Apple on Tuesday launched its next-gen MacBook Pro laptops powered by the new M2 Pro and M2 Max chipsets. There are several variants on offer, six to be precise, but they can be grouped into two main categories – the 14-inch MacBook Pro and the 16-inch MacBook Pro. The most affordable among these starts at Rs 1,99,900 and the price goes all the way up to Rs 3,09,900. If that’s a bit steep for you, then perhaps last year’s M1 models will make a better choice. Today, we’ll be comparing the 2023 MacBook Pros and the 2021 MacBook Pros to help you choose your pick.
MacBook Pro 14” M2 Pro vs MacBook Pro 14” M1 Pro
The newer MacBook Pro with the M2 Pro processor starts at Rs 1,99,900 on the Apple website. This is for the 512GB SSD version which has a 10-core CPU and a 16-core GPU. If you buy the 1TB SSD version, the price climbs up to Rs 2,49,900. However, this version has a 12-core CPU and an 19-core GPU.
Meanwhile, the older MacBook Pro with the M1 Pro processor starts at Rs 179,990 on Vijay Sales. This is for the 16GB RAM and the 512GB SSD variant. The laptop comes with an 8-core CPU. The price difference of Rs 20,000 isn’t major but if the MacBook Pro 2023 with the M2 Pro is just out of budget, then you can get the MacBook Pro 2023 with the M1 Pro processor.
If that’s not an issue, then it’d be wiser to go for the MacBook Pro 2023 instead since it comes with notable performance improvements over last year’s model. Apple says the M2 Pro offers 20% faster CPU and 30% faster GPU performance than the M1 Pro. And the M2 Pro neural engine has seen a 40% speed increase over its predecessor.
MacBook Pro 16” M2 Pro vs MacBook Pro 16” M1 Pro
The newer MacBook Pro with the M2 Pro processor starts at Rs 2,49,900 on the Apple website. This is for the 512GB SSD version which has a 12-core CPU and a 19-core GPU. The 1TB SSD version is priced slightly higher at Rs 2,69,900 with the same number of CPU and GPU cores.
Meanwhile, the older MacBook Pro with the M1 Pro processor starts at Rs 2,11,090 on Amazon. This is for the 16GB RAM and the 512GB SSD variant. The laptop comes with an 10-core CPU and a 16-core GPU. This time, the price difference is significant, standing at Rs 38,810. If you feel that the MacBook Pro 16” with M1 Pro is already sufficiently powerful, then you’ll be saving a lot by going for it.
MacBook Pro 2023 M2 Max vs MacBook Pro 2021 M1 Max
While Apple did launch the MacBook Pro 14-inch in an M1 Max variant, unfortunately, it doesn’t seem to be available in India right now. Therefore, we’ll be sticking to the comparison between the 16-inch MacBook Pro M2 Max and the 16-inch MacBook Pro M1 Max.
The newer 16” MacBook Pro with the M2 Max processor starts at Rs 3,49,900 on the Apple website. This is for the 32GB RAM and the 1TB SSD version which has a 12-core CPU and a 38-core GPU.
Meanwhile, the older 16” MacBook Pro with the M1 Max processor starts at Rs 2,90,300 on Vijay Sales. This is again for the 32GB RAM and the 1TB SSD variant. The laptop comes with a 10-core CPU and a 32-core GPU. The significant price difference of Rs 59,600 makes it worth buying if the M2 Max MacBook is out of budget.
However, if the absolute best in performance is all you want, then the MacBook Pro 16-inch with the M2 Max once again notably faster than the M1 Max MacBook Pro. Apple says the M2 Max offers 20% faster CPU and 30% faster GPU performance than the M1 Max. And the M2 Max neural engine has seen a 40% speed increase over its predecessor. The M2 Max also comes with beefier core counts, with a 12-core CPU and a 38-core GPU. It now also supports up to 96GB of unified memory.
Aside from these specs, the two MacBooks are nearly identical, save for the slightly improved battery life.
