M2 Pro MacBooks in 2022?

Does it make sense to buy a 14-inch or 16-inch M1 Pro MacBook right now? The answer might depend on when Apple releases their M2 Pro successors.

Some, like Vadim Yuryev of the MaxTech YouTube channel, are convinced that the M2 Pro MacBooks will be released in the Spring of 2023.


Others, like David Eden-Sangwell of the iCaveDave YouTube channel, insist that Apple will release the M2 Pro MacBooks before the end of 2022.


The discontinued Intel-based MacBook Pro was released on November 10, 2020 and the M1 Pro-based MacBooks were released on October 26, 2021. It seems plausible that Apple would release M2 Pro MacBooks in approximately four months.

With that expectation, would you purchase an M1 Pro MacBook today?

I just purchased a 14" MBP M1 10C/16GB/1TB. This compliments the MS M1 Ultra and Pro Display XDR on my desk.

Last Friday I pre-ordered a MBA M2 8C24GB/1TB, but later cancelled after reconsidering how important the display is to me. The default 2X scaling mode and microLED backlighting of the MBP really pulled me back to the MBP.

The MBA M2 form factor does look awesome, and I'm a fan of the MBA M1 and had one some time ago. I get the feeling that the MBP will get an M2 Pro in the Spring of 2023 - that cadence seems right.

tskwara said:

I just purchased a 14" MBP M1 10C/16GB/1TB. This compliments the MS M1 Ultra and Pro Display XDR on my desk.

Last Friday I pre-ordered a MBA M2 8C24GB/1TB, but later cancelled after reconsidering how important the display is to me. The default 2X scaling mode and microLED backlighting of the MBP really pulled me back to the MBP.

The MBA M2 form factor does look awesome, and I'm a fan of the MBA M1 and had one some time ago. I get the feeling that the MBP will get an M2 Pro in the Spring of 2023 - that cadence seems right.

Click to expand...

I just bought the same machine (14" M1 Pro 10-core/16-core/16GB/1TB) to replace my M1 MacBook Air which I'm giving to my daughter.

I was going to buy the M2 MBA, but decided I want more performance out of a specific medical imaging app I use (the only app I use that can stress the M1 to it's limit), and for the option of a second external display which I'm contemplating.

Even if the M2 Pro/M2 Max are announced at the end of 2022, I needed a machine now. And even then, it'll be minimum 5-6 months before new ones are out. And the 10-core/16-core M1 Pro is already ~50% faster than the M1 MBA -- the additional 20% potential speed boost of a M2 Pro over the M1 Pro isn't going to make nearly as much difference as the boost going from a fanless M1 to the 16-core GPU of an M1 Pro. And the M1 Pro is still all-around faster than the M2 in everything but single core synthetic benchmarks.

Again, I'd have likely been well served by the M2 MacBook Air, but the M1 Pro has other benefits that I was interested in and couldn't wait another 6 months for. And there's only like a $200-$300 price difference between the M1 Pro MBP and the M2 MBA once similarly spec'd (edu pricing).

Given Gurman's M2 predictions turned out correct, it's more likely we'll see M2 Pro this year. Apple has been testing M2 variants since April, so it's unlikely to be a 3nm chip.

If Gurman is right, then we might see an October Mac event.

jav6454 said:

If Gurman is right, then we might see an October Mac event.

That Amazon and Costco are giving a $200 discount on M1 Pro MacBooks may be another indication that newer models are not far away.

with all due respect,

y'all mugs give these "influencers" way too much power over your thoughts and how you live your life. what did we all do before youtube and social media when it came to wondering if we should purchase something...

i just spent 6500 dollars ( mind you im a full on android fanboy with a s22 ultra , fold 3, and 5 pc's) on a maxed out mbp 16 inch 8tb max yada yadda notebook on july 1 (got final cut, logic pro). got it 3 days later. im not waiting for "what if" -- im enjoying the laptop now ( it was an impulse purchase).

that said, you wont see an m2 max pro model until mid next year. ill be sure to come back to this thread and tell ya " i told ya so". 💩🤡

netnative said:

That Amazon and Costco are giving a $200 discount on M1 Pro MacBooks may be another indication that newer models are not far away.

Not quite. Amazon and Costco will take hits to drive sales.

Any chance the M2 will also come with a new form factor? It’ll probably be another 2-3 years before they make them thinner/lighter, right?

flapflapflap said:

Any chance the M2 will also come with a new form factor? It’ll probably be another 2-3 years before they make them thinner/lighter, right?

Yeah, little to no chance form factor changes. The only thing I see Apple doing with the MBP body is slimming down the notch like they have with the iPhone.

It'll be a few years before we see a significant weight or size reduction.

The first M1 MacBooks were released in the fall of 2020 and the M1 Pros in the fall of 2021. If the cycle follows the same pattern we'll see the M2 Pros released in the fall of 2023. Makes sense as M1 Pro still runs circles around the new M2 base chips (thankfully).

izzy0242mr said:

Yeah, little to no chance form factor changes. The only thing I see Apple doing with the MBP body is slimming down the notch like they have with the iPhone.

It'll be a few years before we see a significant weight or size reduction.

How about removing/updating ports? I have the M1 Pro 16" and it's a great machine but the size and weight is starting to bother me. I will also be traveling more and I cannot imagine taking it with me. I'm considering just swapping it for the M1 Pro 14" or just wait for the M2 Pro 14". I'm hoping it the M2 Pro 14" will have better battery life and some other compelling upgrades.

madat42 said:

The first M1 MacBooks were released in the fall of 2020 and the M1 Pros in the fall of 2021. If the cycle follows the same pattern we'll see the M2 Pros released in the fall of 2023. Makes sense as M1 Pro still runs circles around the new M2 base chips (thankfully).

What sort of updates/improvements do you envision with the M2 Pro?

Im in the exact same problem now as i dont know what to do.....
Im not fully ready to purchase a new MacBook but my current Mid-14 MBP 15 inch is 8 years old and about to die i feel.
Battery won't last hardly at all and also getting random shut downs.

My problem i have now is i dont know wether to:
Get the MBP M1 16 inch
Get the MBA M2 13 inch
or wait until the M2 16inch Pro comes out which im not sure if my current mac would last until then??

Here in AUS the new MBA is sold out and the wait will be about 1 month approx while the M1 Pro 16GB 1TB model i can pick up tomorrow morning and roughly $350 AU less than Apple's AUS RRP.

Not sure wether to wait or just choose one right now?

chriswhv6 said:

Im in the exact same problem now as i dont know what to do.....
Im not fully ready to purchase a new MacBook but my current Mid-14 MBP 15 inch is 8 years old and about to die i feel.
Battery won't last hardly at all and also getting random shut downs.

My problem i have now is i dont know wether to:
Get the MBP M1 16 inch
Get the MBA M2 13 inch
or wait until the M2 16inch Pro comes out which im not sure if my current mac would last until then??

Here in AUS the new MBA is sold out and the wait will be about 1 month approx while the M1 Pro 16GB 1TB model i can pick up tomorrow morning and roughly $350 AU less than Apple's AUS RRP.

Not sure wether to wait or just choose one right now?

Click to expand...

The 16" MBP will be plenty powerful. Depends on what you're going for. An M1 Max 16" MBP will be more powerful than the eventual entry level M2 Pro 16" MBP. You could get that if you're concerned about power in the long run.

M2 16" MBP won't be out until probably sometime between April and June 2023. So that's 9 months away at minimum. If you're having random shutdowns, yeah, I'm not sure you'll be able to wait that long.

The 16" MBP is still a great computer and will easily last you another 8 years if you treat it well. I'd personally spring for that one, especially with the discount you mentioned.

izzy0242mr said:

The 16" MBP will be plenty powerful. Depends on what you're going for. An M1 Max 16" MBP will be more powerful than the eventual entry level M2 Pro 16" MBP. You could get that if you're concerned about power in the long run.

M2 16" MBP won't be out until probably sometime between April and June 2023. So that's 9 months away at minimum. If you're having random shutdowns, yeah, I'm not sure you'll be able to wait that long.

The 16" MBP is still a great computer and will easily last you another 8 years if you treat it well. I'd personally spring for that one, especially with the discount you mentioned.

Click to expand...

Thank you for the reply and info/advice. Very much appreciated!

So this model thats on for sale @ $3,677 AU (vs Apple's $4,049 price) is the:
M1 Pro 16 inch
10-Core CPU
16-Core GPU
16GB Unified Memory
1TB SSD Storage

I think the power specs is more than enough for what i want to use it for.
I would have liked a little higher RAM but ohh well.

Hmm 9 months if it is yeah i honestly dont know if mines going to last that long maybe??

If i get another 8 years out of i id be happy. I just was not really in the best position right now to spend that kind of cash at the moment for a laptop and was hoping id get to wait until the M2 pro's dropped but yeah im just not sure if my current one will last that long and perhaps the prices will increase even further with next years models??

chriswhv6 said:

Thank you for the reply and info/advice. Very much appreciated!

So this model thats on for sale @ $3,677 AU (vs Apple's $4,049 price) is the:
M1 Pro 16 inch
10-Core CPU
16-Core GPU
16GB Unified Memory
1TB SSD Storage

I think the power specs is more than enough for what i want to use it for.
I would have liked a little higher RAM but ohh well.

Hmm 9 months if it is yeah i honestly dont know if mines going to last that long maybe??

If i get another 8 years out of i id be happy. I just was not really in the best position right now to spend that kind of cash at the moment for a laptop and was hoping id get to wait until the M2 pro's dropped but yeah im just not sure if my current one will last that long and perhaps the prices will increase even further with next years models??

Click to expand...

I doubt M2x prices will go up a ton as compared to what they are now, but you're going to get the best deals by either getting a discounted current model (since new M2x models won't be discounted until late 2023 at minimum) or by buying a slightly used current model for additional savings (which is what I did).

If you're not in a great place to spend a chunk of change on a laptop, my recommendation would be to get an external backup drive if you don't have one already, backup your computer, wipe it clean and reinstall macOS, migrate your data back onto it, and hope that helps with the reboots. Battery obviously can't do much about that without spending a bit of money, but if you're fine being on a charger for a bit longer that may be the best budget choice.

But yeah overall, (a) it'll be a long wait for the M2x models and (b) those will definitely be top dollar no matter what.

If you can wait a couple months for a replacement laptop, I'd say do a wipe and migration assistant restore on your older Mac and keep pushing it, then look for either further discounted deals or used models of the 16" in a few months. Prices will only go down on those as people anticipate the next model.

izzy0242mr said:

I doubt M2x prices will go up a ton as compared to what they are now, but you're going to get the best deals by either getting a discounted current model (since new M2x models won't be discounted until late 2023 at minimum) or by buying a slightly used current model for additional savings (which is what I did).

If you're not in a great place to spend a chunk of change on a laptop, my recommendation would be to get an external backup drive if you don't have one already, backup your computer, wipe it clean and reinstall macOS, migrate your data back onto it, and hope that helps with the reboots. Battery obviously can't do much about that without spending a bit of money, but if you're fine being on a charger for a bit longer that may be the best budget choice.

But yeah overall, (a) it'll be a long wait for the M2x models and (b) those will definitely be top dollar no matter what.

If you can wait a couple months for a replacement laptop, I'd say do a wipe and migration assistant restore on your older Mac and keep pushing it, then look for either further discounted deals or used models of the 16" in a few months. Prices will only go down on those as people anticipate the next model.

Click to expand...

Yeah your right even when the M2's do come out its going to be a extra while to wait until they go on sale/% off etc

Ive done my main back up of all critical files but i have never done a macOS reinstall ever. Not sure how complicated that is but im sure if i look it up ill find out.
Its not as much as just the random shutdowns its more so the fact that when running on battery even though say for example the battery is showing at 80% charge it will just switch off and when ill press the power button the flashing red deleted battery images only shows up, plug in the cable and turn it on again and its showing 80% charged :/

That is def another option to just keep a constant back up and push it until it completely dies and then look at whats available.

chriswhv6 said:

Yeah your right even when the M2's do come out its going to be a extra while to wait until they go on sale/% off etc

Ive done my main back up of all critical files but i have never done a macOS reinstall ever. Not sure how complicated that is but im sure if i look it up ill find out.
Its not as much as just the random shutdowns its more so the fact that when running on battery even though say for example the battery is showing at 80% charge it will just switch off and when ill press the power button the flashing red deleted battery images only shows up, plug in the cable and turn it on again and its showing 80% charged :/

That is def another option to just keep a constant back up and push it until it completely dies and then look at whats available.

Click to expand...

It's not complicated:

1. Backup everything
2. Power off
3. Hold the CMD+R keys and boot up. It'll bring up the Recovery boot system.
4. Open Disk Utility. Click on Macintosh HD and click Erase. Close Disk Utility.
5. Click Reinstall macOS (requires internet). Let it download and install.
6. When finished, boot up and plug in Time Machine when it asks to do Migration Assistant. Wait a few hours; voila. Ahh, okay. So then if that's what's going on... very likely a system wipe may not do the trick. It sounds like your battery is probably just shot. You're not getting the "service battery" error? What's your power cycle count?

A new aftermarket battery would be like $50 bucks but the ifixit guide looks like it's somewhat complicated to replace (gotta remove a lot of the other internals to get to the battery). Dunno what repair centers would charge where you live but may be worth looking into for like $100-150. If you can afford that and your Mac is otherwise working fine, it'd save you several hundred more down the road or at least buy you time to save up so you're in a better place to spend a larger chunk of change later on. Would also increase the resale value of your current Mac if you sell it.

izzy0242mr said:

It's not complicated:

1. Backup everything
2. Power off
3. Hold the CMD+R keys and boot up. It'll bring up the Recovery boot system.
4. Open Disk Utility. Click on Macintosh HD and click Erase. Close Disk Utility.
5. Click Reinstall macOS (requires internet). Let it download and install.
6. When finished, boot up and plug in Time Machine when it asks to do Migration Assistant. Wait a few hours; voila.

How to reinstall macOS

Use macOS Recovery to reinstall the Mac operating system.

support.apple.com

Ahh, okay. So then if that's what's going on... very likely a system wipe may not do the trick. It sounds like your battery is probably just shot. You're not getting the "service battery" error? What's your power cycle count?

A new aftermarket battery would be like $50 bucks but the ifixit guide looks like it's somewhat complicated to replace (gotta remove a lot of the other internals to get to the battery). Dunno what repair centers would charge where you live but may be worth looking into for like $100-150. If you can afford that and your Mac is otherwise working fine, it'd save you several hundred more down the road or at least buy you time to save up so you're in a better place to spend a larger chunk of change later on. Would also increase the resale value of your current Mac if you sell it.

Click to expand...

Thank you so much for the guide on the reinstall!
Will def come in handy if i choose to do it.

When i click on the battery icon on the top bar it does have the little exclamation mark in the triangle warning and does say service recommended. my power cycle count is at 1,064.

Ive personally never had any luck when it come to aftermarket repairs...maybe its just been my bad luck im not sure haha.

chriswhv6 said:

Thank you so much for the guide on the reinstall!
Will def come in handy if i choose to do it.

When i click on the battery icon on the top bar it does have the little exclamation mark in the triangle warning and does say service recommended. my power cycle count is at 1,064.

Ive personally never had any luck when it come to aftermarket repairs...maybe its just been my bad luck im not sure haha.

Okay so yeah it's 100% the battery that's the source of your problems. The batteries are only rated for 1000 cycles to retain 80% of their charge, and if yours is doing what yours is doing, it's likely a lot lower. Could install the free "Coconut Battery" to see exactly how much of the original capacity your battery currently has.

Fair. I've done a lot of my own repairs but that was on older Macs that were designed to be repaired. I did have one aftermarket battery that had not amazing battery life, but it wasn't dying at 80% for sure.

An aftermarket battery will likely not get you multiple years of solid battery life on your current machine, but should certainly tide you over for at least another year if you wanted to keep it that long. If you're planning to resell the current Mac I do know having a dying battery will make your resale value a lot lower. If you buy from a reputable place like iFixit or even a decently rated seller on Amazon or eBay, I think the worst you can expect from a battery is that it won't be as long lasting as Apple's. But if you're not wanting to do that, then it may be best to either (a) religiously stick to a power charger or (b) shell out for an upgrade. If you're not buying with AppleCare+, a used Mac might save you some money, too. There are M1 Max 16" MBPs with 32 GB RAM going for still less than new from Apple on swappa.com but idk how many of those listings would ship internationally.

izzy0242mr said:

Okay so yeah it's 100% the battery that's the source of your problems. The batteries are only rated for 1000 cycles to retain 80% of their charge, and if yours is doing what yours is doing, it's likely a lot lower.

Ahh ok.
Well im used the heck out of this laptop.
Its practically been on all day every day for about 8 years almost. Sometimes even left running during the entire night lol.
I guess i got everything out of that i could haha.

izzy0242mr said:

If you're planning to resell the current Mac I do know having a dying battery will make your resale value a lot lower

Nah i dont think i would resell mine to be honest.

izzy0242mr said:

either (a) religiously stick to a power charger

Yep might just leave it upstairs at a desk and use it as a always powered connected mode i guess if/when i upgrade with the new one.

izzy0242mr said:

here are M1 Max 16" MBPs with 32 GB RAM going for still less than new from Apple on swappa.com but idk how many of those listings would ship internationally.

Ive never even heard of that site before so wouldn't have a clue if they shipped internationally either yeah.
Speaking of 32GB i would have loved if i could have got the M1 Pro with 32GB ram from this store that i found the units cheaper but unfortunately they only sell the always lower tier speced models that Apple offers.
If i wanted to bump up ONLY the ram id have to order through Apple direct which i think they charge a extra $300/$400 AU just to bump the ram from 16 to 32 GB :/

chriswhv6 said:

Ive never even heard of that site before so wouldn't have a clue if they shipped internationally either yeah.
Speaking of 32GB i would have loved if i could have got the M1 Pro with 32GB ram from this store that i found the units cheaper but unfortunately they only sell the always lower tier speced models that Apple offers.
If i wanted to bump up ONLY the ram id have to order through Apple direct which i think they charge a extra $300/$400 AU just to bump the ram from 16 to 32 GB :/

Swappa is more popular here in the USA but it's individual sellers so you'd just have to see if an individual listing offers international shipping. It's a great site, I've bought and sold there many times, so I can personally vouch for it. But it's primarily used by people in North America. You can comment on posts and ask if they'd ship to you, but your mileage may vary.

Yeah the RAM tax is unfortunately huge. 16 GB is what I've had since like 2014 and it's been doing fine for me. 32 is nice but I definitely am not using the most RAM intensive stuff and will probably be fine for the next 8+ years myself with my M1 Pro + 16gb setup.

izzy0242mr said:

Swappa is more popular here in the USA but it's individual sellers so you'd just have to see if an individual listing offers international shipping. It's a great site, I've bought and sold there many times, so I can personally vouch for it. But it's primarily used by people in North America.

Ahh cool ok. Thats good to know its great to use. Understandable its primarily used by people in NA.

izzy0242mr said:

definitely am not using the most RAM intensive stuff and will probably be fine for the next 8+ years myself with my M1 Pro + 16gb setup.

Well thats good to know the 16Gb with the M1 Pro is ok for what your using it for.
I think im using my MacBook much less resource wise compared to what i use to years ago so maybe the 16GB will be ok then for me as well?

chriswhv6 said:

Well thats good to know the 16Gb with the M1 Pro is ok for what your using it for.
I think im using my MacBook much less resource wise compared to what i use to years ago so maybe the 16GB will be ok then for me as well?

Prob so. I got it honestly more for the overall package (ports, screen, size, power). I am not doing lots of serious video editing. I'm doing normal work (I do tend to have tons of browser tabs open though so I use memory mostly for that), but so far I've done stuff like play games while having a Windows virtual machine running in the background and also having Safari open with a ton of tabs and genuinely haven't even noticed it, whereas on my 2015 Intel Mac running any of those things at the same time - even with 16 GB of RAM - would have been a nightmare.