MacBook Pro M2 / M2 Pro / M2 Max vs MacBook Pro M3 / M3 Pro / M3 Max : comparatif

The arrival of the MacBook Pro M3 marks the end of the 13-inch model

Apple's new MacBook Pros come in two sizes: 14.2 inches or 16.2 inches. The 2022 MacBook Pros, on the other hand, are also available witha 13.6-inch version. But this was subsequently abandoned. However, it was a good alternative to benefit from a revised technical sheet, but with a more affordable price. The thirteen-inch MacBook Pros notably missed out on better maximum brightness, or even on the ProMotion refresh rate of one hundred and twenty frames per second.

The thirteen-inch MacBook Pro M2s were also the only ones to still benefit from the Touch Bar, which permanently disappeared with them. This touch interface installed between the keyboard and the main screen offered several controls, notably for Photoshop or WhatsApp, but never really convinced third-party developers, it seems.

Performance, always there

Three new processors were released at the same time as the 2023 MacBook Pros. These are, you guessed it, the M3, M3 Pro and M3 Max chips. What you need to remember here is that their power reaches records when compared to the M2, M2 Pro and M2 Max chips in the 2022 MacBook Pros. The MacBook Pro M3, M3 Pro and M3 Max are thus faster, as This is proven by the benchmarks that have looked into the subject.

The official spec sheet, however, doesn't mention a significant difference between the M2 and M3, for example. Except perhaps for the arrival of AV1 decoding on the latter, but this is not a feature that will catch everyone's eye. RAM, on the other hand, now allows us to afford a 14-inch MacBook Pro with only eight gigabytes of RAM, which is more affordable than the basic option with the previous generation (sixteen gigabytes at least).

With the M3 Max chip, the most curious will also undoubtedly notice that it is now possible to benefit from no less than one hundred and twenty-eight gigabytes of RAM, while the limit was limited to ninety-six with the M2 Max. . In addition, the graphics card embedded on the SoC (system on chip) reaches up to forty cores, compared to thirty-eight today. However, we regret that the M3 Pro only comes with 150 GB per second of memory bandwidth, compared to 200 GB for the M2 Pro, on a sixteen-inch MacBook Pro.

Autonomy

The fourteen-inch MacBook Pros have significantly gained in battery life, with up to fifteen hours of endurance in wireless web browsing according to the manufacturer. With the same size M2 MacBook Pros, we were only allowed a maximum of twelve hours. Despite everything, it's less than the seventeen hours offered by the thirteen-inch MacBook Pro, and that's quite a shame. The autonomy of the large sixteen-inch models has not changed, on paper at least.

Be careful, however, because just because the thirteen-inch MacBook Pro is the most durable does not mean you should choose it as your daily ally. Indeed, let's not forget that this device still dates from 2022. However, Apple computers are only supported for five to seven years on average. The MacBook Pro M3 of fourteen should therefore be entitled to major macOS updates for longer.

There is a change on the internal storage side

The option with 256 GB of internal storage is no longer available today. Apple therefore only sells the MacBook Pro M3, M3 Pro and M3 Max from 512 GB of memory.

Price comparison

Old MacBook Pros with M2, M2 Pro or M2 Max chips are no longer available for sale today either. Note, however, that the small thirteen-inch model only required you to pay 1,599 euros to purchase it, previously. For comparison, the most affordable fourteen-inch MacBook Pro M3 today costs 1,999 euros. Or 400 euros more, which is not negligible for a small budget.

Very similar designs

The design of the MacBook Pro M3, M3 Pro and M3 Max unhesitatingly follows that of their predecessors. So we don't expect a major improvement on this side. The manufacturer could have removed the notch in favor of a more discreet punch as onthe iPhone 15 Pro and the iPhone 15 Pro Max, but this is still not the case.

You can always compare the size and mass of the different models, but you will see that from one generation to the next, almost nothing changes there too. The thirteen-inch MacBook Pro M2 is actually not so compact when compared to the fourteen-inch MacBook Pro M3. Indeed, as the size/screen ratio has been largely improved by the manufacturer, the two laptops are approximately the same size, within a few millimeters of course.

Finally a 1080p camera for everyone

The 720p camera on the M2 MacBook Pros has disappeared in favor of a 1080p sensor available on all subsequent models. This means that your video calls will necessarily be of much better quality, with an Mp of 2023. 1080p is also called Full HD, and it is generally the strict minimum that we are now offered on smartphones. It was really time for Apple to offer this improvement, as proven by the numerous opinions on the MacBook Pro M2, regretting the quality of its more than questionable front camera.

Operating system

The MacBook Pro M3 and MacBook Pro M2 are all compatible with the latest version of the Apple operating system dedicated to them; macOS Sequoia. Apple Intelligence, a suite of features powered by artificial intelligence, will also be available on all models when it arrives in the European Union.

Sockets and network

All MacBook Pros now have an HDMI jack and an SD card reader. In 2022, the thirteen-inch MacBook Pro M2 was not eligible.

Bluetooth 5.3 and Wi-Fi 6E are also generations more advanced than the standards available on the MacBook Pro M2, M2 Pro and M2 Max. However, all MacBook Pro M3, M3 Pro and M3 Max are entitled to it today.

If it is important today to take advantage of the most advanced versions of wireless networks, it is obviously because most of our communications are now carried out through this means. With Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3, you'll enjoy sending documents quickly and connecting to your wireless headphones in just seconds.

Verdict: half fig, half grape

The changes from one generation to the next are quite numerous, between MacBook Pro M2 and MacBook Pro M3. The absence of a cheaper version confined to a limited technical sheet is quite damaging, but it is perhaps the price to pay to take advantage of ever more powerful devices.

The M3 Max MacBook Pros are the most efficient that Apple has ever released, and these are clearly the devices you need if you are looking for hardware to work quickly and well. Moreover, the M2 or M2 Pro models remain excellent alternatives, especially for office automation. As a bonus, as these products are no longer manufactured, you benefit from discounts from most sellers offering reconditioned items.