The 16 - inch MacBook Pro batting order has been yield a refresh with Apple bringing its novel M3 range of mountains of processors to the mesa . But are they deserving ante up for or could you carry through some money and buy the older M2 discrepancy which are still being sold by some stockists ? We see how the M3 Pro and Max machines fend up to the 1 they replace .
We discourse what ’s fresh about the M3 MacBook Pro separately in13 - in M2 vs 14 - in M3 MacBook Pro : Big rising slope in a little packageand the 14 - inch models are compared here : New vs old 14 - column inch MacBook Pro .
16-inch MacBook Pro M3 Pro/Max vs M2 Pro/Max: Specs
Before we dig too bass into how the various constituent in the new and old MacBook Pros compare , here ’s a quick look at the technical school eyeglasses for both :
16-inch MacBook Pro M3 Pro/Max vs M2 Pro/Max: Price
Apple cease the M2 - powered 16 - in MacBook Pro M2 simple machine when the M3 - equipped upgrades launched . This means you wo n’t be capable to buy them from Apple and are only able to buy stock shape . However , you should be able to obtain the laptop in various retailers at a bank discount for as long as the exist stock certificate take to betray through .
Conversely , the M3 Pro and Max variants are useable at the Apple store and at all good consumer tech retailers . Here are the price at launch :
At launch , the 16 - inch MacBook Pro M2 Pro or Max were priced as follow . If you regain a deal from a third - party monger , the launch prices commingle with the toll of the next genesis , should give you a template of what to expect to pay . you may find the best price for every model in our stave - up of thebest MacBook Pro deal .
New features for the M3 are in bold.
As you could see there are some changes to the pricing , with some tantamount models cost more and others less than they used to .
Best prices for the 16 - in MacBook Pro M3 Pro , from $ 2,499/£2,599
Best Price for the 16 - inch MacBook Pro M3 Max , from $ 3,499/£3,599
Best prices for the 16 - inch MacBook Pro M2 Pro , from $ 2,499/£2,699
Best Mary Leontyne Price for the 16 - inch MacBook Pro M2 Max , from $ 3,499/£3,749
16-inch MacBook Pro M3 Pro/Max vs M2 Pro/Max: Design
Apple seems happy with the design it bestowed on the M2 generation as it uses the same one for the M3 MacBook Pros . In fact you ’d be hard pushed to regain any differences : the attribute are superposable at 0.66 x 14.01 x 9.77 in / 1.68 x 35.57 x 24.81 cm ; the weight is the same , with the two variate come in at M2 / M3 Pro : 4.7lbs / 2.15 kilogram ; M2/3 Max : 4.8lbs / 2.16 kg .
They are also as fitted with the same larboard , webcam , sound systems , display ( with a pocket-size change ) , and metal bodies .
The only difference of opinion is that the M2 MacBooks come in Space Grey and Silver , while the M3 Pro and M3 Max offer the selection of Space Black or Silver . Space Black is the first new color for the MacBook Pro since 2016 .
The MacBook Pro with M3 Pro or M3 Max is available in Space Black.
Apple
16-inch MacBook Pro M3 Pro/Max vs M2 Pro/Max: Performance
The tangible difference between these devices is the chipsets found in spite of appearance . Apple seems to have been working heavily to improve the performance of the M3 Pro and Max , with salutary resolution . Apple claims that the carrying out cores in the M3 C.P.U. are about 15 pct quicker than those in the M2 multiplication , while the efficiency cores are 30 percent quicker . There are also hike for the GPU and Neural Engine , which are quicker than the random variable found in the previous models .
Of course , if you’re able to find an M2 machine that was the high CPU - core model , rather than the baseline , then the pricing might make it desirable of consideration as it could offer the same form of performance as the baseline M3 Pro or Max . Here ’s a chart of the various benchmark we ’ve hunt on the M - serial publication processor so you could see for yourself how they fare against each other .
If it ’s power you want then the benchmark give a clearer picture :
The MacBook has a notch which conceals the FaceTime camera.
For more details , you could contain out ourM3 , M3 Pro and M3 Max compare .
16-inch MacBook Pro M3 Pro/Max vs M2 Pro/Max: Display
In this section , there are only the most venial changes between the M2 and M3 models . Both add up with a 16.2 - inch Liquid Retina XDR venire running at a resolution of 3,456 x 2,234 . They all feature the ProMotion 120Hz refresh rate for supper bland scrolling , wide-cut Color ( P3 ) , True Tone , and 1,000 nit HDR ( 1,600 prime ) of cleverness , with the M3 machines having 600 nit SDR and the M2 a marginally lower 500 nit SDR .
You ’ll also find a notch in the nerve center of the top edge of the display which houses the FaceTime television camera . This is n’t a TrueDepth one like on iPhones and some iPads , so you wo n’t get look ID or Center Stage on the current MacBook Pros . residuum promise though , that you do n’t lose any screenland space due to the mountain pass , as the displays have a 16:10 vista ratio , which is a minuscule taller than the 16:9 get hold on earlier MacBook Pros . Essentially , you get an extra space at the top that wraps around the notch and can expose spare information .
Foundry
16-inch MacBook Pro M3 Pro/Max vs M2 Pro/Max: Audio
Apple has held steadfast in the audio equipment for these devices . Whatever model you buy you ’ll get the same six - speaker system High - Fidelity auditory sensation system with forcefulness - delete woofers . These let loose a wide stereo speech sound and corroborate Spatial Audio and Dolby Atmos . AirPods ( 3rd generation ) , AirPods Pro , or AirPods Max user will also be able to bask dynamic pass - trailing when using Spatial Audio . If you prefer a pumped connection , then the 3.5 millimeter headphone jack is available and has reinforcement for high - impedance phone .
All of the 16 - inch MacBook Pros come with onboard HDMI port that can handle multi - channel audio recording output , plus a ternary mic array with directive beamforming for absolved sound recording on television calls .
16-inch MacBook Pro M3 Pro/Max vs M2 Pro/Max: Webcam
Apple hold the 1080p FaceTime HD television camera from the M2 in the M3 model . Again , you do n’t get confront ID or Center Stage , but you should at least calculate good on Zoom calls .
16-inch MacBook Pro M3 Pro/Max vs M2 Pro/Max: Battery Life
Battery life is the same in either the M2 or M3 MacBook Pros , which is not surprising as all the 16 - inch models come fitted with a 100 - James Watt - minute lithium - polymer assault and battery . This is accompanied by a 140W USB - light speed charger that keep going Fast Charge , so you ’ll be back in business before long . Apple states the battery deliver 15 hours of web use or 22 minute of TV playback , as before .
16-inch MacBook Pro M3 Pro/Max vs M2 Pro/Max: Verdict
As Apple has now discontinued the M2 MacBook Pros , you ’ll have to shit around to receive them . But that could well be deserving the effort as they are neat machines and practically identical from their newer counterparts . If you do n’t need the special might , then you might be capable to save some money by going for one of the M2 models . Those who do take the big businessman , desire to configure a bespoke arrangement , or simply want the salutary Apple has to extend will find the new 16 - column inch MacBook Pro M3 Pro and Max models intemperately to best . At least until the next acclivity .
For buying advice on thebest Windows laptop computer , see our sister site PCWorld .
