During this year's WWDC keynote, Apple introduced an all-new version of the MacBook Air, alongside a refreshed variant of the 13-inch MacBook Pro. Both of these models come packing the new Apple M2 processor, but while the MacBook Air changed a lot on the outside, the MacBook Pro is exactly the same design as before. So, if you're wondering what ports are available on the 2022 MacBook Pro 13, they're almost exactly the same as with the previous model.

That's unfortunate because one of the big highlights of the MacBook Air is the return of MagSafe. This gives you a much safer charging experience since the magnetic connector means you can tug on the cable as hard as you want and it won't drag your laptop to the floor. With just two USB4/Thunderbolt ports and a headphone jack, the MacBook Pro 13-inch now has the worst port setup out of any modern Mac. With that said, at least the headphone jack has received an upgrade.

MacBook Pro 13 (2022) ports

It's worth taking a closer look at these ports, because there's more to it than what you might think. Let's start with the USB4/Thunderbolt ports, which are both on the left side. Thunderbolt usually gives a lot of versatility to any device it's on, and that's partly thanks to the 40Gbps of bandwidth it offers. But one of the big reasons people like Thunderbolt is the ability to connect two 4K displays at 60Hz, or multiple displays in general. It's great for people with complex desk setups - the "pros", if you will. But the Apple M2 chip inside the 13-inch MacBook Pro still has the same limitation as the Apple M1, meaning only one external display can be connected, regardless of the resolution.

Left-side view of the 13-inch MacBook Pro with the lid halfway open

It's worth mentioning that you can connect multiple displays to the MacBook Pro, but only by using a different kind of dock with a DisplayLink driver. Docks that use Thunderbolt capabilities, DisplayPort Alt Mode, or MST don't work on this laptop.

Another feature of Thunderbolt that doesn't work with Apple Silicon is the ability to connect external GPUs to the laptop. This could allow you get much better performance for creative workloads, but Arm-based processors like the Apple M2 just don't support them at all. Without both of these features, Thunderbolt can only really be used for data transfers, and at that point, there aren't a ton of benefits over regular USB ports.

Right-side view of the 13-inch MacBook Pro with the lid closed, showing off the headphone jack.

The only other port on the MacBook Pro 13 (2022) is the headphone jack, and thankfully, that's actually been upgraded this year. What that means is that the headphone jack now comes with support for high-impedance headphones, which means you can enjoy higher-quality audio if you have audiophile-level headphones like the Sennheiser HD 650. For headphones with up to 1000 Ohms of impedance, the headphone jack can now provide significantly more power, so you might not need a dedicated amplifier to use them. That's great to see, and something Apple has been adding to most of its Macs since the 2021 MacBook Pro models.


And that's all there is to know about the ports on the 13-inch MacBook Pro for 2022. Physically, the ports haven't really changed, but at least Apple increased the specs of the headphone jack with support for high-impedance headphones, which is a welcome upgrade.

The lack of a redesign does take a bit away from this model, but that shouldn't stop it from being one of the best Macs around. It's as powerful as the new MacBook Air, but with the active cooling system, it should be able to hold that performance for much longer. And even if the hardware doesn't change that much, the software will keep getting improvements with updates like macOS Ventura, coming later this year.

If you're interested, you can check out the 13-inch MacBook Pro using the link below, or on Apple's website. Pre-orders will open on June 17th, but general availability is planned for the 24th.

The Apple MacBook Pro M2 comes with a Touch Bar and is suitable for students working on audio and video editing.
Apple MacBook Pro 13-inch (2022)

The MacBook 13 (2022) comes with an Apple M2 chip promising even more CPU and GPU performance, in the same design as before. It now supports high-impedance headphones from the headphone jack.