Apple has just announced that the 13-inch MacBook Pro is joining the MacBook Air as the second Apple laptop powered by the new M2 chipset, which was also announced today. Unlike the MacBook Air, the 13-inch MacBook Pro isn't getting a visual refresh, but it's getting all the benefits of the new chip, so you're going to see much better performance. It has a new 8-core CPU, 10-core GPU, and up to 24GB of unified memory.

As for what that means when it comes to performance, Apple claims the new MacBook Pro is 39% faster in image processing and gaming compared to the M1-powered MacBook Pro. The APple M1 used an 8-core GPU, so it-s clear that the new 10-core GPU is helping here. What's more, the M2-powered MacBook Pro can be configured with up to 24GB of unified memory (RAM), which is 50% more than what you could get with the M1. This also helps with performance. Apple also promises 18% more performance per watt compared to the Apple M1, so power efficiency is still very much a concern.

MacBook Pro 13 performance comparison in gaming

If you're still using an Intel-powered MacBook Pro, specifically with an 8th-generation Core i7, the performance uplift adds up to 3.4x for image processing and 3.3x for gaming. Apple also threw some other metrics around, including three times faster ProRes transcoding (compared to the M1 MacBook Pro). Apple also touts up to 20 hours of battery life, which continues to be a major strength of Apple Silicon.

Aside from performance, not a whole lot has changed with this model. In fact, Apple has kept the Touch Bar around, even though it was removed in the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro. The display is the same 13.3-inch panel with P3 wide color and 500 nits of brightness. Unlike the larger MacBook Pro models, there's no notch for the webcam on this one, but the camera does have an "advanced ISP"that should help improve image quality.

The new MacBook Pro will be available next month starting at $1,299. If you're a student, you can get it starting at $1,199. That's the same starting price as previous models.

Buying a refurbished MacBook Pro at Apple means you can easily find the more recent models in various configurations with Apple-certified quality. You also get a one year warranty and free returns if necessary.
Apple MacBook Pro 13-inch (2022)

The MacBook Pro 13-inch now comes with Apple's M2 processor, promising up to 39% more performance in games and image processing compared to the M1 model while delivering long-lasting battery life.