Apple MacBook Pro (M2 Pro) - More Power Than I'll Ever Need

In the world of laptops, be they for personal or professional use, there are certain names, brands and models that stand out above the rest. Their reputation precedes them and those in the know clamour to get their hands on each new generation as it's launched because of a loyalty born of years of proven performance. Apple MacBook Pro is one of those names.

Superior speed, class-leading battery life and just boring old reliability are the main reasons when most users turn to MacBook Pro they never look back.

Since Apple has focussed on its own silicon to power these devices, the jump in performance has been even more rewarding for MacBook fans.

Let's jump again, together.

Now I'm just going to come right on out and say it; the MacBook Pro is not the world's most sexy-looking laptop. (Cue gasps of horror from Apple acolytes across the globe) It just isn't. It's only available in Space Grey or Silver - so none of the fun colours we often see with iPads or iMacs. It's not a particularly cool shape - the rounded corners are very Apple-esque but it's actually quite thick and boxy by modern laptop standards. While the lid and screen are super slim, the main body of the MacBook Pro is not and unlike the MacBook Air, it doesn't taper away to a narrow edge when closed.

Oh, and it's pretty heavy. I'm used to reviewing laptops that claim to be the lightest thing going. MacBook Pro does not make that claim. It's 1.6kgs - but you know what?...

I don't care. I don't care about any of that stuff because that stuff is fluff. The main thing you need to know is this is the best laptop I've ever used.

You now have the choice of a 14-inch or 16-inch MacBook Pro powered by either Apple's M2 Pro or M2 Max. I'm reviewing the 14-inch model with M2 Pro silicon, 16GB of RAM and 1TB storage. I can only imagine the processing power of the M2 Max version - in fact, I'm not sure I can because in the time I've been using this Pro, I haven't even come close to putting it under pressure.

Oh, I've tried. I've connected accessories both physically and wirelessly - via WiFi and bluetooth - then run them all at once while transferring files, casting screens and streaming online content.

The MacBook Pro barely raised a sweat - and I mean that quite literally. I can't get this thing to warm up at all, even when it's actually on my lap. I've read reports of a little bit of fan noise when the computer is really working hard but I haven't heard a thing. Either I'm not making it work hard enough or I'm a bit deaf. Probably both.

It's easy to think this is more power than you'll ever need or use but what the awesome M2 Pro chip allows you to do is run your MacBook the way all computers should work; responding smoothly, effortlessly and instantly to every command, regardless of how many different processes are running simultaneously or how many apps you have open.

I can export my video file in MovieMaker (which only takes a few seconds of course) but while I wait, and can come back to writing this review, looking up specs on the Apple website, AirDrop some files to other devices all the while listening to music - none of these things is affected by the other.

Of course, this is the very least of what MacBook Pro is capable of - whether you're creating in Final Cut, Adobe Premiere or any of a host of other video, photography or audio editing environments, this computer slices through it all like a hot knife through butter.

I use Adobe Audition for the majority of my audio mixing, partly because of its ability to share files between devices via Adobe Creative Cloud. While this feature works pretty well on most computers, I've never seen anything handle the complicated task of accessing files, downloading and reorganising them into my project like the MacBook Pro does it. This isn't just due to sheer processing power - fast write speeds come into play as well as the latest Wi-Fi 6E connectivity - I've definitely noticed stuff seems to download and open quite a bit quicker than I'm used to on this device.

Apple claims the M2 Pro with its 12-core CPU offers up to 20 per cent greater performance over the M1 Pro. I don't really know how anyone can verify a statement like that but from what I've seen so far, I have no reason to question it.

Let's talk display and graphics too - speaking of cores, the GPU on this model boast 19 of them. Again, who really knows what that means but the results I've seen on the legendary Liquid Retina XDR display are absolutely first-class. And yes, that does mean superb gaming performance. Think about it; unprecedented CPU and GPU power combined with a fantastically bright display and a six-speaker sound system - if only Apple Arcade offered a few more triple-A titles. There is a hack for this of course; thanks to Xbox Cloud Gaming. If you have a Game Pass Ultimate subscription you can play most of your favourite Xbox games on this MacBook Pro - pairing controllers is no issue and gameplay is smooth and lag-free.

But it's the creators out there, both professional and otherwise who'll benefit most from this year's MacBook Pro upgrade. Not only are tasks like 3D and even 4D rendering now able to be performed on the go in real-time but the connectivity options on offer should also cater for most eventualities. The advanced HDMI port enables you to link with an 8K external monitor if required, there's an SDXC card reader for convenient file transfer from cameras and three Thunderbolt 4 USB-C ports - that means fast data transfer, easy connection to external displays and the option to charge via USB-C from either side of the device. Hooray!

That's assuming you're not using the included MagSafe charging cable and 96W charging brick - this provides one of the faster charging experiences I've come across on a laptop, especially given the truly standout performance of the 70-watt-hour lithium-polymer battery. Apple people take this stuff for granted but anyone who uses another brand of laptop or tablet is faced with the constant daily challenge of finding somewhere to plug in - perhaps even multiple times throughout the day.

Not with this puppy. I always say claims of hours of video playback or Wi-Fi web usage are a bit meaningless because there are so many different factors in play when it comes to power drain on a laptop. However, and again, you'll just have to take my word on this, I've never used a laptop that comes anywhere close to the battery life on the MacBook Pro. I'm talking hours different.

There are a host of other little tweaks and upgrades - too numerous to mention them all here. The fingerprint unlock is fast, reliable and hasn't failed me yet. There's no face unlock which is kind of odd, given I can literally access my bank accounts on my iPhone with my face. On the other hand, if I'm wearing my Apple Watch it unlocks the MacBook Pro automatically so I haven't really lost anything there.

But while we're talking camera, the 1080p FaceTime HD shooter has also been zooshed up, thanks to "an advanced image signal processor with computational video." Again, absolutely no idea what that means other than the fact it now does an excellent job of keeping me clear, well lit and in focus, regardless of lighting conditions. I've found the triple-mic array is also quite superior and that all adds up to an excellent out-and-about online-meeting solution.

In fact, the MacBook Pro with M2 Pro silicon is an excellent solution for pretty much anything you care to throw at it. I've enjoyed working on it so much I keep trying to find new reasons to use it. I'm thoroughly looking forward to upcoming accessory reviews because I can connect them to this laptop and rest assured I'll be editing all my videos on the MacBook Pro from now on. Just like the one below.

This configuration is certainly pricey; the 14-inch, 1GB M2 Pro model I'm using right now is NZ$4,599. In saying that, from what I've experienced so far it's definitely a "you get what you pay for" situation. Yes, that's a lot of money but man-oh-man, this is a heck of a lot of computer.

    

Click here for more information and pricing on the Apple MacBook Pro (M2 Pro).