Apple adds M2 to Mac mini, 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro

They're all faster, but that's mostly it.

By Alex Choros

Jan 18, 2023

2 min read

Apple has refreshed the Mac mini and its 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros with its latest M2 series processors. The new Mac mini is available with a choice of the standard M2 processor you'll find in the latest MacBook Air, or the newly announced M2 Pro. Meanwhile, the new MacBook Pros are available with a choice of M2 Pro or M2 Max chipsets.

Both devices are largely performance-focused upgrades. For example, Apple says the Mac mini with M2 offers up to 2.4x faster ProRes transcode than the Mac mini with M1. The Mac mini with M2 Pro is even faster, offering up to 4.2x faster ProRes transcode than the original M1 model. It also has enough grunt to simultaneously play five steams of 8K video in Final Cut Pro.

Other than the new processor, other updates are relatively minor. Thunderbolt 3 ports have been replaced with faster Thunderbolt 4 ports, and Bluetooth and WiFi standards have been upgraded to Bluetooth 5.3 and WiFi 6E5, respectively. If you go for the M2 Pro model, it has enough grunt to drive an 8K display.

The Mac mini with M2 will set you back $999 for a configuration with 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD. The M2 Pro model starts at $1,999 but has 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD. A fully specced out model with an upgraded 12-core CPU, 32GB of RAM, 8TB of storage, and a 10-gigabit ethernet port sells for $6,799.

As per usual, you'll need to bring your own mouse, keyboard, and monitor.

On the laptop front, Apple says the M2 Pro chipset is able to process images in Photoshop up to 40% faster when compared to the M1 Pro, while the M2 Max boasts up to 30% faster graphics performance than the M1 Max.

Both laptops benefit from up to an hour of extra battery life per charge. The 14-inch model is rated for up to 18 hours of video playback, or 12 hours of wireless web browsing. The 16-inch model ups this to 22 hours of video playback or 15 hours of wireless web browsing.

Like the new Mac mini, the updated MacBook Pros now also feature WiFi 6E and benefit from 8K display support.

The 14-inch MacBook Pro with M2 Pro starts at $3,199 with 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD. The entry-level M2 Max variant will set you back $4,999 and has 32GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD.

The 16-inch MacBook Pro with M2 is naturally more expensive at $3,999 for 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD. Upgrading to a M2 Max model with 32GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD will cost you $5,599.

If you want to go all in, a maxed-out 16-inch MacBook Pro with M2 Max, 96GB of RAM and an 8TB SSD sells for $10,099.

All of Apple's new machines are available to pre-order from today, ahead of a February 3 release date.

Written by

Alex Choros

Alex Choros is the Group Reviews Editor for Clearlink Australia's local websites - Reviews.org, Safewise, and WhistleOut - and the Managing Editor for WhistleOut Australia. He's been writing about consumer technology for over eight years and is an expert on the Australian telco sector, to the point where he knows far too many phone and internet plans by heart. He also contributes to Gizmodo and Lifehacker, and makes regular appearances on 2GB. Outside of tech, Alex loves long hikes, red wine, and death metal.