The Best MacBooks For 2023: How To Pick The Best Apple Laptop

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Whether you're looking to replace an old MacBook or a new one for Apple hardware, Apple's laptop lineup isn't as easy as it seems. There are only two choices, the MacBook Air and the MacBook Pro, but depending on the configuration, new MacBooks range from $999 to $6,500, so there's a big difference between the two brands. All current models are equipped with the company's proprietary M-series processors, which combine CPU, GPU, internal memory, and other functions on a single chip, giving the latest MacBook models longer battery life, better multitasking performance, and faster operating speeds. faster compared to previous Intel chips. If you're not sure which model is right for you, we're here to explain the situation. Based on our tests, here are what we think are the best MacBooks for everyone from students to power users.

© Devindra Hardawar/Enjoy MacBook Air (2022 M2)

Best result: MacBook Air M2

Our resident laptop expert, Devindra Hardawar, called the MacBook Air M2 a "near-perfect Mac" in his review, giving it a high score of 96. It's still the newer of the two Air models Apple sells, and a better buy since the 13-inch MacBook Pro, since the latter is heavier and more expensive. Built around the new M2 chip, the Air has been completely redesigned for 2022 with a square design eliminating the wedge shape.

The 13.6-inch Liquid Retina display with up to 500 nits of brightness makes it larger and brighter than the previous generation. The 60Hz refresh rate doesn't provide smooth scrolling from the Pro model, but that's okay. The quad-speaker array delivers great sound, filling the room with loud, undistorted sound, while the triple-microphone array captures your voice well for video calls. The 1080p camera is an improvement over the previous generation. While the Dell XPS 13 Plus still beats our best Windows laptop for 720p webcam, Devindra feels aerial photography is a bit lacking.

Even though it's thinner than before, the M2 Air has a 3.5mm headphone jack, two USB-C Thunderbolt ports, and a MagSafe connector. This means you don't need to block potential data ports while charging. Battery life was more than adequate, lasting 16 hours and 30 minutes in our fatigue test, which should be more than enough for a day (or two) of work.

The M2 chip provides sufficient speed for gaming, especially with Apple Arcade. Streaming and cloud games work great through Safari, and you'll find some compatible games on Steam. However, many of the major AAA versions are still not compatible with Mac, despite Apple's efforts to change that. Our test sample performed well in performance tests, outperforming the Air M1 and nearly matching the performance of the 13-inch MacBook Pro M2. It's a fanless system, which means it's quiet, but has to be throttled from time to time to cool down the CPU.

Overall, this is a great option for everyday use that can handle multiple tasks. Of course, if you plan to do some serious video editing, you'll probably need something more powerful, like the MacBook Pro M2, but the Air is arguably the best all-around ultraportable mobile laptop Apple makes.

The MacBook Air in our review has an M2 chip with a 10-core GPU, 16GB of memory and 1TB of storage. This setup will set you back $1,899. In our opinion, the Air is quite capable without GPU limiting, and its terabytes of memory are probably unusable for most casual users. Instead, we recommend the $1,599 configuration with an 8-core GPU, 16GB memory, and a 512GB SSD.

Best budget option: MacBook Air M1

The MacBook Air M1 may not have Apple's latest silicon, but it's still a good laptop because it's good enough. It scored 94 points in our review, and Devindra called it one of the fastest ultraportables you can buy right now. Of course, now that the M2 has entered the picture, the numbers are comparatively less impressive, but with a starting price of $999 (which often retails for less), it's a relatively affordable way for students or those on a budget. budget to get a fast, high-performance car.

The Air's 13.3-inch Retina display is gorgeous and perfect for binge-watching. This laptop weighs just 2.8 pounds with a durable wedge-shaped carrying case, making it easy to take to school or work. Thanks to heat storage and fan cooling, you can burn quietly even in the quietest of bookshelves. The keyboard offers satisfying depth despite its thin profile, and the trackpad is smooth.

The performance of the M1 chip makes the MacBook Air M1 stand out. It's very responsive, launching apps almost instantly and effortlessly. Safari keeps browsing simple while loading complex pages quickly. The M1 chip also provides good battery life for the Air. We managed 16 hours and 20 minutes in our video test, which should be more than enough to see you all day.

Of course, it is not without drawbacks. The M1 Air has a 720p webcam, which isn't quite as sharp as the M2 Air's 1080p camera, and it only comes with two Thunderbolt ports and a headphone jack. When you charge your computer, there is only one outlet for accessories. There's also no SD card slot, and since Apple hardware isn't the easiest way to update yourself, you'll have to buy all the storage you need ahead of time.

If you primarily use web and cloud applications, we recommend sticking with the basic configuration (8GB RAM/256GB SSD). For an additional $200, you can increase your storage to 16GB, which is great if you stream a lot, have lots of tabs open, or have multiple apps running at once. Also, the same size can get 512 GB of memory if you want to store more files and photos locally.

Best for creativity: MacBook Pro M2

The 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros launch in January 2023, and both will use more powerful versions of the M2, M2 Pro, and M2 Max chips. For professional video or music creators, this new engine will be a real boon.

The 14-inch MacBook Pro with a 19-core M2 Pro GPU easily takes on your Mac-compatible 4K video editing, effects processor, and digital audio workstation of choice. The bright 14.2-inch Mini LED Liquid Retina XDR display with a 120Hz refresh rate provides smooth scrolling and animations. The six-speaker array produces clear, powerful sound better than most laptops, and the built-in microphone is great for video calls.

As you'd expect from the Pro model, you'll find a full array of ports, including an SD card slot, a headphone jack, an HDMI port, and three Thunderbolt connectors. There's also a separate MagSafe power connector for charging. We got a respectable 15 hours and 10 minutes of battery life on the 14-inch model, and Apple says the 16-inch model can last up to 22 hours on a single charge.

If you plan on shooting lots of 8K video, complex 3D scenes, or large music tracks, you might want the faster M2 Max chip. In this case, we recommend the 16-inch model because the large battery can better match the chip's high power consumption. If price isn't critical, the 16-inch MacBook Pro with M2 Max is what you need. With a 12-core processor and 38-core GPU, combined with 64GB of RAM and 2TB of disk space, this is one of the most powerful MacBooks out there. This option will cost you $4299, but should serve even the most demanding users for many years.

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