Editor’s Note: Our MacBook Pro M3 review is live — check it out to see how the new laptops stack up against the competition.
Less than a year after Apple blessed its 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pros with M2 chips, the company is back with new M3 MacBook Pros. While these laptops may feature the latest generation of Apple silicon, the biggest story is arguably the new, more affordable entry-level model — and I got an early look at all of them today.
Apple's latest M3-powered MacBook Pro models promise even more performance — and bring a more affordable configuration into the lineup.
The 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pros, available for preorder now with a release date of next Tuesday, Nov. 7, have a new member in the family.
So, what’s new? While these MacBook Pros used to only feature the Pro and Max series chips, Apple decided to give a seat at the table to those who are looking to spend a little less and don’t need best-of-the-best performance.
Meet the new $1,599 14-inch MacBook Pro with M3, with a starting price that’s a whopping $400 less than the previous entry-level version of that same laptop. As with last generation’s M2 Pro model, the M3 Pro variant of the 14-inch MacBook Pro also starts at $1,999, while the 16-inch MacBook Pro starts at $2,499 with the M3 Pro. All look compelling in their own right, as Apple looks to continue its tradition of making some of our favorite laptops. Apple’s also just announced the new M3 24-inch iMac, in case you want desktop power.
I saw the 14-inch M3-based model running the action game Lies of P, and gameplay looked smooth. Making matters more impressive, the MacBook was unplugged and we couldn’t even hear any fans whirring. The M3 chips will enable hardware-accelerated ray tracing for better lighting and mesh shading for games with increasingly complex graphics. For improved performance on some of the big upcoming AAA Mac games like Death Stranding Director’s Cut, Baldur’s Gate 3 and the Resident Evil 4 remake, you might want to upgrade to an M3 Pro or M3 Max model.
The other big reason to get a slightly faster computer is a slightly cooler color. While I may lament the lack of color in Apple’s Pro Macs, iPhones and iPads, all MacBook Pros with M3 Pro or M3 Max can also be purchased in Apple’s sleek new Space Black colorway. Apple engineered this new dark aluminum finish to attract fewer fingerprints, with new anodization tricks. I got my mitts on it earlier today, and while I didn’t leave a mark, the new color took my breath away. Longtime Apple fans will remember the 2006 black MacBook, which was also a bit pricier, thanks to only being available with a larger hard drive and faster processor.
Of course, gaming and optics are far from the total story for the M3 chip, which Apple boasts will deliver improved power efficiency since it’s the first computer chip built on 3-nanometer technology (à la the iPhone 15 Pro’s A17 Pro chip). One of Apple’s new tricks in this department is Dynamic Caching, which enables better usage of memory for GPU — eliminating wasted processes.
As for other specs, while these 2023 MacBook Pros have the same ports and features that you’re used to — including an HDMI out port and an SD memory card reader — there is a notable upgrade under the hood. The brilliant 14-inch and 16-inch Liquid Retina XDR panels will now show SDR content at up to 600 nits of brightness, 20% brighter than before.
While I think the regular M3 MacBook Pro will be the best for most people, those who work in especially demanding industries, such as coding and photo/video editing, will probably opt for the M3 Pro version. As for the high-end M3 Max, which won’t start shipping until later in November? It’s more for the folks doing serious video editing, 3D graphics rendering and work in similarly demanding applications.
But should you upgrade? Stay tuned for our full review of the 14-inch and 16-inch M3 MacBook Pros to find out.
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