Apple announced a major update for its high-end MacBook Pro models last year, with the new machines featuring a complete redesign, the M1 Pro and M1 Max chips and larger mini-LED displays with ProMotion. The 13-inch MacBook Pro has been updated with the M2 chip.

The M2 model and the high-end models are very different machines, so should you purchase the lower-cost MacBook Pro, which starts at $1,299, to save money, or do you need the higher-end 14- or 16-inch MacBook Pro, which starts at $2,499. Our guide will help you decide which of the two Apple MacBook Pros is better for you.

Comparing the 13-Inch MacBook Pro and 14- and 16-Inch MacBook Pro

The 13-inch MacBook Pro and high-end MacBook Pro have a lot of the same features. The same features are listed by Apple.

Similarities

  • Display with P3 wide color and True Tone
  • Apple silicon System on Chip (SoC)
  • Media engine with hardware-accelerated H.264, HEVC, ProRes, and ProRes RAW, video encode and decode engines, and ProRes encode and decode engines
  • 16-core Neural Engine
  • 16GB unified memory option
  • 512GB, 1TB, and 2TB storage options
  • Ambient light sensor
  • FaceTime HD camera with advanced image signal processor with computational video
  • Wide stereo sound
  • Studio-quality three-mic array with high signal-to-noise ratio and directional beamforming
  • ‌Touch ID‌
  • Backlit Magic Keyboard
  • Force Touch trackpad
  • 3.5mm headphone jack with advanced support for high-impedance headphones
  • At least two Thunderbolt 4 ports
  • 802.11ax Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.0
  • Available in Space Gray and Silver

The two MacBooks have a lot of the same features. There are some significant differences between the M2 MacBook Pro and the 14- and 16-inch models that are worth mentioning.

Differences

13-inch MacBook Pro.

  • 13.3-inch display
  • LCD Retina display
  • 500 nits brightness
  • Apple ‌M2‌ chip
  • 8-core CPU
  • 10-core GPU
  • 8GB, 16GB, or 24GB of unified memory
  • 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, or 2TB of storage
  • 720p ‌FaceTime‌ HD camera
  • Stereo speakers with high dynamic range
  • Support for Dolby Atmos playback
  • Two Thunderbolt 4 ports
  • Supports one external display with up to 6K resolution at 60Hz
  • Touch Bar
  • Integrated 58.2-watt-hour lithium-polymer battery
  • Up to 20 hours battery life when playing back video
  • 67W USB-C Power Adapter

Both MacBook Pro sizes are 14 and 16 inches.

  • 14.2-inch or 16.2-inch display
  • Mini-LED Liquid Retina XDR display with ProMotion
  • Up to 1000 nits sustained (full-screen) brightness, 1600 nits peak brightness
  • Apple M1 Pro chip or Apple M1 Max chip
  • Up to 10-core CPU
  • Up to 32-core GPU
  • 16GB, 32GB, or 64GB of unified memory
  • 512GB, 1TB, 2TB, 4TB, or 8TB of storage
  • 1080p ‌FaceTime‌ HD camera
  • High-fidelity six-speaker sound system with force-cancelling woofers
  • Support for spatial audio when playing music or video with Dolby Atmos on built-in speakers
  • Three Thunderbolt 4 ports, HDMI port, and SDXC card slot
  • Supports two external displays with up to 6K resolution at 60Hz (‌M1 Pro‌) or three external displays with up to 6K resolution and one external display with up to 4K resolution at 60Hz (‌M1 Max‌)
  • Full-size function keys
  • Integrated 70 or 100-watt-hour lithium-polymer battery
  • Up to 17 or 21 hours battery life when playing back video
  • 67W, 96W, or 140W USB-C Power Adapter
  • MagSafe 3 and fast charging

The entry-level and high-end MacBook Pro models are available in two colors. The machines are the same thickness, but the 14-inch and 16-inch models have different edges. The keyboard on the high-end MacBook Pro is black. Below are the dimensions of the machines.

13-inch MacBook Pro.

  • Height: 0.61 inch (1.56 cm)
  • Width: 11.97 inches (30.41 cm)
  • Depth: 8.36 inches (21.24 cm)
  • Weight: 3.0 pounds (1.4 kg)

Both MacBook Pro sizes are 14 and 16 inches.

  • Height: 0.61 inch (1.55 cm)/0.66 inch (1.68 cm)
  • Width: 12.31 inches (31.26 cm)/14.01 inches (35.57 cm)
  • Depth: 8.71 inches (22.12 cm)/9.77 inches (24.81 cm)
  • Weight: 3.5 pounds (1.6 kg)/4.7 pounds (2.1 kg)

The 13-inch and 14-inch MacBook Pro are very similar in size and should not affect your decision. You may want to consider that the 13-inch MacBook Pro has an older design with a flatter look than the high end models. The 13-inch MacBook Pro uses a design from 2016 while the high-end MacBook Pro's design has spread to the M2 MacBook Air.

macbook pro keyboard

Touch Bar

The function keys traditionally go to the function keys on the Touch Bar. Depending on which app is used, it can perform a range of different functions on the mac.

The Touch Bar blends in with the rest of the keys on the keyboard and it supports True Tone, allowing the white balance to be adjusted to match ambient lighting conditions. With support for up to 10 fingers at a time, you can interact with the Touch Bar.

The 13-inch MacBook Pro has a Touch Bar, while the other two models only have function keys. If you like the experience of the Touch Bar, you might prefer the 13-inch MacBook Pro.

Ports and Connectivity

The machines have different selections of available ports. The 13-inch MacBook Pro doesn't have a lot of ports. The 14-inch and 16-inch models have several features.

The 13-inch MacBook Pro can only support one external display, while the high-end model can support up to four displays with the M1 Max chip. The high-end models will be of particular value to professionals who use digital cameras or need to connect to external displays because of this all.

Display Size

The entry-level MacBook Pro's display is small compared to the high-end models. The larger iPad Pro model will be adequate for most users, even though it comes in at more than 13 inches.

The 16.2 inch display will be a better replacement for a desktop machine and provide more screen space to arrange multiple windows and use professional applications that benefit from additional display area. The 14.2 inch display is larger than the previous MacBook Air and MacBook Pro models, but still adds to the machine's size. The larger MacBook Pros have a rounded top corner.

The MacBook Pro displays are larger than previous models so there is still more display area. The display area below the notch has the same aspect ratio as previous MacBook Pro models to ensure that the notch does not impede normal display views.

If you're worried about the notch, you shouldn't have to get the larger MacBook Pro. Since the notch is the same on both models, it might be less noticeable on the 16-inch model. If you don't like the notch, the 13-inch MacBook Pro may be a better choice.

Display Technology

Both machines use different display technologies. The 13-inch MacBook has the same display as the other models. Apple's mini-LED Liquid Retina XDR technology for deeper blacks, better dynamic range, and improved color accuracy can be found in the 14- and 16-inch models.

At its peak, the XDR display can reach 1,600 nits of brightness. The MacBook Pro models have ProMotion displays that allow them to change their refresh rate up to 120Hz. The display on the 13-inch model is not variable.

It will be worth getting the high-end MacBook Pro models if you want to watch high-frame rate video such as sports. The display of the 13-inch MacBook Pro will still be adequate, but the high-end model offers a better experience.

Chip

The 13-inch MacBook Pro has the M2 chip, while the 14-inch and 16-inch models have either the M1 Pro or M1 Max chip. The M1 Pro and M1 Max are smaller versions of the M1 chip.

Compared to the M2 chip, the M1 Pro and M1 Max allow for a more powerful chip with up to two additional cores and 24 additional cores. The M2 chip is close to the M1 than it is to the M1 Pro. The M2 vs. M1 Pro guide can be found here.

  • M2 vs. M1 Pro Chip Buyer's Guide: Why M1 Pro Is Still Better

The scale of the M1 Pro and M1 Max makes them more capable than the M2 because they are more modern. The M1 Pro and M1 Max are powerful chips that can be used by professionals. The M2 is more of a consumer oriented chip focused on delivering impressive performance for day-to-day tasks and excellent efficiency to keep temperatures down. Take a look at our helpful guides to learn more about Apple's custom chips.

Camera

The 13-inch MacBook Pro has a lower resolution camera than the high-end MacBook Pro. If you use the built-inWebcam frequently, you will have a better experience with the MacBook Pro.

Speakers

The 13-inch MacBook Pro has speakers. The speakers on the MacBook Pros have a new six speaker system that supports spatial audio.

If you rely on the built-in speakers, you will have a better experience with the high end MacBook Pro models.

Battery Life

The 13-inch MacBook Pro has three more hours of battery life than the 14-inch MacBook Pro. The 13-inch MacBook Pro can provide up to 20 hours of battery life. The 14-inch MacBook Pro has 17 hours of battery life and the 16-inch model has 21 hours of battery life.

Charging

MagSafe 3 can be used to connect and remove the charging cable from the Macbook Pros. Fast charging is possible with the 14- and 16-inch Macbook Pros.

macbook pro magsafe 3 charging

Other MacBook Options

If you are looking for a more affordable Apple MacBook, there is the M1 MacBook Air, which has the same processor as the M1 MacBook Pro, a 13.3-inch display, Touch ID, and ports, as well as most other hardware features. The M1 MacBook Pro may be hard to justify for casual users. It is slightly less capable than the MacBook Pro but is still adequate for most users.

The M2 MacBook Pro has a number of improvements over the MacBook Air, including a brighter display, improved microphone and speaker quality, and an active cooling system. The MacBook Pro is the better option if you want slightly better performance than the M1 MacBook Air, as well as better display brightness, speaker and microphone quality.

If you want to perform a lot of graphics-based tasks, you should buy the M2 MacBook Pro instead of the MacBook Air because the M2 configuration is only $50 less than the MacBook Pro.

Final Thoughts

The 13-inch MacBook Pro is the best option for the average consumer. The 13-inch MacBook Pro is more similar to a MacBook Air than it is to a high-end MacBook. The 14-inch MacBook Pro is larger than it is portable. The 13-inch MacBook Pro is the default choice for the average consumer who is looking for more than the MacBook Air.

Professionals who require larger and more accurate displays, additional ports, more memory and storage, and a very high level of performance should look to the 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro. These high-end MacBook Pros are tailored to professionals and creatives who rely on their machines a lot.

The MacBook Pro is the best option if you want the best possible performance. Due to its large display, the 16-inch MacBook Pro is a good replacement for a desktop.

The starting price of the 13-inch MacBook Pro is less than the starting price of the 14-inch MacBook Pro. If you want a 13-inch MacBook Pro with at least 16 gigabytes of memory and at least 512 gigabytes of storage, it will set you back $1,699. It will be worth it for these users to get the 14-inch MacBook Pro.