MacBook Professional M2 13-inch vs MacBook Professional 14-inch: Which Apple laptop computer is for you?

The newest 13-inch and 14-inch MacBook Professionals aren’t simply the identical laptop computer in two completely different sizes — they’re two solely completely different machines. Whereas the brand new 13-inch MacBook Professional has Apple’s newest and best M2 processor for churning by way of demanding duties, it additionally has a years-old design that’s beginning to present its age. In the meantime, the 14-inch MacBook Professional is a little bit of a reinvention for the Mac pocket book, delivering some massive upgrades (like a greater show, webcam and speaker set) whereas bringing again some issues we missed (like bodily perform keys and precise ports).

That being stated, the 13-inch MacBook Professional M2 nonetheless has some main advantages — notably its a lot decrease beginning worth of $1,299 in comparison with $1,999 for the 14-inch. Questioning which one to spend your money on? We’ve examined each of those high-end laptops extensively, and are right here to make that call simpler for you.

Processor	Apple M2	Apple M1 Professional/M1 Max
Reminiscence	8GB / 16GB / 24GB	16GB / 32GB / 64GB (M1 Max solely)
Storage	256GB / 512GB / 1TB / 2TB SSD	512GB / 1TB / 2TB / 4TB / 8TB SSD
Show	13.3-inch, 2560 x 1600 Retina show	14.2-inch, 3024 x 1964 Liquid Retina XDR show
Digital camera	720p FaceTime HD digital camera	1080p FaceTime HD digital camera
Audio system	Stereo audio system with Spatial Audio help	Six-speaker sound system with Spatial Audio help
Keyboard	Magic Keyboard with Contact Bar	Magic Keyboard with bodily perform keys
Ports	Thunderbolt 4 USB-C (2), headphone jack	Thunderbolt 4 USB-C (3), SDXC card slot, HDMI port, headphone jack, MagSafe charging port
Battery life (rated)	As much as 20 hours	As much as 17 hours
Dimension and weight	11.97 x 8.36 x 0.61 inches, 3 kilos	12.31 x 8.71 x 0.61 inches, 3.5 kilos
Worth	$1,299	$1,999

You need the most cost effective MacBook Professional — and one which’s nonetheless loopy quick

Some of the interesting issues in regards to the MacBook Professional M2 is its worth. At $1,299, it’s probably the most inexpensive MacBook Professional in Apple’s present lineup, and considerably extra inexpensive than the $1,999 14-inch mannequin. You’re not skimping out on a lot at that worth both, because the 13-inch mannequin is the one MacBook Professional that packs Apple’s blazing new M2 processor.

The M2-powered MacBook Professional delivered a number of the quickest speeds we’ve ever seen from a laptop computer, even outpacing its bigger on some particular assessments. Whereas the 14-inch MacBook Professional is able to stronger general efficiency due to its extra superior processor choices (extra on that later), the M2 MacBook Professional is simply in regards to the quickest laptop computer you will get for the worth, and could have no downside dealing with your intensive Photoshop, video modifying and music manufacturing wants.

Apple’s Contact Bar is polarizing to say the least, however in the event you care about having one, the 13-inch MacBook Professional is the one Mac that also options it. A mini touchscreen that rests above the keyboard and reacts to no matter app you’ve got open, the Contact Bar helps you to finely comb by way of video clips, rapidly mute your self throughout video calls, and benefit from emojis and predictive textual content when chatting in iMessage, simply to call just a few makes use of. I’ll personally take bodily perform keys over the Contact Bar any day, however Apple’s touch-sensitive strip does have its makes use of in the event you’re keen to dig into it.

When it comes to which of those two MacBook Professionals lasts longer, your mileage will probably differ based mostly on which processor you outfit your 14-inch MacBook Professional with. However based mostly on our anecdotal testing — and Apple’s personal claims — you’ll get longer endurance from the 13-inch MacBook Professional M2 mannequin in lots of instances.

The newest 13-inch mannequin has commonly gotten us by way of full workdays with loads of battery to spare, whereas our 14-inch mannequin (which packs an M1 Professional chip) generally faucets out in lower than 8 hours. Each laptops have been closely taxed by our battery check (which consists of steady 4K video playback), although the 14-inch mannequin lasted a few half hour longer than the 13-inch mannequin. Nonetheless, in on a regular basis real-world use, the 13-inch MacBook Professional has confirmed to be the winner in our expertise.

Whereas each of those laptops are ridiculously quick, the 14-inch MacBook Professional is the higher choice in the event you actually want best-of-the-best efficiency for heavy workloads. Whereas the 13-inch MacBook Professional’s M2 chip is notably higher than the bottom M1 processor you’ll discover within the 2020 MacBook Professional and MacBook Air, the 14-inch mannequin’s alternative of M1 Professional and M1 Max processors are largely in a category of their very own.

We may bathroom you down with all of the cores, transistors and different jargon that set these chips aside, however you actually need to look no additional than our primary efficiency benchmarks between a 13-inch MacBook Professional with M2 and a 14-inch mannequin with an M1 Professional processor. Whereas the M2 MacBook Professional simply barely edged out the 14-inch Professional on our Geekbench 5 single-core check — which provides an excellent indication of how a pc handles primary duties — the 14-inch MacBook Professional pulled forward in all places else by a large margin.

Apple’s 14-inch laptop computer posted considerably increased Geekbench 5 multi-core scores, that means the system is extra succesful on the subject of multitasking and operating demanding apps. The bigger MacBook Professional was additionally considerably higher when it got here to gaming, operating the graphically intensive motion of Shadow of the Tomb Raider at max settings at a clean 47 frames per second — an enormous leap over the simply barely playable 29 fps we bought from the 13-inch mannequin.

Needless to say these sturdy scores got here from a 14-inch MacBook Professional with an M1 Professional processor — you will get even higher efficiency in the event you splurge for a mannequin with Apple’s M1 Max chip, which begins at $2,899. The 14-inch mannequin additionally permits for increased most storage and reminiscence at as much as 8TB and 64GB respectively, that means extra free house for these massive video recordsdata and extra respiratory room for easily leaping between a number of apps without delay. The M2 MacBook Air continues to be an absolute monster for the worth, however the 14-inch is the best way to go if the majority of your day consists of additional intensive artistic or visible work.

You need the very best show, webcam and audio system on a MacBook

Past its superior efficiency, the 14-inch MacBook Professional offers a considerably higher multimedia expertise than its smaller sibling. Its display screen is greater — clearly — however what’s extra vital is that it has slimmer bezels, a a lot increased decision and extra superior Liquid Retina XDR know-how that each one combines for a extra immersive viewing expertise.

Once we performed the identical 8K nature video side-by-side on the 13-inch and 14-inch MacBook Professionals, there wasn’t a large night-and-day distinction — although some great benefits of the bigger mannequin have been fairly apparent immediately. Apart from merely with the ability to see issues extra simply due to the larger show space, the video’s detailed wildlife pictures merely regarded sharper on the 14-inch thanks in no small half to its crisper 3024 x 1964 display screen decision. However the 14-inch mannequin stood out much more throughout primary day-to-day use — I may merely see extra without delay — and makes the 13-inch look particularly dated each time I get again to it.

The distinction in audio high quality between the 2 laptops is even starker, because the 14-inch MacBook Professional’s six-speaker setup blows the 13-inch mannequin’s stereo audio system out of the water. The sunny various rock of Tigers Jaw’s “Cat’s Cradle” sounded booming and crisp on the 14-inch mannequin, to the purpose the place the identical music sounded delicate and tinny on the 13-inch mannequin by comparability. Contemplating the 13-inch MacBook Professional nonetheless trumps most different laptop computer audio system, that’s actually saying one thing.

The 14-inch MacBook Professional additionally has a bonus within the webcam division, sporting a 1080p FaceTime digital camera in comparison with the 720p shooter on the smaller mannequin. Whereas each of those webcams shall be completely appropriate on your day by day video conferences, I did discover that my face regarded barely sharper and extra true-to-life on the 14-inch when evaluating selfies I snapped on each laptops.

Right here’s what actually excites me in regards to the 14-inch MacBook Professional in comparison with its smaller siblings: it has precise ports! Whereas the 13-inch MacBook Professional is restricted to 2 Thunderbolt 4 USB-C ports for each charging and equipment, the 14-inch mannequin will get you a complete of three Thunderbolt 4 ports, an SDXC card slot for simply accessing pictures out of your digital camera and an HDMI port for connecting to exterior shows.

Simply as considerably, the 14-inch mannequin additionally has a MagSafe charging port and respective cable — you understand, the identical type of magnetic, easily-detachable-if-someone-trips-on-them charger you would possibly bear in mind from the MacBooks of previous. On prime of lowering the probabilities that your MacBook all of the sudden goes flying, the MagSafe cable expenses extraordinarily rapidly, and retains your three USB-C ports free for essential peripherals. By comparability, you’ll probably want to select up a USB-C hub on your 13-inch MacBook Professional in the event you plan on plugging quite a lot of issues into it.

I can’t overstate how good it feels to have a set of huge, bodily perform keys on a MacBook, and the 14-inch Professional delivers simply that. Doing issues like adjusting quantity, brightness and media playback is simply simpler and extra satisfying with a single bodily click on, and I nonetheless discover myself pissed off each time I’ve to carry out a number of contact inputs simply to do the identical factor on the Contact Bar.

The 13-inch MacBook Professional and 14-inch Professional are each two of the very best MacBooks you should buy, and selecting between the 2 largely comes right down to your funds, efficiency wants and the way a lot you worth issues like a greater show or a wholesome quantity of ports.

At $1,299, the 13-inch MacBook Professional is a worthwhile decide for “prosumers’ who need quite a lot of muscle for primary video modifying or graphics work however don’t need to pay upwards of $2,000 for a laptop computer. It’s the quickest laptop computer you’ll discover at its worth, and whereas its design isn’t as modernized as its 14-inch counterpart, it nonetheless has an ideal keyboard and show.

The $1,999 14-inch MacBook Professional is the higher choice for severe execs who want as a lot energy as doable. And even in the event you’re a daily shopper that has the money to spend, you might discover its superior show, audio system and webcam to be well worth the worth of admission. Plus, you don’t should cope with that pesky Contact Bar.

These leaning in the direction of the 13-inch MacBook Professional must also hold an eye fixed out for the brand new MacBook Air M2, which is ready to launch this month beginning at $1,199. It combines the speedy efficiency of the M2 chip with a number of the extra trendy touches of the 14-inch MacBook Professional (like a greater webcam, a Liquid Retina show and bodily perform keys), all for $100 lower than the 13-inch MacBook Professional. We’ll have extra to say on the brand new Air as soon as we get our fingers on one, so keep tuned.