13.6-inch 2560×1664 screen with a maximum brightness of 500 nits. (We tested it and roughly confirmed that range of brightness.) This screen compares well to the Air’s screen, but in almost every way it falls short of what you get with a 14-inch MacBook Pro.

One of the few notable advantages it has over other laptops in Apple’s lineup is a promised 17 hours of wireless web browsing battery life. That’s up from 15 hours for the new MacBook Air, 14 hours for the 16-inch MacBook Pro, and 11 hours for the 14-inch MacBook Pro.