Early reviews of Apple's new M3 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models have been posted ahead of their release tomorrow.
The 2023 M3 is already available to pre-order starting at $1599. You can learn more about its features here:
● Apple Unveils New 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros With M3, M3 Pro, M3 Max Chips
The new M3 MacBook Pro is available on Amazon in the following configurations:
● 2023 MacBook Pro (14-inch, M3, 8GB RAM, 512GB storage) - $1599
● 2023 MacBook Pro (14-inch, M3, 8GB RAM, 1TB storage) - $1799
● 2023 MacBook Pro (14-inch, M3 Pro, 18GB RAM, 512GB storage) - $1999
● 2023 MacBook Pro (14-inch, M3 Pro, 18GB RAM 1TB storage) - $2399
● 2023 MacBook Pro (14-inch, M3 Max, 36GB RAM 1TB storage) - $3199
● 2023 MacBook Pro (16-inch, M3 Pro, 18GB RAM, 512GB storage) - $2499
● 2023 MacBook Pro (16-inch, M3 Pro, 36GB RAM, 512GB storage) - $2899
● 2023 MacBook Pro (16-inch, M3 Max, 36GB RAM, 1TB storage) - $3499
● 2023 MacBook Pro (16-inch, M3 Max, 48GB RAM, 1TB storage) - $3999
Check out our review roundup below!
Dave2D
The Verge - 14-inch M3 MacBook Pro
Overall, Apple made the right move consolidating and getting rid of the 13-inch Pro. That extra inch of screen is great, everything works beautifully, and the return of physical function keys on the entry-level MacBook Pro is chef's kiss. I just wish you got more for the starting price — $1,599 is too much for 8GB of RAM, and just because you can't use two external displays with an M3 chip doesn't mean you couldn't make the most out of three Thunderbolt ports.
CNET - 16-inch M3 Max MacBook Pro
A lot of the performance increase I see in the M3 Max over the M2 Max is the general lift you get from increasing the core frequency, the number of cores and how they're distributed. But it also (as with everything) depends on what you're doing. No matter what you'll get a significant bump in multicore performance thanks to the individual increases in single-core speed. But, for instance, Geekbench 6 CPU tests reflect general usage, while Cinebench concentrates specifically on rendering. General-purpose GPU computation, as reflected by Geekbench's Metal test, didn't increase much, going from 38 old cores to 40 new ones. But rendering speed as measured by Cinebench more than doubled.
TechCrunch - 16-inch M3 Max MacBook Pro
The 16-inch is the pick for those who really need to up their professional game, but still need some portability. For pure desktop power, the Mac Studio and Mac Pro with the M2 Ultra is still king — until the M3 Ultra rolls out. To state the obvious, the 16-inch MacBook Pro with M3 Max is the most powerful Apple laptop, ever. You'll still get more performance out of the M2 Ultra in the Mac Studio, but for most intents and purposes, this is the desktop of laptops. It's big, heavy, expensive and powerful.
Ars Technica
The worst thing I can say about the new MacBook Pro is that it doesn't really fix any of the problems that might keep people away from a Pro-level Mac in the first place. Entry-level models like the $1,599 MacBook Pro still leave something to be desired for a lot of pro-level users, like its paltry 8GB of RAM or lacking external display support. And upgrade prices for additional RAM and storage remain absurd, easily inflating Apple's base prices by hundreds or thousands of dollars. Storage prices in particular are positively usurious compared to what high-end PC storage costs. Upgrading from 1TB to 8TB of storage costs $2,200. This is more than a lot of laptops cost. It's also worth saying that I don't think people who already own any kind of M1 or M2-series Apple Silicon Mac need to consider upgrading to any of these M3 models yet. Performance is better, but it was already good. Upgrade if you're also stepping up in the lineup—from an M1 Air to an M3-something Pro—but most people can afford to wait for another, even better chip generation or a more substantial hardware redesign before they replace a Mac that's still only a couple of years old.
Matthew Moniz
ZDNet
From the upgraded graphics power to the ability to run at full speed when unplugged to the excellent 120Hz display that goes up 1,600 nits of brightness to the new Space Black color option, the MacBook Pro (M3 Max) and the other laptops in the new lineup have delivered more breakthrough speed and power to professionals who need the highest levels of performance to build the next-generation of AI and AR/VR experiences. Artists, designers, animators, multimedia editors, engineers, developers, researchers, and other creative professionals will no doubt put these machines to excellent use and push them to the limits. For everyone else, the M2 MacBook Air now looks even more pro, more portable, and more affordable than ever.
The 2023 M3 is already available to pre-order starting at $1599. You can learn more about its features here:
● Apple Unveils New 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros With M3, M3 Pro, M3 Max Chips
The new M3 MacBook Pro is available on Amazon in the following configurations:
● 2023 MacBook Pro (14-inch, M3, 8GB RAM, 512GB storage) - $1599
● 2023 MacBook Pro (14-inch, M3, 8GB RAM, 1TB storage) - $1799
● 2023 MacBook Pro (14-inch, M3 Pro, 18GB RAM, 512GB storage) - $1999
● 2023 MacBook Pro (14-inch, M3 Pro, 18GB RAM 1TB storage) - $2399
● 2023 MacBook Pro (14-inch, M3 Max, 36GB RAM 1TB storage) - $3199
● 2023 MacBook Pro (16-inch, M3 Pro, 18GB RAM, 512GB storage) - $2499
● 2023 MacBook Pro (16-inch, M3 Pro, 36GB RAM, 512GB storage) - $2899
● 2023 MacBook Pro (16-inch, M3 Max, 36GB RAM, 1TB storage) - $3499
● 2023 MacBook Pro (16-inch, M3 Max, 48GB RAM, 1TB storage) - $3999
Check out our review roundup below!
Dave2D
The Verge - 14-inch M3 MacBook Pro
Overall, Apple made the right move consolidating and getting rid of the 13-inch Pro. That extra inch of screen is great, everything works beautifully, and the return of physical function keys on the entry-level MacBook Pro is chef's kiss. I just wish you got more for the starting price — $1,599 is too much for 8GB of RAM, and just because you can't use two external displays with an M3 chip doesn't mean you couldn't make the most out of three Thunderbolt ports.
CNET - 16-inch M3 Max MacBook Pro
A lot of the performance increase I see in the M3 Max over the M2 Max is the general lift you get from increasing the core frequency, the number of cores and how they're distributed. But it also (as with everything) depends on what you're doing. No matter what you'll get a significant bump in multicore performance thanks to the individual increases in single-core speed. But, for instance, Geekbench 6 CPU tests reflect general usage, while Cinebench concentrates specifically on rendering. General-purpose GPU computation, as reflected by Geekbench's Metal test, didn't increase much, going from 38 old cores to 40 new ones. But rendering speed as measured by Cinebench more than doubled.
TechCrunch - 16-inch M3 Max MacBook Pro
The 16-inch is the pick for those who really need to up their professional game, but still need some portability. For pure desktop power, the Mac Studio and Mac Pro with the M2 Ultra is still king — until the M3 Ultra rolls out. To state the obvious, the 16-inch MacBook Pro with M3 Max is the most powerful Apple laptop, ever. You'll still get more performance out of the M2 Ultra in the Mac Studio, but for most intents and purposes, this is the desktop of laptops. It's big, heavy, expensive and powerful.
Ars Technica
The worst thing I can say about the new MacBook Pro is that it doesn't really fix any of the problems that might keep people away from a Pro-level Mac in the first place. Entry-level models like the $1,599 MacBook Pro still leave something to be desired for a lot of pro-level users, like its paltry 8GB of RAM or lacking external display support. And upgrade prices for additional RAM and storage remain absurd, easily inflating Apple's base prices by hundreds or thousands of dollars. Storage prices in particular are positively usurious compared to what high-end PC storage costs. Upgrading from 1TB to 8TB of storage costs $2,200. This is more than a lot of laptops cost. It's also worth saying that I don't think people who already own any kind of M1 or M2-series Apple Silicon Mac need to consider upgrading to any of these M3 models yet. Performance is better, but it was already good. Upgrade if you're also stepping up in the lineup—from an M1 Air to an M3-something Pro—but most people can afford to wait for another, even better chip generation or a more substantial hardware redesign before they replace a Mac that's still only a couple of years old.
Matthew Moniz
ZDNet
From the upgraded graphics power to the ability to run at full speed when unplugged to the excellent 120Hz display that goes up 1,600 nits of brightness to the new Space Black color option, the MacBook Pro (M3 Max) and the other laptops in the new lineup have delivered more breakthrough speed and power to professionals who need the highest levels of performance to build the next-generation of AI and AR/VR experiences. Artists, designers, animators, multimedia editors, engineers, developers, researchers, and other creative professionals will no doubt put these machines to excellent use and push them to the limits. For everyone else, the M2 MacBook Air now looks even more pro, more portable, and more affordable than ever.