Among the many products Apple dropped in 2022, there were some notable absences. An updated MacBook Pro felt like a shoo-in – but in an unusual turn of events, last year turned out to be the first in over 20 years (!) that Apple didn’t drop any new Macs in the forth quarter.
But all isn’t lost – the rumour mill has naturally turned its attention to this spring, and we’re hoping to see a MacBook Pro in the coming months or even weeks. And with the 14 and 16-inch MacBook Pro still featuring the M1 chip, an M2-powered upgrade is on the cards. Here’s everything we know so far. (Don’t fancy waiting? Check out the best MacBook Pro deals available now.)
The 14-inch and 16-inch models still feature the M1 chip (Image credit: Apple)
2023 MacBook Pro: Design
The MacBook Pro line up is in a pretty weird place right now when it comes to design. 2021’s M2 14-inch and 16-inch models feature a cutting-edge new look, with a slimmer overall body, super-bright LED display and, of course, the controversial ‘notch‘. 2022’s M2 13-inch model features the older design, with wider bezels, no notch and the infamous Touch Bar. So if you want the best chip, you‘ll have to opt for an older design. Apple works in mysterious ways.
With this is in mind, we’re expecting the main changes to the MacBook Pro to be internal, bringing the newer chip to the already new design. And it’s a design we‘re big fans of – back in 2021, we called the new MacBook Pro almost too good to be true.
Right now, the only M2 MacBook Pro features an old design (Image credit: Future)
2023 MacBook Pro: Specs
The obvious thing to expect here is the super-powerful M2 chip. Apple needs to bring the 14 and 16-inch MacBook Pro up to speed with the awesome M2 MacBook Air, and fast.
But we’ve already heard more rumours about the internals of the machines. Seasoned Apple leaker LeaksApplePro claims (below) that we can expect better speeds, better battery life and less heat. In terms of CPU, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has claimed that we can expect the same 5nm advanced node as the current M2 MacBook Air and 13-inch MacBook Pro – apparently squashing rumours of an even faster 3nm process.
Hearing the new 14/16-inch MBP’s performance will be “worth the wait”.Better speeds, better battery life, less heat… sounds like a pretty nice product update for me. No design or I/O changes though.November 27, 2022
2023 MacBook Pro: Price and release date
Brace yourself for a price increase this time around (Image credit: Future/Apple)
We’re not holding our breath for good news when it comes to price. In response to rising production costs, Apple has been raising prices outside the US for a while now, with the recent iPad and iPhone 14 line ups hitting astronomical heights in 2022. The 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros start at $1,999/£1,899 and $2,499/£2,399 respectively – if Apple raises prices by 15% as it did with October’s iPads, UK fans can expect to pay over £2,000 for the cheapest 14-inch model. Yikes.
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Of course, time will tell exactly what’s in store – Apple might be planning something else entirely this time around (maybe we’ll finally see that MacBook/iPad hybrid? No, we don’t think so either). We’ll keep this page updated with every rumour as it arrives.
Daniel John is Design Editor at Creative Bloq. He reports on the worlds of design, branding and lifestyle tech, and has covered several industry events including Milan Design Week, OFFF Barcelona and Adobe Max in Los Angeles.
