Apple laptops mac: Buy MacBook Pro – Apple

MacBook Pro 14-inch and MacBook Pro 16-inch

Save on MacBook Pro 14” and MacBook Pro 16” starting at $1849 with education pricing. Plus get a $150 gift card.◊
Shop now

Mover. Maker. Boundary breaker.

Supercharged by M2 Pro or M2 Max, MacBook Pro takes its power and efficiency further than ever. It delivers exceptional performance whether it’s plugged in or not, and now has even longer battery life. Combined with a stunning Liquid Retina XDR display and all the ports you need — this is a pro laptop without equal.

• Watch the announcement

Supercharged by

Up to 12-core CPU

Up to 19-core GPU

Up to 32GB unified memory

200GB/s memory bandwidth

12-core CPU

Up to 38-core GPU

Up to 96GB unified memory

400GB/s memory bandwidth

Introducing the next generation of Apple silicon for pros: The lightning-fast M2 Pro and the extraordinary M2 Max — the most powerful and efficient chip ever in a pro laptop.

M2 Pro

M2 Pro brings power to take on even more demanding projects. The up to 12‑core CPU and next‑generation Neural Engine make pro workflows fly — from sorting and editing thousands of images to running computational fluid dynamics simulations. And the up to 19‑core GPU drives a huge boost in graphics performance for both work and play.

M2 Max

The most powerful and efficient chip ever in a pro laptop, M2 Max is engineered to help pros push the boundaries of their ingenuity and creativity. With the same next‑generation 12‑core CPU as M2 Pro, M2 Max has twice the memory bandwidth, up to three times the unified memory, and up to 38 GPU cores. So you can render effects, merge massive panoramas, and design extreme 3D geometry on an unprecedented scale.

Cinema 4D

Choose your size. Choose your chip.

Let it rip.

Final Cut ProLogic Pro

MacBook Pro is available in 14- and 16‑inch models. Each can be configured with the M2 Pro or M2 Max chip and offers next-level pro performance in a laptop.

See how M2 Pro and M2 Max stack up compared to Intel‑based MacBook Pro.

• 14” model
• 16” model

• Video transcoding

/

• Video editing

/

• Image upscaling

/

• Code compiling

/

• Photo editing

/

• Motion graphics

Faster ProRes transcode performance in Final Cut Pro³

MacBook Pro with
M2 Max

15. 9
x

MacBook Pro with
M2 Pro

11.6
x

MacBook Pro with
M1 Max

MacBook Pro with
M1 Pro

MacBook Pro with Intel Core i7
(baseline)

Faster object tracking performance in Final Cut Pro⁴

MacBook Pro with
M2 Max

15.7
x

MacBook Pro with
M2 Pro

MacBook Pro with
M1 Max

MacBook Pro with
M1 Pro

MacBook Pro with Intel Core i7
(baseline)

Faster ML image upscaling performance in Pixelmator Pro⁵

MacBook Pro with
M2 Max

10.6
x

MacBook Pro with
M2 Pro

10. 6
x

MacBook Pro with
M1 Max

MacBook Pro with
M1 Pro

MacBook Pro with Intel Core i7
(baseline)

Faster project build performance in Xcode⁶

MacBook Pro with
M2 Max

MacBook Pro with
M2 Pro

MacBook Pro with
M1 Max

MacBook Pro with
M1 Pro

MacBook Pro with Intel Core i7
(baseline)

Faster filter and function ML performance in Photoshop⁷

MacBook Pro with
M2 Max

MacBook Pro with
M2 Pro

MacBook Pro with
M1 Max

MacBook Pro with
M1 Pro

MacBook Pro with Intel Core i7
(baseline)

Faster animation rendering performance in Motion⁸

MacBook Pro with
M2 Max

MacBook Pro with
M2 Pro

MacBook Pro with
M1 Max

MacBook Pro with
M1 Pro

MacBook Pro with Intel Core i7
(baseline)

• Video transcoding

/

• Video editing

/

• Image upscaling

/

• Code compiling

/

• Photo editing

/

• Motion graphics

Faster ProRes transcode performance in Final Cut Pro⁹

MacBook Pro with
M2 Max

MacBook Pro with
M2 Pro

MacBook Pro with
M1 Max

MacBook Pro with
M1 Pro

MacBook Pro with Intel Core i9 and Radeon Pro 5600M
(baseline)

Faster object tracking performance in Final Cut Pro¹⁰

MacBook Pro with
M2 Max

MacBook Pro with
M2 Pro

MacBook Pro with
M1 Max

MacBook Pro with
M1 Pro

MacBook Pro with Intel Core i9 and Radeon Pro 5600M
(baseline)

Faster ML image upscaling performance in Pixelmator Pro¹¹

MacBook Pro with
M2 Max

MacBook Pro with
M2 Pro

MacBook Pro with
M1 Max

MacBook Pro with
M1 Pro

MacBook Pro with Intel Core i9 and Radeon Pro 5600M
(baseline)

Faster project build performance in Xcode¹²

MacBook Pro with
M2 Max

MacBook Pro with
M2 Pro

MacBook Pro with
M1 Max

MacBook Pro with
M1 Pro

MacBook Pro with Intel Core i9 and Radeon Pro 5600M
(baseline)

Faster filter and function ML performance in Photoshop¹³

MacBook Pro with
M2 Max

MacBook Pro with
M2 Pro

MacBook Pro with
M1 Max

MacBook Pro with
M1 Pro

MacBook Pro with Intel Core i9 and Radeon Pro 5600M
(baseline)

Faster animation rendering performance in Motion¹⁴

MacBook Pro with
M2 Max

MacBook Pro with
M2 Pro

MacBook Pro with
M1 Max

MacBook Pro with
M1 Pro

MacBook Pro with Intel Core i9 and Radeon Pro 5600M
(baseline)

We can do this all day.

Adobe Photoshop Lightroom

The 16‑inch model has the longest battery life ever in a Mac. And both models remain just as fast whether on battery or plugged in. That efficiency is the magic of Apple silicon. So wherever inspiration strikes or whenever duty calls, run with it.

14” model

Up to18hrsvideo playback¹⁵

Up to12hrswireless web browsing¹⁵

16” model

Up to22hrsvideo playback¹⁶

Up to15hrswireless web browsing¹⁶

The coolest part. Thanks to the efficiency of Apple silicon, the fans don’t even have to turn on for most of your daily tasks. And for heavier workflows, the advanced thermal systems move air at low fan speeds.

Think huge. MacBook Pro is built on an all-flash storage architecture designed to make everyday tasks snappy and responsive. For demanding workflows with large files, configurations up to 8TB deliver even more performance. ¹⁷

Up to
8TB
SSD storage

• Photo editing

/

• Software development

/

• Graphic design

/

• Productivity

/

• 3D rendering

/

• Music creation

/

• Video editing

/

• STEM

Adobe Photoshop

Xcode

Microsoft PowerPoint, Slack

Octane X

MainStage

Adobe Premiere Pro

Complete Anatomy

Adobe Photoshop, Affinity Photo 2, Capture One, Adobe Photoshop Lightroom, and more.

Xcode, Unity Editor, Create ML, TensorFlow, Visual Studio Code, NAG Fortran Compiler®, and more.

Affinity Publisher 2, Sketch, Vectorworks, Adobe Illustrator, Pixelmator Pro, and more.

Microsoft 365, Slack, QuickBooks, Zoom, Omni Productivity Suite, and more.

Octane X, Maxon Cinema 4D, Redshift, Blender, and more.

MainStage, Logic Pro, Ableton Live, Adobe Audition, FL Studio, and more.

Adobe Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve, Final Cut Pro, Motion, Compressor, Adobe Media Encoder, Fusion Studio, Adobe After Effects, and more.

Complete Anatomy, NASA TetrUSS, Wolfram Mathematica, OsiriX MD, Shapr3D, CrystalMaker®, and more.

New pro chips. Scaling up the M2 architecture, M2 Pro and M2 Max deliver a next-generation CPU and GPU designed around high-bandwidth unified memory. Along with immensely capable media engines, these pro chips feature the faster 16-core Neural Engine and the latest Secure Enclave from M2.

M2 Pro

M2 Pro takes pro performance to the next level. With over 40 billion transistors — 20 percent more than M1 Pro and twice that of M2 — the M2 Pro chip brings even more speed and efficiency to everything you do. And with double the memory bandwidth of M2, running multiple pro apps is incredibly fluid.

Up to
32GB
unified memory

200GB/s
memory bandwidth

M2 Max

M2 Max goes even further. With up to 96GB of unified memory, M2 Max shatters the limits of graphics memory in a laptop. It’s packed with a staggering 67 billion transistors — 10 billion more than M1 Max and over three times more than M2. And it delivers twice the memory bandwidth of M2 Pro and four times that of M2.

Up to
96GB
unified memory

400GB/s
memory bandwidth

Better. And better. M2 Pro and M2 Max CPUs leverage additional performance cores and efficiency cores — up to 12 CPU cores total — so you can do more while using very little power. Up to 38 GPU cores deliver a leap in graphics performance. And the faster 16‑core Neural Engine can execute up to 15.8 trillion operations per second.

Up to
12-core CPU

Up to
19-core GPU

16-core
Neural Engine

12-core CPU

Up to
38-core GPU

16-core
Neural Engine

Keeps going. No matter watt. At their peak, M2 Pro and M2 Max deliver up to 20 percent more CPU performance and up to 30 percent more GPU performance than M1 Pro and M1 Max in the same power envelope.¹⁸¹⁹ With this unmatched performance per watt, the new MacBook Pro has even longer battery life — and the 16‑inch model has the longest battery life ever in a Mac.

The best display ever in a laptop.

Blackmagic Design DaVinci Resolve

Liquid Retina XDR. Extreme Dynamic Range brings refined specular highlights, incredible detail in shadows, and vibrant, true‑to‑life colors. Each display is calibrated in the factory and features pro reference modes for HDR color grading, photography, design, and print production.

ProMotion. Making everything from scrolling to gaming superfluid and responsive, ProMotion automatically adjusts to match the movement of content — with refresh rates up to 120Hz. Video editors can also choose a fixed refresh rate that precisely aligns with their footage.

• housing
• backlight
• diffusers
• lcd

Display enclosure. Less than 4 mm thin, it provides the structure for the world’s best laptop display.

Mini-LEDs. Thousands of mini-LEDs are grouped into individually controlled local dimming zones for precise brightness and contrast.

Custom optical films and diffusers. Seven films and diffusers mix and shape the light efficiently while enabling an ultrathin design.

LCD panel. This integrates a high‑mobility oxide‑TFT layer that allows pixels to charge twice as fast as before, enabling refresh rates of up to 120Hz.

Far and away your sharpest look.

Look sharp wherever you make or take video calls — whether you’re connecting with friends and family across time zones or collaborating with colleagues out in the field. The 1080p camera uses a wide aperture to let in more light, combined with a large image sensor for better performance in low light.

Studio‑quality three-mic array. With a signal-to-noise ratio that rivals professional-grade microphones, MacBook Pro can capture even the subtlest sounds. And directional beamforming minimizes background noise so your voice comes through loud and clear.

Six-speaker sound system. Four force‑cancelling woofers deliver deeper bass and room‑filling sound.
High-performance tweeters project clearer, fuller vocals. And Spatial Audio creates a sophisticated three-dimensional soundstage when you’re playing music or video with Dolby Atmos.

Plug and play.

Transfer photos and videos with an SDXC card reader. Connect to TVs or displays with HDMI output, which now supports up to 8K. Plug in accessories and additional displays using three Thunderbolt 4 ports. And enjoy up to two times faster throughput with Wi‑Fi 6E.²¹

• MagSafe 3
• Thunderbolt 4
• Headphone jack
• SDXC
• Thunderbolt 4
• HDMI

• MagSafe 3

• Expand your screen real estate. Connect up to three Pro Display XDRs and a 4K TV with M2 Max. Or connect up to two Pro Display XDRs with M2 Pro.

The magic touch.

Magic Keyboard

• Touch ID

• Unlock your Mac

• Sign in to apps and websites with passkeys

• Use Apple Pay for payments

• Make purchases on the Apple TV app

The Magic Keyboard comes with a full-height function key row and Touch ID, which gives you a fast, easy, secure way to unlock your Mac and sign in to apps and sites.

Use AR to see MacBook Pro in your workspace.

Open this page using Safari on your iPhone or iPad.

color picker

• Space Gray

• Silver

Apple Trade In

Get credit toward a new MacBook Pro.

Just trade in your eligible computer for credit toward a new one or recycle it for free. It’s good for you and the planet.*

Learn more

Apple Card

Get 3% Daily Cash back with Apple Card.

And pay over time, interest-free when you choose to check out with Apple Card Monthly Installments.†

Learn more

Which Mac laptop is right for you?

Compare all Mac models

MacBook Air
M1 chip

**

13. 3-inch Retina display²²

Apple M1 chip

8GB or
16GB unified memory

256GB to
2TB storage¹⁷

Up to
18 hours battery life²³

Touch ID

Buy

Learn more

MacBook Air
M2 chip

**

13.6-inch Liquid Retina display²²

Apple M2 chip

8GB to
24GB unified memory

256GB to
2TB storage¹⁷

Up to
18 hours battery life²⁴

Touch ID

Buy

Learn more

MacBook Pro 13”

**

13.3-inch Retina display²²

Apple M2 chip

8GB to
24GB unified memory

256GB to
2TB storage¹⁷

Up to
20 hours battery life²⁵

Touch Bar and Touch ID

Buy

Learn more

New MacBook Pro 14” and 16”

**

14. 2-inch or 16.2-inch
Liquid Retina XDR display²²

Apple M2 Pro
or Apple M2 Max chip

16GB to
96GB unified memory

512GB to
8TB storage¹⁷

Up to
22 hours battery life¹⁶

Touch ID

Buy

Continuity

All your devices. One seamless experience.

Learn more

Accessories

Explore Mac accessories.

Shop

Designed with the earth in mind.

100 percent recycled aluminum enclosure and rare earth elements in all magnets. Responsible packaging. A greener supply chain. MacBook Pro was engineered to minimize its environmental impact.

Learn more about Apple and the environment

Apple at Work

Get the power to take your business to the next level.

Apple and Education

Empowering educators and students to move the world forward.

Learn about Apple and Education

Best MacBook in 2023: Which Apple laptop is best?

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

Quick Menu

1. The list in brief
2. Best for most people
3. Best budget M2
4. Best Battery Life
5. Best for Pros on the Go
6. Best for Peak Performance
7. How to Choose the Best MacBook for You
8. How We Test MacBooks
9. Why Trust Laptop Mag

The best MacBook for each person will differ, but there’s a great option for virtually anyone in Apple’s laptop lineup in 2023. Apple’s ARM-based M1 chip kicked off a new era for MacBooks in 2020 and it hasn’t taken its foot off the accelerator. Apple’s in-house SoC brought massive performance and battery life improvements to the entire MacBook range.

Now joined by the M1 Pro, M1 Max, M2, M2 Pro, and M2 Max, Apple has you covered regardless of your needs. The M2 MacBook Air and Pro are among the best laptops available today and the latest 16-inch and 14-inch MacBook Pro models are once again setting a high bar for creator laptops in 2023.

The newest member of the MacBook family is the 15-inch MacBook Air, which debuted at WWDC 2023. We’ll have our first impressions soon and will integrate the first larger Air into this page, but if you can’t wait you can already pre-order the 15-inch MacBook Air.

One category that Apple won’t be competing in any time soon is our laptops under $500, so prepare to spend at least $800 for even the most affordable MacBook, but if you can make your peace with that pricing these are all outstanding laptops.

The Quick List

Best for most people

1. Apple MacBook Air M1

The best MacBook for most people

The MacBook Air M1 remains the best MacBook for most people thanks to its blend of performance, battery life, and value as the only Apple laptop available for under $1,000.

Read more below

Budget M2

2. Apple MacBook Air M2

M2 Power for under $1,200

The MacBook Air M2 gives you Apple’s updated design with 14 hours of battery life, outstanding performance, a comfortable keyboard, and the always popular MagSafe charging.

Read more below

Battery life

3. Apple MacBook Pro M2

The best long-lasting MacBook

The MacBook Pro M2 doesn’t get the updated design of the Air M2, but it makes up for it with even better performance and an unbelievable 18 hours and 20 minutes of battery life.

Read more below

Pros on the go

4. MacBook Pro 14 (M2 Pro)

Best MacBook for pros on the go

Whether you’re editing photos or videos, creating music, or just working on a massive spreadsheet, the MacBook Pro 14 is the way to go. The M2 Pro’s power and endurance are off the charts. 

Read more below

Peak performance

5. MacBook Pro 16 (M2 Max)

Best MacBook for peak performance

There’s no task the MacBook Pro 16 with M2 Max can’t handle. Whether it’s the larger display, higher peak performance, or 4 extra hours of battery life, the Pro 16 earns its premium price.

Read more below

Best MacBook for Most People

(Image credit: Laptop Mag)

1. MacBook Air (M1, Late 2020)

The best MacBook for most people

Specifications

CPU: Apple M1

GPU: Apple M1

RAM: 8GB/16GB

Storage: 256GB/512GB/1TB/2TB

Display: 13.3 inches, 2560 x 1600 pixels

Size: 12 x 8. 4 x 0.6 inches

Weight: 2.8 pounds

Today’s Best Deals

Reasons to buy

+

Breathtaking performance

+

Outstanding battery life

+

Slim unibody aluminum chassis

+

Great speakers and Magic keyboard

Reasons to avoid

–

Limited ports

–

Older design

The MacBook Air M1 remains the best MacBook for most people. What about the MacBook Air M2? It’s a fantastic laptop that we’ll cover next on this list, but the reality is that for the majority of users the upgrades aren’t necessary and Apple is keeping it around in order to maintain that sub-$1,000 starting price. Best of all you can often find it for $899 or less.

The performance still outclasses every comparably priced thin-and-light Windows laptop and it manages to deliver 14 hours and 41 minutes of battery life in our testing. For any typical computing tasks, the MacBook Air M1 is more than equal to the challenge and will outlast most competitors too.

So why buy the MacBook Air instead of the Pro? While the Pro has better-sustained performance, the MacBook Air is cheaper and is pin-drop silent because it doesn’t have a fan. And, of course, Apple’s least expensive 13.3-inch model is the most portable, coming in at only 0.6 inches thick and 2.8 pounds. 

As long as you don’t mind the older design, the MacBook Air M1 remains one of the best laptop deals even when it’s not discounted and should draw strong consideration from anyone considering a new MacBook.

See our full MacBook Air with M1 (2020) review

M2 Power for Under $1,200

(Image credit: Laptop Mag)

2. MacBook Air (M2, 2022)

M2 power for under $1,200

Specifications

CPU: Apple M2

GPU: Apple M2

RAM: 8GB/16GB/24GB

Storage: 256GB/512GB/1TB/2TB

Display: 13.6-inches, 2560 x 1600 pixels

Size: 11.97 x 8.46 x 0.44 inches

Weight: 2.7 pounds

Today’s Best Deals

Reasons to buy

+

Elegant redesign

+

Good performance

+

Bright, colorful screen

+

Comfortable keyboard

+

Excellent battery life

Reasons to avoid

–

SSD somewhat slower than M1 Air

While most will be happy with the MacBook Air M1, there’s no denying the appeal of the new design and of course chip inside the MacBook Air M2. The notch in the display isn’t my favorite design choice, but the rest of the changes are great with the addition of MagSafe charging freeing up those two Thunderbolt 4 ports for other purposes.

You also get a nice performance bump and it still delivered 14 hours and 6 minutes in our battery life test, placing it easily ahead of the Windows competition and ridiculously so when factoring in performance. The fact that it does all this while staying whisper quiet and cool without fans remains astounding.

The list of upgrades also includes a brighter display, a quad-speaker array and the new 1080p webcam. That first will be particularly welcome to those that are using the Air M2 on the go and may be faced with less than optimal lighting conditions.

The biggest consideration with the Air M2 is the price if you need to upgrade much from the $1,199 base model. As I mentioned the Air M1 stuck around at $999, so you are paying a premium for the M2 model. If you find yourself cresting the $1,499 mark for your configuration then you may want to consider the base 14-inch MacBook Pro, which I cover later in this list and can now be regularly found for $1,799.

See our full MacBook Air M2 review

Longest-lasting MacBook

(Image credit: Future)

3. MacBook Pro (13-inch, M2, 2022)

The longest-lasting Apple laptop

Specifications

CPU: Apple M2

GPU: Apple M2

RAM: 8GB/16GB/24GB

Storage: 256GB/512GB/1TB/2TB

Display: 13.3 inches, 2560 x 1600 pixels

Size: 12 x 8.4 x 0.6 inches

Weight: 3.1 pounds

Today’s Best Deals

Reasons to buy

+

Stellar overall and gaming performance

+

Excellent battery life

+

Lightning-fast SSD

+

Great webcam

+

Comfortable keyboard

Reasons to avoid

–

Stagnant design

–

Not enough ports

The MacBook Pro M2 may not get the fancy redesign of the new MacBook Air, but the internal upgrade gives it a more significant performance boost than many expected, which keeps it well ahead of the Windows 11 competition at this price point and well beyond.

And despite cramming so much power into such a slim and sleek chassis, the Pro lasted for an almost unbelievable 18 hours and 20 minutes on our battery test, which simulates real-world testing. That was enough to land it atop our list of laptops with the best battery life.

The M2 does more than improve speeds and endurance. With a yet again improved image processing unit, the webcam (sadly, still 720p) is better than before and since it runs on Apple’s ARM-based architecture, iPad and iPhone apps are available on Mac. Yep, you can run all your favorite iOS games and apps on your laptop. 

Everything else about the MacBook Pro should feel familiar. This is the same design Apple has used for years and the Magic Keyboard is a pleasure to type on (and reliable, too!). We’re disappointed to see the TouchBar back, but it does have its fans and the notch-less screen will absolutely be a welcome sight for some buyers.

See our full Apple MacBook Pro (13-inch, M2, 2022) review.

Best for Pros on the Go

(Image credit: Future)

4. MacBook Pro (14-inch, 2023)

The best MacBook for pros on the go

Specifications

CPU: Apple M2 Pro/Apple M2 Max

GPU: Apple M2 Pro/Apple M2 Max

RAM: 16GB/32GB/64GB/96GB

Storage: 512GB/1TB/2TB/4TB/8GB

Display: 14. 2-inch Liquid Retina XDR display (3024×1964 pixels)

Size: 12.3 x 8.7 x 0.6 inches

Weight: 3.5 pounds (M2 Pro) – 3.6 pounds (M2 Max)

Today’s Best Deals

Reasons to buy

+

Impressive performance

+

Over 14 hours of battery life

+

Great port selection

+

Beautifully vibrant display with crisp detail

+

Excellent audio

Reasons to avoid

–

Expensive

–

Off-putting notch

–

Still no Face ID

After causing a ruckus among its fans by not releasing the M2 Pro or M2 Max chips at the end of 2022, the shiny new Apple Silicon arrived and it ticks most of the boxes fans were hoping for. More cores on the CPU and GPU? Check. More power? Check? Mesmerizing display, powerful speakers, comfortable keyboard, sharp and accurate webcam? Checks down the board. 

The big news is of course M2 Pro and M2 Max, the hardware is otherwise largely the same excellent laptop we got 2 years ago. The good news is that they are just about as impressive as Apple promised, smacking down any and all challengers with authority. One notable addition to Apple’s bragging about these laptops is gaming, something our resident Brit, Jason England, frequently complains that Apple doesn’t care about. While it’s not going to unseat the top of the line gaming laptops anytime soon, it does appear that we could finally be at a stage where casual Mac gamers won’t have to make due with titles from 5-10 years ago.

If there are any complaints to be had, I expected longer battery life due to all the new chip optimization. Don’t get me wrong, at over 14 hours of power, the MacBook Pro 14 still sneaks onto our laptops with the longest battery life page, but M2 was supposed to give another boost. 

See our full 14-inch MacBook Pro (2021) review.

Best MacBook for Performance and Battery Life

(Image credit: Laptop Mag)

5. MacBook Pro (16-inch, 2023)

The best MacBook for performance and battery life

Specifications

CPU: Apple M2 Pro/Apple M2 Max

GPU: Apple M2 Pro/M2 Max

RAM: 16GB/32GB/64GB/96GB

Storage: 512GB/1TB/2TB/4TB/8GB

Display: 16. 2-inch Liquid Retina XDR display (3024 x 1964 pixels)

Size: 14 x 9.8 x 0.7 inches

Weight: 4.8 pounds

Today’s Best Deals

Reasons to buy

+

Powerful overall and gaming performance

+

First-in-class battery life

+

Excellent audio

+

Beautiful display

Reasons to avoid

–

$2,499 starting price

We called the 16-inch MacBook Pro with M2 Max the “ultimate MacBook” and while you might think that means it belongs at the top of this list, the price makes it a choice you need to carefully consider despite how absolutely phenomenal it is.

Starting at $2,499 for the M2 Pro model and $3,099 for the M2 Max model, the 16-inch MacBook Pro isn’t for everyone. However, if you are a creative professional or someone that just wants the biggest and best without concern over cost this absolutely belongs on your short list.

The notebook’s design is virtually identical to the 2021 model, but that’s not a complaint just yet. That means the new model retains the blessedly returned full HDMI and SDXC card reader. Battery life is absolutely mind-boggling at almost 19 hours on a charge in our test, it also delivers that show-stopping Super Retina XDR mini-LED display, a super comfortable keyboard, and an excellent audio system. 

While I still would recommend a gaming laptop with a discrete GPU for those that want the best overall gaming experience, but 16-inch MacBook Pro is finally at least competing in this realm enough that casual gamers will be happy.

Overall, the 16-inch MacBook Pro is one of the best laptops on the market and the only real hurdle a buyer needs to clear is that price.

See our full 16-inch MacBook Pro (2023) review

Split screen showing a MacBook Pro 13-inch and MacBook Pro 14-inch side-by-side (Image credit: Laptop Mag)

How to Choose the Best MacBook for You

For us, the MacBook Air is an easy choice. It comes in at $999 yet sports similar performance and endurance to the MacBook Pro thanks to its M1 processor. It’s also the most portable of the bunch, and the improved 13.3-inch display is great for watching TV shows or movies. If you want a little more power, screen real estate, and a fresh design the MacBook Air M2 is your answer.

However, those looking for endurance and better performance over longer periods should consider the 13-inch MacBook Pro with M2. It lasts for a remarkable 18 hours and 2 minutes on a charge and scored benchmark numbers that blow away the competition. 

Those three options should cover at least 90% of users. However, if you need either a larger screen or vastly more power for professional apps then the 14-inch MacBook Pro and 16-inch MacBook Pro with either the M1 Pro/M1 Max or M2 Pro/M2 Max chips are outstanding, if expensive, options. 

13-inch MacBook Air in Gold sitting on a desk between some potted plants (Image credit: Future)

How We Test MacBooks

We put MacBooks through extensive benchmark testing — both synthetic and real-world — before they end up in the hands of our reviewers. We evaluate everything from speed and battery life to display brightness, speaker volume and system heat.

We use a Klein K10 colorimeter to detect the brightness and DCI-P3 color gamut of a laptop’s display. For performance benchmarking, we run the laptop through a gauntlet of benchmarks, including Geekbench 5.4 and 3DMark professional graphics tests. 

To determine real-world performance, we task the laptop to convert a 4K video to 1080p resolution and to duplicate a 25GB multimedia file. Our real-world graphics tests include Assasin’s Creed Valhalla, Far Cry New Dawn, Sid Meier’s Civilization VI: Gathering Storm and Shadow of the Tomb Raider with 1080p or higher resolution when the display supports it. 

We also run heat tests by playing a 15-minute full-screen video and our battery test consists of continuous web surfing over Wi-Fi at 150 nits of brightness. We consider everything over roughly 10 hours to be a good result. Of course, these tests are complemented with hands-on testing from our reviewers.

Why Trust Laptop Mag

Laptop Mag reviews over a hundred different laptops every year, from paperweight ultralights to everyday workhorses to lumbering gaming notebooks that scorch the frame rates of even the hottest AAA games. We’re not just experts in the laptop field, as we go one step further by meticulously testing smartphones, tablets, headphones, PC accessories, software, and even the latest in gaming. 

We are 100% independent and have decades of experience to help you buy with confidence. In fact, Laptop Mag has been testing and reviewing products for three decades, and we continue to deliver trustworthy reviews you can rely on. 

Our experienced team of writers and editors scour the available information about the laptop and put it through its paces to determine which is best for you. But before they start, the testing team subjects each system to a rigorous regimen of synthetic and real-world tests to see how a system handles the type of work and games you’re most likely to throw at it.  

Our editorial trustworthiness is enforced by one of the world’s largest technology publishers, Future Publishing. As a company, we have unrivaled experience across every tech sector — and we’re the group’s specialist for all things mobile tech.

Round up of today’s best deals

Apple Macbook Air (M1 2020)

See all prices

Apple MacBook Air M2 2022

£1,119

View

See all prices

Apple Macbook Pro 13 (2022)

£1,225

View

See all prices

Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch (2023)

£2,149

View

See all prices

Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch M2 Max (2023)

£3,749

View

See all prices

powered by

Get our in-depth reviews, helpful tips, great deals, and the biggest news stories delivered to your inbox.

Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors

Sean Riley has been covering tech professionally for over a decade now. Most of that time was as a freelancer covering varied topics including phones, wearables, tablets, smart home devices, laptops, AR, VR, mobile payments, fintech, and more.  Sean is the resident mobile expert at Laptop Mag, specializing in phones and wearables, you’ll find plenty of news, reviews, how-to, and opinion pieces on these subjects from him here. But Laptop Mag has also proven a perfect fit for that broad range of interests with reviews and news on the latest laptops, VR games, and computer accessories along with coverage on everything from NFTs to cybersecurity and more. 

MacBook Air – Why Mac – Apple (UK)

One-two configurable.

Mac does not require complicated setup. Sign in to your iCloud account and your iPhone or iPad will automatically show up. Use the Migration Assistant to easily migrate your settings, user accounts, and more to your Mac. And if you need help or have questions, Apple Support is always there – just give us a call or chat.

Migration Assistant

Transfer settings,
user accounts, and other
data from your old
Mac or PC in a few easy
steps.

iCloud

With iCloud, you’ll quickly start using your new Mac. Just sign in to your account and you’ll have access to your photos, videos, documents, notes, contacts and more. ¹

John Appleseed••••••••

iCloud Keychain

Forget forgotten passwords. With iCloud Keychain and AutoFill, you can quickly sign in to your accounts without wasting time trying to remember or find your password.

Embedded applications

Your Mac comes preloaded with many useful apps for work and creativity. Just turn on your new Mac, and literally in the same moment you can connect with friends, complete a project or buy something online.

Apple Support

When you have a Mac, you always have someone to turn to for help – just call. Apple Support is always ready to help.

Apple
will help you.

With a Mac, you can do a lot.

Mac is a powerful all-rounder that has everything you need to take your work to the next level. Discover new opportunities for business projects and creativity with applications for any task. You can even use Microsoft 365 Apps and Adobe Creative Cloud seamlessly. ² Whoever you are and whatever your idea, Mac can help you bring it to life.

Adobe Photoshop

Microsoft Excel

M1

Apple chips enable unique
technologies and provide incredible performance combined with unparalleled energy efficiency. That’s why everyday tasks and resource-hungry professional applications run faster than ever on Mac.

macOS

At the heart of every Mac is macOS, built specifically for Apple chips: powerful, intuitive, and stylish. It’s incredibly powerful software designed for our most advanced hardware.

Applications for work

On Mac, it’s easy to do your job at the highest level. Your favorite apps, including familiar ones from Microsoft 365, run smoothly and lag-free.

App Store

The App Store has apps for every task. Thousands of apps – for work, play, learning, editing and everything you can imagine.

Operation without recharging

With Apple chips and macOS Monterey operating system, Mac laptops can run up to 21 hours on a single charge. ³

Battery
holds
up to 21 hours.

Photo and video

Instantly find images that have been sent to you at different times. Create albums of your photos, edit photos and videos at an advanced level, add special effects and much more.

Boost your photos and videos with apps like Photos and iMovie.

Intuitive. Exceptionally simple.

Mac helps you quickly find what you need, organize everything you need, and get things done.
It has a simple, intuitive design – especially if you have an iPhone. Therefore, it is easy to work on it in several applications at the same time and find the files you need. And with quick access to all the features you need right now, using your Mac is even easier.

Spotlight

Spotlight
lets you quickly find apps, documents, files, and more on your Mac.

Notification Center

All notifications and widgets are collected in one place so that you can see important information at a glance.

Mission Control

Take a look at all open windows at once to easily find what you need.

Control point

One panel brings together your favorite menu items for quick access to the controls you use most often.

Siri

Hands busy? Use voice commands. Just say “Hey Siri” to play a song, make a call, set a reminder, or get directions. ⁴

Friendly with other Apple devices.

Mac is the perfect companion for other Apple devices. Read the message on Apple Watch and write a reply on Mac. Start your presentation on your Mac and rehearse it on your iPhone while you’re on the go. Unlock your Mac with your Apple Watch. Or send entire photo albums to friends who are in the same room as you.

Universal control

Now you can use one keyboard and mouse or trackpad to control both your Mac and your iPad—or even multiple Macs and iPads at once. Place devices side by side and move the cursor between screens. And nothing needs to be configured. Just start typing on your Mac keyboard and it will show up on your iPad. Or drag and drop content from one Mac to another.

Available in Spring

Handoff function

Lets you start on your Mac, then switch to a nearby device and pick up where you left off.

Messages and calls

Everything works on a Mac like it does on an iPhone. Answer text messages and calls on the big screen without being distracted from your activities.

AirDrop

Easily transfer photos, documents, and more to nearby Apple devices.

Universal clipboard

Copy text, images, photos, and videos on one Apple device and paste on another.

Sidecar function

Use your iPad as a secondary display that can extend or duplicate your Mac screen. You can also draw, edit photos, and move objects on your iPad with Apple Pencil.