Although Apple completely redesigned the MacBook Pro with the 14- and 16-inch chassis, it kept the 13-inch MacBook Air and 13-inch MacBook Pro within the same body. You wouldn’t know the difference between an Intel MacBook Pro 13-inch and an M1 MacBook Pro 13-inch from the outside. It seems Apple is going to change that this year.
It’s been long rumored that Apple is working on a redesigned MacBook Air to announce sometime in 2022. A new rumor has surfaced recently that says Apple is also working on doing away with the 13-inch MacBook Pro that comes with the M1 chip.
According to the rumors, the 13-inch MacBook Pro with M1 will be replaced by a 14-inch MacBook Pro with a new M2 chipset that will succeed the M1.
While it’s all a rumor and we don’t have much more than a handful of tweets to go with, it is likely that the 14-inch MacBook Pro with M2 will share the same design language as the current 14-inch MacBook Pro that comes with M1 Pro and M1 Max chipsets.
One can hope that the port situation will be similar as well. If it does, all of Apple’s MacBook Pros will have MagSafe charging including HDMI and SD card slots.
People on Twitter pointed out that the M1 chipset was announced in late 2020. If the M series follows an 18-month release cycle, the next version, which will likely be dubbed M2, will be due sometime in the second half of 2022. That aligns with the timeline this leaker says for the release of the 14-inch MacBook Pro with M2.
Two different 14-inch MacBook Pro bodies?
It’s important to remember that the design is not the only difference between the 13-inch and 14-inch MacBook Pro today. The 13-inch MacBook Pro doesn’t come with the higher-powered M1 Pro or M1 Max. At the same time, the 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro laptops don’t come with the entry-level M1 chip.
So, just as the 13-inch MacBook Pro lacks some of the features on the outside — like the XDR display with ProMotion and additional ports — it lacks power on the inside.
It begs the question of whether the 14-inch MacBook Pro that Apple is rumored to introduce with M2 in 2022 will have the same set of features on the outside.
I believe that the inside will be different, and the M2 will not be more powerful than the M1 Pro and M1 Max (more on that later), but I’m more interested in what it’ll be like on the outside.
Many people opt for the 13-inch MacBook Pro not just for its price, but also for its portability. The 14-inch MacBook Pro that Apple released last year is thick and heavy. There’s no denying that. While some people may carry it around all day effortlessly, it’s not as portable as the 13-inch MacBook Pro.
So it will make sense if Apple wanted to make the 14-inch MacBook Pro with the entry-level M2 chipset lighter and thinner (not thinner than the current 13-inch model, but thinner than the 14-inch MacBook Pro with M1 Pro/M1 Max).
In the process of making the chassis smaller, I think certain ports will see the door as well.
So, if you want more power and ports, you will need to opt for the pricier and heavier 14-inch MacBook Pro. If you want power within the constraints of portability, you sacrifice some ports and get the new 14-inch with the entry-level chipset.
We won’t know anytime soon which ports might get axed from the 14-inch MacBook Pro with M2. It’ll be smart for Apple to keep all of the ports that are on the 14-inch MacBook Pros today because that will mean customers will only need to decide between chipset and size, and not worry about additional things like ports.
Will M2 be better than M1, M1 Pro, and M1 Max?
Nothing is concrete yet, but I doubt the M2 will be better than M1 Pro and M1 Max. Apple made it clear that the three variations of the Apple Silicon chipset serve three different customer bases.
The M1 serves the majority of the general public as it’s extremely efficient at everyday tasks while ensuring a long battery life. It can speed up if need be for occasional photo and video editing and other moderately heavy tasks that people may need to perform from time to time.
M2 will be more powerful and efficient than the M1, but not necessarily better or faster than the M1 Pro and M1 Max. Higher power will likely be reserved for M2 Pro and M2 Max.
The M1 Pro is a big step up that sacrifices a little bit of the battery life to achieve a lot more. The majority of medium to heavy computing needs can be met with the M1 Pro. Most professionals today find the M1 Pro’s power to be sufficient enough for their work.
And for those who demand absolute monstrosity from their computers — tasks such as extreme 8K video editing, 3D rendering, motion design, etc. — there’s the M1 Max.
It’s pretty obvious from the naming of those chipsets which one is meant for which category of users. As such, I believe the M2 will be more powerful and efficient than the M1, but not necessarily better or faster than the M1 Pro and M1 Max. Higher power will likely be reserved for M2 Pro and M2 Max that might come in in late 2022 or the first half of 2023.
No more confusion between Intel and Apple Silicon
Most readers of this blog and I probably spend way too much time following Apple’s products, so it’s expected that we know which year’s Mac packs which processor. Except for very special needs, the sheer majority of new users will be better served with Apple’s homegrown M1 chipset.
But it’s not easy for someone who’s not well-versed in the Apple product lineup to determine which computer is best for them. If they want a new Mac for cheap, they might end up getting an older one with the Intel processor. They will be missing out on all that makes the M1 — or Apple Silicon — great.
Today, you won’t know which processor is inside if you hold a 2020 13-inch MacBook Pro with Intel and a 2021 13-inch MacBook Pro with M1. Tomorrow, you will. With the transition away from the 13-inch MacBook Pro to the 14-inch design, plus the rumored redesign of the 13-inch MacBook Air, Apple will make sure there’s a clear difference.
The new design will not only tell customers what’s inside, but it’ll also inspire confidence and assure them that they’re getting the right product they should be getting.
