14-inch MacBook Pro (M2 Pro) VS 13-inch (M2): comparison and differences

13-inch VS 14-inch MacBook Pro in a Nutshell:

• A cheaper 13-inch MacBook Pro
• Best performance on the 14-inch MacBook Pro
• The notch on the 14-inch MacBook Pro
• More storage in 14 inches
• Touch Bar on 13-inch MacBook Pro

1 – Comparison of screens

As the name suggests, the 14-inch MacBook Pro and the 13-inch MacBook Pro don’t actually have the same display. The first, precisely, has a 14.2-inch panel, and the second is slightly smaller than the 13.3-inch diagonal. So the difference is not that big. However, purists and lovers of beautiful pictures will probably prefer the 2023 14-inch MacBook Pro. Indeed, it is the only one equipped with technology. mini LED, offering more faithful colors and especially deeper blacks. The result is striking contrast, even at high brightness.

Moreover, it turns out that the power of the diodes is not the same. While the 14-inch MacBook Pro does very well in direct sunlight with 1,600 peak nits (with HDR content) for a 3,024 x 1,964-pixel display, the 13-inch MacBook Pro M2 does not. not more than five hundred nits with 2560 x 1600 pixels. As a bonus, you should know that the ProMotion refresh rate of one hundred and twenty frames per second is only available on the MacBook Pro M2 Pro / M2 Max, but not on the 13-inch 2022…

2 – Design and notch

With that, still on the screen side, know that the 14-inch MacBook Pro offers a better size-to-screen ratio thanks to the notch that guides the camera. The edges are thinner, more beautiful. On the other hand, not everyone will appreciate this format: we would really prefer a sensor under the screen. Here the lens “interferes” a little. Apple apps are optimized to take this into account, but this isn’t always the case with third-party publishers: for many of them, you’ll have to settle for something effective. the black bar at the top of the interface. No problem with the 13-inch MacBook Pro, but Apple could have offered a smaller case.

In addition, the 14- and 13-inch MacBook Pros are still comparable compact, the latter is logically smaller and less heavy. But hardly; not enough to tell the difference at first glance. Moreover, the colors offered for 13 and 14 inches are the same: silver or space gray.

13-inch MacBook Pro © Apple

3 – Autonomy: 14-inch VS 13-inch MacBook Pro

The larger the screen, the more power the Mac uses. This is confirmed by the autonomy of the 14-inch MacBook Pro and 13-inch MacBook Pro: we see every hour or two Among the durability of laptops according to measurements.

4 – Does the Touch Bar make a difference?

The 13-inch MacBook Pro (M2) is still the only MacBook equipped with Touch Bar today. This second screen, mounted between the main display and the keyboard, is touch capable. By customizing it, you can add shortcuts of your choice, and third-party programs often offer special, quite practical options. So it’s clear that it’s not important, and bugs still exist after several years of development. But it’s a little extra, which is nice. But not to see a different purchase criterion from there, on the other hand.

Good to know: The 13-inch MacBook Pro (2022) and 14-inch MacBook Pro (2023) are each eligible for biometric unlocking. Touch-ID.

13-inch MacBook Pro © Presse-citron.net

5 – 14-inch MacBook Pro VS 13-inch MacBook Pro: performance

The 14-inch MacBook Pro is superior to the 13-inch MacBook Pro. This is because we are actually comparing very different chip families. For 2023, the 14-inch will be the M2 Pro or M2 Max, versus the 13-inch (2022) regular M2. Also note that chips are customizable: depending on the component selected, you can add cores to the CPU or graphics card, but not to the Neural Engine.

Below, find the numbers achieved with Geekbench 5 for the benchmark.

Single core

• 1941 points for MacBook Pro M2 Pro (14-inch, 2023)
• 1926 points for MacBook Pro M2 Max (14-inch, 2023)
• 1901 points for MacBook Pro M2 (13-inch, 2022)

Multi-core

• 14,965 points for MacBook Pro M2 Pro (14-inch, 2023)
• 14,939 points for MacBook Pro M2 Max (14-inch, 2023).
• 8736 points for MacBook Pro M2 (13-inch, 2022).

14-inch MacBook Pro © Apple

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• MacBook Pro M2 Pro (14 inch, 2023): 16 GB for the base price or 32 GB for + 460 euros
• MacBook Pro M2 Max (14 inch, 2023): 32 GB for base price, 64 GB for + 460 euros or 96 GB for + 920 euros
• MacBook Pro M2 (13-inch, 2022): 8 GB for base price, 16 GB for +230 euros or 24 GB for +460 euros

6 – Storage possibilities

All MacBook Pro storage is now offered in SSD only.

• MacBook Pro M2 (13-inch, 2022): 256 GB for the base price512 GB for + 230 euros, 1 TB for + 460 euros or 2 TB for + 920 euros
• MacBook Pro M2 Max (14-inch, 2023): 1 TB for base price2 TB for + 460 euros, 4 TB for + 1150 euros or 8 TB for + 2530 euros
• MacBook Pro M2 Pro (14-inch, 2023): 512 GB for the base price1 TB for + 230 euros, 2 TB for + 690 euros, 4 TB for + 1,380 euros or 8 TB for + 2,760 euros

As you can see, prices vary widely and memory options vary by processor. But all 14-inch and 13-inch MacBook Pros have at least one USB-C plug. That’s why you can attach a key or a hard drive to it: it’s the best option at the best price.

14-inch MacBook Pro © Apple

7 – The camera is better on the 14-inch MacBook Pro

Another notable difference: the definition of the camera is not the same on the MacBook Pro 14-inch as it is on the MacBook Pro 13-inch. Accordingly, Apple offers us here 1080p and 720p. In comparison, the images are better quality with 14 inches and your interlocutor will see it. But still no functionality. Centered frameit’s a shame.

8 – Sockets and connectivity: Is the 13-inch MacBook Pro lagging behind?

Now to the penultimate point of comparison in our guide. On the connector side, the 14-inch MacBook Pro (2023) with an M2 Pro or M2 Max chip does everything better than the 13-inch MacBook Pro (M2). Or almost. Indeed, it is the only model equipped with a slot for the large model SD card as well as a port hdmi. On the other hand, the 14-inch MacBook Pro is equipped with a socket MagSafe, compared to USB-C for the 13-inch MacBook Pro. Some will appreciate this because this plug is magnetic and prevents severe power outage accidents. Others will prefer a universal standard, which makes it easier to get help if you forget your charger.

Another major difference: the number of USB-C ports, limited to three on the 14-inch MacBook Pro M2 Pro or M2 Max, and two on the MacBook Pro M2.

9 – Price comparison

MacBook Pro pricing depends on your configuration. Here are some pretty telling examples to compare them, you’ll see the difference is significant between 14 inches and 13 inches:

• 13-inch MacBook Pro (M2, 2022) base version: €1599
• 14-inch MacBook Pro (M2 Pro, 2023) base version: €2,399
• 14-inch MacBook Pro (M2 Max, 2023) in the basic version: €3,699

Conclusion: our opinion

We’ve come to the end of this comparison, which leaves us with a rather mixed opinion. The 14-inch MacBook Pro is better in terms of performance and connectivity : This is the ideal machine for professionals looking to evolve on macOS. But its price is still very expensive, especially in the basic version.

However, the 13-inch MacBook Pro with its nearly equivalent screen and Touch Bar can make a difference. Its value for money is better. For a tight budget looking for a high-end laptop, this is a wise choice. But it cannot be pushed to its limits, in which case the switch to the M2 Pro chip will be inevitable.