Surprisingly and without any event, Apple announced new computers from the MacBook Pro series in sizes 14 and 16 inches, alongside a new model for the Mac Mini. All of them have been upgraded with new processors that Apple also announced for the first time, the M2 Pro and M2 Max, which promise a significant improvement in performance compared to the previous generation.
Apple claims over 20% increase in processing performance and over 30% increase in graphics chip performance, with the difference between the two found in the number of cores. Thus, the M2 Pro combines 10 processing cores and 19 graphics cores, while the M2 Max comes with 16 processing cores and 19 graphics cores. The M2 Max also comes in more graphics-focused configurations with up to 38 graphics cores. The company says that when using Photoshop, users will get up to 40% more performance compared to the M1 Pro and up to 80% more compared to the Core i9.
The MacBook Pro computers with M2 Pro start at $1,999 for the 14-inch model and $2,499 for the 16-inch model. Both have a Liquid Retina XDR screen, WiFi 6E connectivity, up to 8 terabytes of SSD-based internal storage and up to 96 internal memory. There is also an HDMI 2.1 connection that supports up to 8K screens at a refresh rate of 60 Hz or 4K at a rate of 240 Hz, as well as a Thunderbolt 4 connection. The battery is enough for up to 18 hours of video in either the 14-inch model or up to 22 hours in the 16-inch model.
The Mac Mini computer also comes with the new M2 Pro processor, but that’s for the more expensive model that will cost $1,299. Those who settle for last year’s M2 will pay $599 for the base model with 8GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage. The more expensive Mac Mini has double the working memory and storage and both can be upgraded.
The innovations in the Mac Mini are similar to the MacBook Pro and it includes the same HDMI 2.1 connection as well as WiFi 6E, but for Thunderbolt 4 there are four connections on the back as well as a pair of USB inputs. Apple also stops marketing the Mac Mini models with an Intel processor.