M2 MacBook Pro 16” vs. M1 MacBook Pro 16”: Which is better?

Here is a side by side comparison between M2 MacBook Pro 16” and M1 MacBook Pro 16” specs including CPU, RAM, storage, battery, display, and more.

M2 MacBook Pro 16” Pros

Reasons that M2 MacBook Pro 16” is better than M1 MacBook Pro 16”.

Newer manufacturing

2023 vs. 2021

Significantly faster CPU performance

Apple M2 Max (12C, 38G) inside M2 MacBook Pro 16” has a 25% better multi-core CPU performance score than the Apple M1 Max (10C, 32G) inside M1 MacBook Pro 16”.

Geekbench 5 multi-core score
M2 MacBook Pro 16” - Apple M2 Max (12C, 30G)
15,305
M2 MacBook Pro 16” - Apple M2 Max (12C, 38G)
15,305
M2 MacBook Pro 16” - Apple M2 Pro (12C, 19G)
14,899
M1 MacBook Pro 16” - Apple M1 Max (10C, 32G)
12,185
M1 MacBook Pro 16” - Apple M1 Pro (10C, 16G)
11,988
Supports larger memory

M2 MacBook Pro 16” supports a larger memory capacity than the M1 MacBook Pro 16”. It supports up to 96GB versus 64GB of system memory on the M1 MacBook Pro 16”.

Max system memory size
M2 MacBook Pro 16”
96 GB
M1 MacBook Pro 16”
64 GB

M1 MacBook Pro 16” Pros

We couldn't find any advantages of M1 MacBook Pro 16” over M2 MacBook Pro 16”.

Prices

Here are the latest price updates and offers for both devices.

M2 MacBook Pro 16” Price
2023 Apple MacBook Pro with Apple M2 Pro Chip (14-inch, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD Storage) (QWERTY English) Space Gray (Renewed)
2023 Apple MacBook Pro with Apple M2 Pro Chip (14-inch, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD Storage) (QWERTY English) Space Gray (Renewed)
By Apple
$1,449.51
$1,529.00 5% OFF
2023 Apple MacBook Pro with Apple M2 Pro Chip (16-inch, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD) (QWERTY English) Space Gray (Renewed)
2023 Apple MacBook Pro with Apple M2 Pro Chip (16-inch, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD) (QWERTY English) Space Gray (Renewed)
By Apple
$1,979.00
Apple 2023 MacBook Pro Laptop M2 Pro chip with 12‑core CPU and 19‑core GPU: 16.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR Display, 16GB Unified Memory, 512GB SSD Storage. Works with iPhone/iPad; Silver
Apple 2023 MacBook Pro Laptop M2 Pro chip with 12‑core CPU and 19‑core GPU: 16.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR Display, 16GB Unified Memory, 512GB SSD Storage. Works with iPhone/iPad; Silver
By Apple
$1,999.99
$2,499.00 20% OFF
M1 MacBook Pro 16” Price
Late 2021 Apple MacBook Pro with Apple M1 Pro chip (16-inch, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) Space Gray (Renewed)
Late 2021 Apple MacBook Pro with Apple M1 Pro chip (16-inch, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) Space Gray (Renewed)
By Apple
$1,265.00
2021 Apple MacBook Pro with Apple M1 Max Chip (16-inch, 32GB RAM, 1TB SSD Storage) Space Gray (Renewed)
2021 Apple MacBook Pro with Apple M1 Max Chip (16-inch, 32GB RAM, 1TB SSD Storage) Space Gray (Renewed)
By Apple
$1,779.05
$1,880.01 5% OFF
Late 2021 Apple MacBook Pro with Apple M1 Pro chip 10-core CPU (16-inch, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD Storage) (QWERTY English) Space Gray (Renewed Premium)
Late 2021 Apple MacBook Pro with Apple M1 Pro chip 10-core CPU (16-inch, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD Storage) (QWERTY English) Space Gray (Renewed Premium)
By Apple
$1,499.00

Availability

M2 MacBook Pro 16”M1 MacBook Pro 16”
Released20232021
Release Date
  • Announced on January 17, 2023.
Available on January 24, 2023.
  • Announced on October 18, 2021.
  • Available on October 26, 2021.
Pricing
  • $2,499
    M2 Pro 12-Core CPU 19-Core GPU 16GB 512GB
  • $2,699
    M2 Pro 12-Core CPU 19-Core GPU 16GB 1TB
  • $3,299
    M2 Max 12-Core CPU 30-Core GPU 32GB 1TB
  • $3,899
    M2 Max 12-Core CPU 38-Core GPU 64GB 1TB
  • $4,299
    M2 Max 12-Core CPU 38-Core GPU 64GB 2TB
  • $4,899
    M2 Max 12-Core CPU 38-Core GPU 64GB 4TB
  • $6,099
    M2 Max 12-Core CPU 38-Core GPU 64GB 8TB
  • $6,499
    M2 Max 12-Core CPU 38-Core GPU 96GB 8TB
  • $2,499
    M1 Pro 10-Core CPU 16-Core GPU 16GB 512GB
  • $2,699
    M1 Pro 10-Core CPU 16-Core GPU 16GB 1TB
  • $3,499
    M1 Max 10-Core CPU 32-Core GPU 32GB 1TB
  • $3,899
    M1 Max 10-Core CPU 32-Core GPU 64GB 1TB
  • $4,299
    M1 Max 10-Core CPU 32-Core GPU 64GB 2TB
  • $4,899
    M1 Max 10-Core CPU 32-Core GPU 64GB 4TB
  • $6,099
    M1 Max 10-Core CPU 32-Core GPU 64GB 8TB
Generations

Exterior

M2 MacBook Pro 16”M1 MacBook Pro 16”
Dimensions
  • Height: 0.66 inch (1.68 cm)
  • Width: 14.01 inches (35.57 cm)
  • Depth: 9.77 inches (24.81 cm)
  • Height: 0.66 inch (1.68 cm)
  • Width: 14.01 inches (35.57 cm)
  • Depth: 9.77 inches (24.81 cm)
Weight
  • 4.7 pounds (2.15 kg)
    M2 Pro models.
  • 4.8 pounds (2.16 kg)
    M2 Max models.
  • 4.7 pounds (2.1 kg)
    M1 Pro models.
  • 4.8 pounds (2.2 kg)
    M1 Max models.
Colors
Space Gray Silver
Space Gray Silver
Keyboard and TrackpadBacklit Magic Keyboard with:
  • 78 (U.S.) or 79 (ISO) keys including 12 full-height function keys and 4 arrow keys in an inverted-T arrangement
  • Touch ID
  • Ambient light sensor
  • Force Touch trackpad for precise cursor control and pressure-sensing capabilities; enables Force clicks, accelerators, pressure-sensitive drawing, and Multi-Touch gestures
Backlit Magic Keyboard with:
  • 78 (U.S.) or 79 (ISO) keys including 12 full-height function keys and 4 arrow keys in an inverted-T arrangement
  • Touch ID
  • Ambient light sensor
  • Force Touch trackpad for precise cursor control and pressure-sensing capabilities; enables Force clicks, accelerators, pressure-sensitive drawing, and Multi-Touch gestures

Display

M2 MacBook Pro 16”M1 MacBook Pro 16”
Size16.2 Inches16.2 Inches
Info
  • Liquid Retina XDR display
    • 16.2-inch (diagonal) Liquid Retina XDR display;10 3456-by-2234 native resolution at 254 pixels per inch
  • XDR (Extreme Dynamic Range)
    • Up to 1000 nits sustained (full-screen) brightness, 1600 nits peak brightness
    • 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio
    • Color
      1 billion colors Wide color (P3) True Tone technology
  • Refresh rates
    • ProMotion technology for adaptive refresh rates up to 120Hz
    • Fixed refresh rates: 47.95Hz, 48.00Hz, 50.00Hz, 59.94Hz, 60.00Hz
  • Liquid Retina XDR display
    • 16.2-inch (diagonal) Liquid Retina XDR display;10 3456-by-2234 native resolution at 254 pixels per inch
  • XDR (Extreme Dynamic Range)
    • Up to 1000 nits sustained (full-screen) brightness, 1600 nits peak brightness
    • 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio
    • Color
      1 billion colors Wide color (P3) True Tone technology
  • Refresh rates
    • ProMotion technology for adaptive refresh rates up to 120Hz
    • Fixed refresh rates: 47.95Hz, 48.00Hz, 50.00Hz, 59.94Hz, 60.00Hz
 

Ports

M2 MacBook Pro 16”M1 MacBook Pro 16”
Left (4)
M2 MacBook Pro 16” Ports - Left
Image Source: Apple
  • 1 x power port
    MagSafe 3
  • 2 x Thunderbolt 4
    40 Gpbs, USB 4.0 (40 Gbps), DisplayPort, Charging
  • 1 x headphone jack
    Headphone/Microphone
Right (3)
M2 MacBook Pro 16” Ports - Right
Image Source: Apple
  • 1 x full-size SD card slot
  • 1 x Thunderbolt 4
    40 Gpbs, USB 4.0 (40 Gbps), DisplayPort, Charging
  • 1 x HDMI
    v2.1, 8K@60Hz, 4K@240Hz
M1 MacBook Pro 16” Ports
Image Source: Apple
Left (4)
  • 1 x power port
  • 2 x Thunderbolt 4
    40 Gpbs, USB 4.0 (40 Gbps), DisplayPort, Charging
  • 1 x headphone jack
    Headphone/Microphone
Right (3)
  • 1 x Thunderbolt 4
    40 Gpbs, USB 4.0 (40 Gbps), DisplayPort, Charging
  • 1 x HDMI
    4K@60Hz
  • 1 x full-size SD card slot

Internal Specs

M2 MacBook Pro 16”M1 MacBook Pro 16”
Processor
  1. Apple M2 Pro (12C, 19G)
    12 cores, 12 threads, 2.42 → 3.50 GHz,
  2. Apple M2 Max (12C, 30G)
    12 cores, 12 threads, 2.42 → 3.70 GHz,
  3. Apple M2 Max (12C, 38G)
    12 cores, 12 threads, 2.42 → 3.70 GHz,
  1. Apple M1 Pro (10C, 16G)
    10 cores, 10 threads, 3.20 GHz,
  2. Apple M1 Max (10C, 32G)
    10 cores, 10 threads, 3.20 GHz,
Integrated Graphics
  1. Apple M2 Pro (12C, 19G)
    Apple M2 Pro iGPU
    19 GPU Cores, 16 Neural Engine Cores,
  2. Apple M2 Max (12C, 30G)
    Apple M2 Max iGPU
    30 GPU Cores, 16 Neural Engine Cores,
  3. Apple M2 Max (12C, 38G)
    Apple M2 Max iGPU
    38 GPU Cores, 16 Neural Engine Cores,
  1. Apple M1 Pro (10C, 16G)
    Apple M1 Pro iGPU
    16 GPU Cores, 16 Neural Engine Cores,
  2. Apple M1 Max (10C, 32G)
    Apple M1 Max iGPU
    32 GPU Cores, 16 Neural Engine Cores,
Memory
16GB 32GB 64GB 96GB
Unified Memory
16GB 32GB 64GB
Unified Memory
Storage
512GB 1TB 2TB 4TB 8TB
SSD
512GB 1TB 2TB 4TB 8TB
SSD

Connectivity

M2 MacBook Pro 16”M1 MacBook Pro 16”
Wi-Fi
  • 802.11ax Wi-Fi 6E wireless networking
  • IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac compatible
  • 802.11ax Wi-Fi 6 wireless networking
  • IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac compatible
BluetoothBluetooth 5.3 wireless technologyBluetooth 5.0 wireless technology

Battery

M2 MacBook Pro 16”M1 MacBook Pro 16”
Size100 Wh lithium‑polymer battery100 Wh lithium‑polymer battery
Battery Life
  • Up to 15 hours of wireless web
  • Up to 22 hours of Apple TV app movie playback
  • Up to 14 hours wireless web
  • Up to 21 hours of Apple TV app movie playback
Power Supply140W USB‑C Power Adapter 
Charging up to 50 percent in just 30 minutes with included USB-C to MagSafe 3 Cable.
140W USB‑C Power Adapter 
Charging up to 50 percent in just 30 minutes with included USB-C to MagSafe 3 Cable.

Software

M2 MacBook Pro 16”M1 MacBook Pro 16”
OSShipped with macOS VenturaShipped with macOS Monterey
Built-in Apps
Photos iMovie GarageBand Pages Numbers Keynote Siri Safari Mail FaceTime Messages Maps News Stocks Home Voice Memos Notes Calendar Contacts Reminders Photo Booth Preview Music Podcasts TV Books App Store Time Machine Find My QuickTime Player
Photos iMovie GarageBand Pages Numbers Keynote Siri Safari Mail FaceTime Messages Maps News Stocks Home Voice Memos Notes Calendar Contacts Reminders Photo Booth Preview Music Podcasts TV Books App Store Time Machine Find My QuickTime Player

Camera & Audio

M2 MacBook Pro 16”M1 MacBook Pro 16”
Camera1080p FaceTime HD camera 
Advanced image signal processor with computational video.
1080p FaceTime HD camera 
Advanced image signal processor with computational video.
Audio
  • High-fidelity six-speaker sound system with force-canceling woofers
  • Wide stereo sound
  • Support for spatial audio when playing music or video with Dolby Atmos on built-in speakers
  • Spatial audio with dynamic head tracking when using AirPods (3rd generation), AirPods Pro, and AirPods Max
  • Studio-quality three-mic array with high signal-to-noise ratio and directional beamforming
  • 3.5 mm headphone jack with advanced support for high-impedance headphones
  • High-fidelity six-speaker sound system with force-canceling woofers
  • Wide stereo sound
  • Support for spatial audio when playing music or video with Dolby Atmos on built-in speakers
  • Spatial audio with dynamic head tracking when using AirPods (3rd generation), AirPods Pro, and AirPods Max
  • Studio-quality three-mic array with high signal-to-noise ratio and directional beamforming
  • 3.5 mm headphone jack with advanced support for high-impedance headphones

Misc

M2 MacBook Pro 16”M1 MacBook Pro 16”
SensorsTouch ID sensorTouch ID sensor
Security
  • Touch ID sensor
  • Apple T2 Security Chip
  • Touch ID sensor
  • Apple T2 Security Chip
In the box
  • 16‑inch MacBook Pro
  • 140W USB‑C Power Adapter
  • USB-C to MagSafe 3 Cable (2 m)
  • 16‑inch MacBook Pro
  • 140W USB‑C Power Adapter
  • USB-C to MagSafe 3 Cable (2 m)
WarrantyYour MacBook Pro comes with 90 days of complimentary technical support and a one-year limited warranty. Purchase AppleCare+ for Mac to extend your coverage to three years from your AppleCare+ purchase date and add up to two incidents of accidental damage coverage every 12 months, each subject to a service fee of $99 for screen damage or external enclosure damage, or $299 for other repairable damage, plus applicable tax.Your MacBook Pro comes with 90 days of complimentary technical support and a one-year limited warranty. Purchase AppleCare+ for Mac to extend your coverage to three years from your AppleCare+ purchase date and add up to two incidents of accidental damage coverage every 12 months, each subject to a service fee of $99 for screen damage or external enclosure damage, or $299 for other repairable damage, plus applicable tax.
MoreDisplay Supports
  • M2 Pro
    • Simultaneously supports full native resolution on the built-in display at 1 billion colors and:
    • Up to two external displays with up to 6K resolution at 60Hz over Thunderbolt, or one external display with up to 6K resolution at 60Hz over Thunderbolt and one external display with up to 4K resolution at 144Hz over HDMI
    • One external display supported at 8K resolution at 60Hz or one external display at 4K resolution at 240Hz over HDMI
  • M2 Max
    • Simultaneously supports full native resolution on the built-in display at 1 billion colors and:
    • Up to four external displays: Up to three external displays with 6K resolution at 60Hz over Thunderbolt and one external display with up to 4K resolution at 144Hz over HDMI
    • Up to three external displays: Up to two external displays with 6K resolution at 60Hz over Thunderbolt and one external display with up to 8K resolution at 60Hz or one external display with 4K resolution at 240Hz over HDMI
  • Thunderbolt 4 digital video output
    • Native DisplayPort output over USB‑C
  • HDMI digital video output
    • Support for one display with up to 8K resolution at 60Hz or 4K resolution at 240Hz
  • Simultaneously supports full native resolution on the built-in display at 1 billion colors and:
    • Up to two external displays with up to 6K resolution at 60Hz at over a billion colors (M1 Pro) or
    • Up to three external displays with up to 6K resolution and one external display with up to 4K resolution at 60Hz at over a billion colors (M1 Max)
  • Thunderbolt 4 digital video output
    • Native DisplayPort output over USB‑C
    • VGA, HDMI, DVI, and Thunderbolt 2 output supported using adapters (sold separately)
  • HDMI digital video output
    • Support for one display with up to 4K resolution at 60Hz
    • DVI output using HDMI to DVI Adapter (sold separately)

Key Features

M2 MacBook Pro 16”M1 MacBook Pro 16”
At Glance
Released in Early
2023
16:10 XDR
16.2”
2234p 120Hz
Weight
4.7 lb
2.13 kg
Up to
Apple M2 Max (12C, 38G)
12C/12T, 2.42 → 3.70 GHz
Geekbench 5
2,075
Single Core
Geekbench 5
15,305
Multi-Core
With integrated
Apple M2 Max iGPU
38 GPU Cores, 16 Neural Engine Cores
Configurable up to
96GB
LPDDR5 Memory
M2 MacBook Pro 16” Ports - Left
M2 MacBook Pro 16” Ports - Right
Released in Late
2021
16:10 XDR
16.2”
2234p 120Hz
Weight
4.7 lb
2.13 kg
Up to
Apple M1 Max (10C, 32G)
10C/10T, 3.20 GHz
Geekbench 5
1,747
Single Core
Geekbench 5
12,185
Multi-Core
With integrated
Apple M1 Max iGPU
32 GPU Cores, 16 Neural Engine Cores
Configurable up to
64GB
Unified Memory
M1 MacBook Pro 16” Ports

Comparison Summary

M2 MacBook Pro 16” vs. M1 MacBook Pro 16”

Apple has released the M2 MacBook Pro 16”, a 16.2-inch machine, in early-2023. It is powered by up to 12-core Apple M2 Max (12C, 38G) with a boost clock speed up to 3.70 GHz. The laptop has an integrated graphics option up to Apple M2 Max iGPU (38 GPU Cores, 16 Neural Engine Cores).

On the other hand, we have the 16.2-inch M1 MacBook Pro 16” was introduced by Apple about two years earlier in late-2021. It comes with up to 10-core Apple M1 Max (10C, 32G). It has an integrated graphics option up to Apple M1 Max iGPU (32 GPU Cores, 16 Neural Engine Cores).

Geekbench 5 Single Core

M2 MacBook Pro 16”1
Apple M2 Pro (12C, 19G)1,94393.64%
2
Apple M2 Max (12C, 30G)2,075100.00%
3
Apple M2 Max (12C, 38G)2,075100.00%
M1 MacBook Pro 16”1
Apple M1 Pro (10C, 16G)1,73783.71%
2
Apple M1 Max (10C, 32G)1,74784.19%
02,075

Geekbench 5 Multi Core

M2 MacBook Pro 16”1
Apple M2 Pro (12C, 19G)14,89997.35%
2
Apple M2 Max (12C, 30G)15,305100.00%
3
Apple M2 Max (12C, 38G)15,305100.00%
M1 MacBook Pro 16”1
Apple M1 Pro (10C, 16G)11,98878.33%
2
Apple M1 Max (10C, 32G)12,18579.61%
015,305

Both M2 MacBook Pro 16” and M1 MacBook Pro 16” have the same 16.2-inch display size. In addition, they both have the same weight at 4.7 lbs. Moreover, measured at 14.01” x 9.77” x 0.66”, the M2 MacBook Pro 16” share the same chassis as the M1 MacBook Pro 16”.

M2 MacBook Pro 16”M1 MacBook Pro 16”

There are a toal number of 7 ports and slots available on M2 MacBook Pro 16”. That includes a power port, two Thunderbolt 4 ports, a headphone jack, a full-size SD card slot, and an HDMI port. With that said, it has the same number of ports and slots as the M1 MacBook Pro 16” including a power port, three Thunderbolt 4 ports, a headphone jack, an HDMI port, and a full-size SD card slot.

Moving over to upgradability, you can't make any upgrades on both devices. All major components including memory and storage are soldered on to the motherboard. So make sure you get the specs that work best for your current and future workload.

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