When Apple introduced the new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro in 2021, it was accompanied by a lot of fanfare. Laptops were presented at a grand event. Things went a little differently with the 2023 models, which will be delivered from January 24th. There is no event, just a press release and a video on Apple’s own website hinting at the new models. Fairly or unfairly? To find out, Apple sent us its (almost) most expensive MacBook Pro, with a 16-inch display, M2 Max processor, 4TB of storage, and an odd 96GB of RAM.

These specs we just mentioned are the most important change in the MacBook Pro. If you are curious about it, check out the next page. There isn’t much to tell about the laptop’s exterior, as is the housing The same Like the 2021 model. For the sake of completeness, we’ll go through that exterior and discuss a visible and invisible change to it.

housing

With the introduction of the 2021 model, the MacBook Pro received a new chassis largely similar to the previous year’s model. It’s made of metal and just a bit thicker than the 2019 model. The Touch Bar, the touchscreen bar at the top of the keyboard, has been replaced with physical keys, and the top-right key has a slightly larger fingerprint scanner. Speakers are located on either side of the keyboard, which provides great sound for a laptop. There’s “full” sound from the six speakers in total, with more bass than you’d expect from a laptop. You can also put it very hard. It’s no better than a good set of external speakers, but for the laptop’s built-in audio, these are top notch.

The housing is otherwise what you would expect for this price and given Apple’s reputation. The metal feels sturdy and the different parts of the chassis fit together almost seamlessly. The screen hinge rotates smoothly, yet provides enough resistance so that the screen doesn’t wobble when opened. At the top of the screen is the 1080p webcam, which is also unchanged from the 2021 model.

New: HDMI 2.1 and MagSafe color

There is innovation in communication and this is something you should know about because it is not included. HDMI connection on the right. With the 2021 model it was an HDMI 2.0 connection and with the 2023 MacBook it’s upgraded to 2.1. Although “HDMI 2.1” has become a collective noun, this connection provides a full bandwidth of 48 Gb/s. Good for a 4K monitor at 240Hz or an 8K monitor at 60Hz.

Of course there are also USB4 connections, three in total, to which you can also connect monitors. The number of displays you want to connect matters when choosing between the M2 Pro and M2 Max processor. If you choose the M2 Pro, you can connect two external monitors with a maximum resolution of 6K. With the M2 Max, the maximum is four screens. You can then connect up to three 6k displays via USB4 and one 4k144 display via HDMI.

Another innovation is the… Roller Roll… MagSafe Connection. The magnetic charging port isn’t new, but the cable and connector are now the same color as the laptop, just like the MacBook Air. If your MacBook was Space Gray, your magnetic connector is now also a dark gray. If you don’t have a MagSafe charger with you, you can also use the USB-C ports to charge your laptop. Finally, there is an SD card reader on the right side.