Skip to main content

The M2 MacBook Pro is already a bad idea

A new MacBook Pro is coming this year, and it’s rumored to launch with the latest release of Apple Silicon, the M2. That sounds exciting, right? Apple’s pro laptops with its most recent new chips inside.

Well, there’s a catch. There’s been a performance and branding problem for the MacBook Pro ever since Apple began its transition to the M1 — and the rumored M2 MacBook Pro would only exacerbate these issues.

Touch bar on the MacBook Pro.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

In the Intel era, the performance delta between the MacBook Pro 13-inch and the MacBook Air was significant. The Pro model had a higher wattage CPU, improved integrated graphics, and a more advanced cooling system. It matched the price difference, and features like the better screen, speakers, and Touch Bar were icing on the cake.

All that changed with the M1.

Recommended Videos

The MacBook Air and MacBook Pro both debuted the Apple M1 chip. They could be configured identically, and aside from the more powerful ports on the MacBook Pro, there was very little separating these two laptops outside of their price tags. The M1 MacBook Air made the MacBook Pro feel more like a MacBook Air Plus than a true Pro upgrade.

The 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros made things even more confusing. These high-powered laptops were the “Pro” MacBooks we’d all been waiting for. The M1 Pro and M1 Max chips were capable of capturing the performance of discrete GPUs, and blowing away the M1 in turns of content creation and gaming performance. More ports. A better keyboard. An incredible mini-LED screen. Even a great webcam. For creative pros, you could hardly ask for more.

In every way that mattered, the 14-inch MacBook Pro should have replaced the 13-inch MacBook Pro. But it didn’t. Apple still sells it, Touch Bar and all.

I had hoped that in the next generation, Apple would focus its attention on the MacBook Air, but according to the latest reports, Apple plans to even further divide up its Mac lineup with a spruced up MacBook Pro that still performs like a MacBook Air. Thin bezels and a notch don’t make it a Pro.

Render of MacBook Pro in mint green.
Image credit: Jon Prosser Image used with permission by copyright holder

So, why is Apple doing this? Well, probably because Apple has made a name for itself over the years selling laptops to the demographic that falls in between students and professionals. The amateurs. The hobbyists. The people with a side gig or creative hobby, but can’t afford a true MacBook Pro. There’s no problem with serving that audience, but the MacBook Pro 13-inch won’t do them much better than the MacBook Air.

Now, much of this is still very much based on speculation and rumor. We still don’t know exactly how Apple will split up its lineup this year between Airs and Pros. We know Apple is planning multiple MacBooks with M2 chips, though, and unless Apple has a significant way of distinguishing between the two, it’ll always present a problem for buyers trying to choose what Mac to buy.

Indeed it may not be too late for things to change. So, Apple? Please. Split up your products in a way that makes sense. Leave the “Pro” brand for laptops that has the performance and features professionals need and let the MacBook Air remain the excellent entry-level laptop it always has been.

Luke Larsen
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Luke Larsen is the Senior Editor of Computing, managing all content covering laptops, monitors, PC hardware, Macs, and more.
If you’re considering a Sky Blue MacBook Air, you might want to act quickly
M4 MacBook Air

Apple has announced two iPad models, the Mac Studio, and the MacBook Air so far this year, and out of all of these products, the Sky Blue MacBook Air is expected to sell the most. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman says Apple is expecting high demand for all the latest devices but the new color option for the budget MacBook is expected to be particularly hot.

https://x.com/markgurman/status/1898825550028013879

Read more
10 years ago today, Apple launched a revolutionary MacBook that failed spectacularly
An Apple 12-inch MacBook on a desk.

Ten years ago today, Apple unveiled the 12-inch MacBook to the world, claiming it had “reinvented the notebook” for the better. The laptop almost instantly divided opinion, with fans and detractors at each other’s throats from the start. And sure, it was by no means perfect, but look a little closer and I think you’ll find a device that has had a monumental impact on the world of computing -- not just on Apple, but on the industry as a whole.

The 12-inch MacBook is often seen as a flop and as a product emblematic of the excesses of Apple’s Jony Ive era, where the design guru’s penchant for thinness and lightness ruled all. The fact that this MacBook was discontinued after just four years is seen as proof of this idea.

Read more
The new MacBook Air has got a small, but significant keyboard update
M4 MacBook Air

This week, Apple introduced three new products: a fresh MacBook Air, iPad Air, and iPad. One thing each of these devices has in common is that they basically look the same as the models they are replacing—except for one tiny detail on the new MacBook.

As iCulture’s noted first, the new laptop addresses a design flaw that Apple has had for the past 26 years. Since the launch of the PowerBook G3 ‘Lombard’ in 1999, the mute key on every Apple laptop has featured a speaker icon. However, this design does not clearly indicate that the button can both mute and unmute the computer’s audio. With the introduction of the new MacBook Air, the keyboard now displays a speaker icon with a strike-through, clearly signaling its full function. For those keeping score at home, the button in question is the F10 key.

Read more