M2 Pro and M2 Max-Powered MacBooks and Mac minis Are Almost Here

Preorders are already open

By
Rob Rich
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Rob Rich
News Reporter
  • College for Creative Studies
Rob is a freelance tech reporter with experience writing for a variety of outlets, including IGN, Unwinnable, 148Apps, Gamezebo, Pocket Gamer, Fanbolt, Zam, and more.
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Published on January 17, 2023 11:44AM EST
Fact checked by
Jerri Ledford
Jerri Ledford
Fact checked by Jerri Ledford
  • Western Kentucky University
  • Gulf Coast Community College
Jerri L. Ledford has been writing, editing, and fact-checking tech stories since 1994. Her work has appeared in Computerworld, PC Magazine, Information Today, and many others.
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M2 Pro and M2 Max versions of the Mac mini and MacBook Pro are coming, and you won't have to wait very long for them.

Apple has a few new MacBook Pro and Mac mini models on the way to go along with the two upgraded iterations of its M2 chip that were also just revealed. And they're due out a little sooner than you might expect.

MacBook Pro with M2 Pro and M2 Max

Apple

These new MacBook Pro models boast up to six times the performance for processor-intensive tasks compared to their Intel-based MacBook counterparts. Additionally, Apple expects these new MacBooks to offer up to 22 hours of battery life thanks to the improved power efficiency of the M2 Pro and M2 Max.

Beyond the new Silicon chips, they also support Wi-Fi 6E, can handle connecting to 4K displays (up to 8K) via HDMI, and continue the use of Liquid Retina XDR screens. They're available in both 14-inch and 16-inch models and have a total of three Thunderbolt 4 ports, one SDXC card slot, the previously-noted HDMI port, a headphone jack, and MagSafe 3 charging is also built-in.

The Mac mini, on the other hand, will offer what Apple refers to as "pro-level performance" when paired with the M2 Pro chip (M2 Max doesn't seem to be an option for some reason). Regular M2 models will support up to two displays, while those with the M2 Pro will be able to manage up to three at once. This is on top of the improved performance and power efficiency Apple also says is provided by M2 and M2 Pro.

M2 Pro-powered Mac mini

Apple

M2 models offer two Thunderbolt 4 ports, while M2 Pro versions include four. Both provide two USB-A ports, one HDMI port, one Gigabit Ethernet port, and a headphone jack. And both versions also have Wi-fi 6E covered.

All upcoming M2 Pro and M2 Max-powered hardware mentioned above is available for preorder today, with an expected ship date of January 24. However, the Mac mini only has the option for the M2 Pro and starts at $1299 for the 10-core CPU and 16-core GPU iteration—or starting at $599 with standard, non-Pro M2. As for laptops, 14-inch MacBook Pros with M2 Pro start at $1999 ($3099 for M2 Max), while 16-inch models with M2 Pro start at $2499 ($3499 for M2 Max).

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