The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M2, 2023) is a high-end mobile workstation. It replaces the M1 Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021). This 2023 model is identical to its predecessor in design, as the changes are all internal. The M2 Pro/Max SoCs have two additional efficiency CPU cores than the M1 Pro/Max chips and a higher GPU core count ranging from 16 to 38 (up from 14 to 32). Memory support has also increased, allowing up to 96GB of RAM on models with an M2 Max chip (up from 64GB). The only other upgrades are the addition of HDMI 2.1 and Wi-Fi 6E. It has the same 3024 x 1964 Mini LED display, fingerprint sensor, and 70Wh battery.
You can see our unit's specifications and the available configuration options in the Differences Between Variants section.
Our Verdict
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 is excellent for school use. It feels incredibly well-built, is portable, and lasts easily through a full school day on a full charge. The screen is sharp and bright, the keyboard feels spacious and tactile, and the touchpad is large and responsive. Its M2 Pro and M2 Max SoCs can handle nearly every type of workload, making it suitable for students in fields like 3D design, science and engineering, and filmmaking. It has an excellent 1080p webcam for those attending classes remotely and a wide port selection that includes three USB-C/Thunderbolt 4 and an HDMI 2.1 port.
- Easy to carry around.
- All-day battery life.
- Sharp, bright display.
- M2 Pro/Max SoC can handle demanding workloads.
- Tactile keyboard, large haptic touchpad.
- Keyboard gets hot under load.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 is good for gaming. It has the processing power to provide smooth gameplay in demanding games; however, the performance will vary depending on the game, as most titles can only run via Rosetta 2 due to the lack of optimization for Macs with an ARM-based chip. Its Mini LED display's 120Hz refresh rate helps provide a responsive gaming experience, but its response time is very slow, leading to noticeable ghosting in fast-moving scenes. On the upside, it has a fast SSD to help shorten loading times and doesn't get overly hot or loud under load.
- M2 Pro/Max SoC can handle demanding workloads.
- 120Hz display.
- Fast storage drive.
- Display has slow response time, no VRR.
- Soldered RAM and storage drive.
- Few games optimized for Apple silicon.
- Keyboard gets hot under load.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 is great for media consumption. It's very portable, and its battery lasts over nine hours of video playback, giving you plenty of time to get through a couple of full-length movies. Its Mini LED display looks incredibly sharp, gets bright enough for use outdoors, and produces inky blacks. Also, the display's color accuracy is superb out of the box, so you get an accurate and natural-looking image. The speakers sound well-balanced and full, and they get very loud with minimal compression at max volume.
- Easy to carry around.
- All-day battery life.
- Sharp, bright display.
- Display has full DCI P3 coverage.
- Loud speakers with full, well-balanced sound.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 is an excellent workstation. The M2 Pro and M2 Max SoC can handle nearly every type of workload, including demanding tasks like video editing and 3D rendering. You can also do all of your color work, as the display has full DCI P3 coverage and superb factory calibration. There's no thermal throttling, and while the keyboard can get a little hot, the fans remain relatively quiet. Unfortunately, none of the components are user-replaceable, so you need to get the configuration that best suits your needs upfront.
- M2 Pro/Max SoC can handle demanding workloads.
- Tactile keyboard, large haptic touchpad.
- Display has full DCI P3 coverage.
- Fast storage drive.
- Soldered RAM and storage drive.
- Keyboard gets hot under load.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 is great for business use. It's easy to carry, and its battery lasts over 11 hours of light use. It has a sharp, bright display, a comfortable keyboard, and a large, responsive touchpad. You get an excellent 1080p webcam for video calls and a fingerprint sensor to log in quickly. Its M2 Pro and M2 Max SoCs can easily handle productivity tasks like web browsing, text processing, spreadsheets, and presentations. You can even edit videos for your business. Unfortunately, none of the components are user-replaceable, and there's no USB-A port, so you'll need an adapter for your wired peripherals or dongles.
- Easy to carry around.
- All-day battery life.
- Sharp, bright display.
- Tactile keyboard, large haptic touchpad.
- Excellent 1080p webcam.
- Soldered RAM and storage drive.
Changelog
- Updated May 07, 2025: We've updated this review to Test Bench 0.8.3, which removes the viewing angle tests and adds a GPU Total Graphics Power comparison in the GPU section. The Pen Input test in the Extra Features section has also changed, as it now shows whether the laptop supports pen input rather than the inclusion of a stylus in the box. See the changelog for more details.
- Updated Jan 10, 2024: We've corrected a mistake in the Flicker section. The 'Active Below' should be 100% instead of 0% because the display flickers at all brightness levels.
- Updated Dec 19, 2023: Added mention of the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (M3, 2023) as an alternative with a bigger screen in the Screen Specs section.
- Updated Dec 07, 2023: Converted to Test Bench 0.8.2.
Differences Between Sizes And Variants
We tested the Apple MacBook Pro 14 2023 with an M2 Pro SoC (10-core CPU, 16-core GPU), 16GB of RAM, and 512GB of storage. The SoC, memory, and storage are configurable; the available options are in the table below.
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You can see our unit's label here.
Popular Laptop Comparisons
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 is among the best workstation laptops on the market. It stands out for its exceptional build, excellent performance, long battery life, and overall user experience. However, it's also one of the least user-upgradeable laptops because most components are soldered onto the motherboard.
For more options, see our recommendations for the best laptops, the best workstation laptops, and the best video editing laptops.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (M3, 2023) is a newer and bigger version of the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M2, 2023). The MacBook Pro 16 is slightly better, as it has a brighter display, better performance, better-sounding speakers, and longer battery life. The MacBook Pro 16's M3 Pro/Max SoCs also add hardware-accelerated ray tracing, AV1 decoding, and increased memory support (up to 128GB). On the other hand, the MacBook Pro 14 is more portable due to its smaller size.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M2, 2023) is a newer version of the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M1, 2021). The 2023 model is slightly better due to some upgrades, including newer and faster M2 SoCs, increased memory support (up to 96GB), and HDMI 2.1. The M2 chips perform better overall but consume more power, leading to slightly shorter battery life on the newer model.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M3, 2023) is a newer version of the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M2, 2023). Except for a new Space Black color, the M3 model is identical to the M2 model in design, as the upgrades are internal. The M3 model has a slightly brighter display, longer battery life, and more configuration options, including a base M3 chip with 8 CPU and 10 GPU cores. The M3 chips bring better performance, as well as new features like hardware-accelerated ray tracing, AV1 decoding, and increased memory support up to 128GB.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (M1, 2021) and the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M2, 2023) are very similar. The MacBook Pro 16 is a larger device, so it isn't as portable, but you get a bigger screen for multitasking, better-sounding speakers, and a longer battery. On the other hand, the MacBook Pro 14 2023 is a newer device with faster M2 SoCs, increased memory support (up to 96GB), and HDMI 2.1.
Test Results
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