5 best MacBook Pro variants to buy in 2024

What’s the best MacBook money can buy? The answer to that question has always been rather straightforward: the newest MacBook Air. The 13-inch MacBook Air M3 is the best MacBook and the best laptop for most people. However, if you are a creative professional then the MacBook Air won’t make the cut. You need something more powerful and that’s where the MacBook Pro comes in.

However, choosing the best MacBook Pro was neither easy in the past nor has it become easier with Apple‘s own silicon. While the standard difference is in terms of screen size, there is also the need to choose the right chip and with a base 14-inch MacBook Pro with M3 chip in the mix, it has become even more convoluted. Once you are ready to look past the sticker price, here’s how to make the hard choice.

Latest Apple laptops: Best MacBook Pro to buy in 2024

In 2020, the iPhone maker began its transition away from Intel chips it had been using on MacBooks since 2006 to Apple-designed silicon called the M1. The latest of which is the M3 lineup, powering the newest MacBook Pro and the MacBook Air devices. With its M-series chips, Apple gains greater control over its hardware and software and thus delivers even more streamlined performance than before.

ALSO READ: Apple MacBook Pro M3 vs MacBook Pro M2: How fast are the new laptops? 

Here are the best MacBook Pros to buy in 2024:

1. Apple MacBook Pro 2023 (16.2-inch, M3 Max)

2. Apple MacBook Pro 2023 (14.2-inch, M3 Max)

3. Apple MacBook Pro 2023 (14.2-inch, M3 Pro)

4. Apple MacBook Pro (16.2 inch, M2 Pro)

5. Apple MacBook Pro 2023 (14.2-inch, M3)

1. Apple MacBook Pro 2023 (16.2-inch, M3 Max)

The 16-inch MacBook Pro remains the latest Apple laptop best suited for creators and power users. While the model has received a spec bump to M3 Pro and M3 Max chips, the variant with M3 Max is mighty powerful. For most power users, the configuration with 36GB of unified memory and 1TB storage will offer perfect harmony in terms of power and performance.

For 3D rendering and working with high-resolution photos and videos, the 16.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR display with an adaptive refresh rate of up to 120Hz will be perfect and the speakers are the best in the segment. There are three Thunderbolt 4 or USB-C 4 ports, HDMI and an SD card slot, and its battery life is remarkable.

2. Apple MacBook Pro 2023 (14.2-inch, M3 Max)

What if you want the performance of M3 Max with a touch of portability? The answer is a 14-inch MacBook Pro. You get the same 14-core CPU and 30-core GPU with 36GB unified memory and 1TB SSD storage. From hardware-accelerated ray tracing, up to 80 per cent faster CPU to battery-rated for 22 hours of video playback, there is not much to complain here. It is easily one of the best Pro laptops money can buy in 2024, but do remember you will have to shell out a lot of money.

3. Apple MacBook Pro 2023 (14.2-inch, M3 Pro)

Even for power users, the M3 Max might be an overkill, and for them a better MacBook Pro would be the one with M3 Pro. Apple offers M3 Pro in both 14-inch and 16-inch configurations and the difference between that M3 Pro limits you to either 18GB or 36GB of unified memory. If you are looking for a mobile workstation that delivers more power than a MacBook Air then this 14.2-inch MacBook Pro with 18GB unified memory, and 512GB SSD storage serves as a great entry point in Apple’s MacBook Pro lineup.

4. Apple MacBook Pro (16.2 inch, M2 Pro)

Apple launched the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with M3 chips less than a year after the release of variants with M2 Pro and M2 Max chips. The M3 chips are not such a big leap and it is evident from the fact that Apple compares them to the M1 family and not its immediate predecessor. So, if you are willing to look past the space black colour and year-on-year gains in CPU and GPU performance then the 16.2-inch MacBook Pro with M2 Pro is still an excellent Pro laptop.  

ALSO READ: MacBook Pro vs MacBook Air: Which Apple laptop should you get? 

It gets you a 16.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR display, 16GB unified memory, 512GB SSD, Wi-Fi 6E, three Thunderbolt 4 ports, HDMI, an SDXC card slot, and a headphone jack. With MagSafe 3 charging port, 1080p FaceTime HD camera, studio-quality three-mic array, and six-speaker sound system with Spatial Audio, this one won’t disappoint creative professionals.

5. Apple MacBook Pro 2023 (14.2-inch, M3)

If you want a MacBook Air with better port situation or thermal performance then the M3 MacBook Pro is your option. It is a left-field choice as far as Apple’s MacBook Pro lineup is concerned. However, it remains an entry point to Apple’s Pro laptop with a 14.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR display, an 8-core CPU and a 10-core GPU with hardware-accelerated ray tracing. It is rated for up to 22 hours of battery life and the port selection is better than what MacBook Air delivers right now.

Best Apple laptop: Which one should you choose?

When it comes to the best Apple laptop, there is no denying that the 13-inch MacBook Air takes the crown. Since Apple began offering the 15-inch Apple MacBook Air, it wins for those with the need for a larger screen. Unfortunately, all the advancements in Apple’s M silicon has not made it easier to choose the best MacBook Pro.

However, if you are a creative professional, you are not buying a laptop that works well just today but one that can keep up with demanding workloads several years later. For that kind of future proofing, you should look at a 14-inch or 16-inch MacBook Pro with M3 Max chip. It is a beast in terms of performance and endurance but the M3 Pro models are no slouch either.