Earlier this year, rumors suggested that Apple would refresh the entry-level MacBook Pro, and Apple delivered. The company announced the M2 MacBook Pro at WWDC 2022, although the brand new M2 MacBook Air got most of the attention. That’s because the 2022 Air also comes with an exciting new design, whereas the M2 MacBook Pro still uses the Touch Bar design. Apple did not reveal preorder dates or release dates for the M2 MacBook Pro and MacBook Air at the event, listing only the entry prices for these laptops.
Buyers looking forward to one of the new M2-powered MacBooks should know that Apple just announced launch details for the entry-level Pro.
Preorder and release date details
Preorders start on June 17th, with the cheapest M2 MacBook Pro retailing for $1,299. You can save $100 by taking advantage of Apple’s education pricing.
Apple also announced the release date for the M2 MacBook Pro. The laptop will ship to buyers and start selling in stores on June 24th, a week after preorders start. That’s a typical Apple product launch right there. Preorders begin on a Friday, while the in-store launch happens a week later.
Apple is yet to announce the preorder and release date for the M2 MacBook Air. But we know the laptop is coming at some point in July.
The new COVID-19 lockdowns in China impacted Apple’s supply chain and production. The MacBook took the biggest hit of all of Apple’s products. That explains Apple’s inability to ship the new M2 MacBooks right after WWDC.
The $1,299 price for the M2 MacBook Pro is much better than the $1,999 starting price for the M1 Pro MacBook Pro. You get Apple’s brand new chip that delivers solid performance and excellent battery life for $1,299. That extra $700 gets you the new MacBook Pro design: more ports, MagSafe charging, and even more performance.
What’s the difference between the M2 MacBook Pro and M2 MacBook Air?
But placing a preorder for the M2 MacBook Pro on Friday might not be as simple if you compare the new Pro with the M2 MacBook Air.
Starting with the 2020 refresh, the MacBook Air has offered similar performance to the same-year MacBook Pro. The 2020 MacBook Air and Pro both had the same M1 chip inside. Similarly, the M2 MacBook Air and MacBook Pro come with the same next-gen processor.
Technically, the $1,299 2022 MacBook Air has a distinct M2 System-on-Chip (SoC). It includes an 8-core CPU and an 8-core GPU. You get a different M2 variant in the MacBook Pro for the same price: 8-core CPU and 10-core GPU. You’d have to pay $1,499 to have the same chip inside the new MacBook Air. But that price bump also doubles the storage.
With that in mind, it might seem like a bad idea to preorder the M2 MacBook Pro this week instead of waiting for the new Air. You could score a brand new design and MagSafe charging support for the same price. And the $1,299 MacBook Air will still support formidable performance.
The one advantage the M2 MacBook Pro has over the M2 MacBook Air is active cooling. That means the Pro can sustain more extended peak performance than the Air. Buyers who care about this particular deal but don’t necessarily want to spend more money for the M1 Pro/Max performance should preorder the M2 MacBook Pro over the new Air.
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