MacBook Pro(ish)
Apple’s latest chip find a home in one of its oldest chassis.
Ever since 2016, the 13-inch MacBook Pro has had a hard life. From problems with the butterfly keyboard, the lack of ports (and port variety) in favour of an all Thunderbolt/USB-C design, to the Touch Bar, the world's second best-selling laptop may also be it's most despised.
At WWDC, Apple surprised the tech community by updating the 13-inch MacBook Pro to the M2-chip, becoming the first of Apple's devices to receive Apple's latest silicon when it hits store shelves on June 24, 2022. It's a confusing product to be sure; with a design going back to 2016, the 13-inch MacBook Pro has a smaller panel without a Liquid Retina display and lacks the improved camera & speakers of the $100 cheaper redesigned M2 MacBook Air. I'm not trying to be an apologist for this laptop or Apple's decision to keep it in the lineup, but I don't think this MacBook is as bad as it seems. I think it might even deserve a place in Apple's laptop lineup (for now).
Supply
I can't help but think that a factor to keep this MacBook Pro around was the supply constraints that have affected some of Apple's products over the past two years. For example, as I write this post, the 14/16-inch MacBook Pros are delayed into late August, and custom models of the Mac Studio are now scheduled by the end of September. An 8-9 week wait for a laptop might be acceptable for those with the luxury of time, but it's detrimental to customers needing laptops urgently. A situation where demand is abundant & supply is lacking can quickly become a bad look.
But with the M2 MacBook Pro, Apple already has a tried and true configuration that they can quickly reconfigure with the new chip and a well-oiled manufacturing process to churn out these computers reliably. With demand still unbelievably strong for the 2021 MacBook Pros, and demand that will likely be through the roof for the new MacBook Air, the M2 MacBook Pro might be a perfect niche product for some. Specifically, I'm thinking about enterprise buyers, those wanting an Apple computer with potentially less wait, any remaining Touch Bar aficionados, and those that aren't all that choosey about their computer needs.
What's There & What's Missing
Love it or hate it, the Touch Bar lives to see another day.
For me, It's hard to see past the older design and $100 higher price tag of the M2 MacBook Pro over the M2 Air and see any redeemable qualities of this laptop, but they're there.
Yes, the MacBook Pro has an older form factor, a 720p camera vs. 1080p on the Air, a slightly smaller display, stereo speakers versus the Air's 4-speaker sound system, and is missing the MagSafe port. Those are the strikes against this laptop.
However, those opting for the M2 MacBook Pro over the Air will get more battery life (20 v. 18 hours), a Touch Bar, and an active cooling system which'll deliver more performance for those doing sustained, power-intensive tasks. A side benefit is that existing accessories (docks, cases) purchased for a previous 13" MacBooks will also work seamlessly with this device. There might even be a small contingent of people who hate the notch on the new MacBook Air so much they gravitate to the new M2 Pro.
Everything else, near as I can tell, remains the same between the two devices. You get the same M2 with 20% performance boosts over M1, ProRes encode and decode engines, a headphone jack for high-impedance headphones, and support for Spatial Audio.
Chasm in the Product Matrix
Currently, Apple has a bit of a chasm between the 14-inch MacBook Pro, which starts at $1,999, and the MacBook Air, which starts at $1,199. It's a massive gap in price and capability.
This large gap represents a bit of an oddity in Apple's product lineup, with products like the iPhone or iPad having a device available at nearly every incremental price point. This structure allows users to gradually move up or down the product ladder rather than taking a giant leap or tumble from one product class to another.
A slightly more Pro-like MacBook can serve to close a bit of the gap between these two tiers of notebooks and might be attractive for people seeking a Pro-named notebook or wanting the performance improvements over the fanless Air.
Most People Don't Care
While I can't get over how friggin' gorgeous that new M2 MacBook Air looks, I figure many people won't care. I can't think of a single person amongst my friends or family member that would notice or even care about some of the differences between the M2 Air & Pro. It's not that they don't have taste, but a Mac is just a tool for them. They'd honestly be happy with either, and if I pointed out the new Liquid Retina display or that exquisite braided MagSafe cable, they'd shrug, indifferent. We all have our things. And if this is the computer that’s available when people walk into the store, I reckon most will be perfectly pleased with it.
In Sum
I think the MacBook Pro is a peculiar product. Its higher price, relative to the MacBook Air, confounds me because when I look at the two side-by-side, the MacBook Air feels like a much better value proposition for me. It's still a fantastic computer but has a complicated history, made even more confusing by currently coexisting adjacent to the MacBook Air. But in a world where supply issues abound, having more Macs available to more people may be the better strategic play. I vote the MacBook Pro(ish) can stay (for now).
