Technologies

Best MacBook for 2023

With M1 and M2 versions of the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro, it’s hard to know which is right for you. We’ve tested and reviewed nearly every current model.

Apple offers MacBooks from $999 all the way up to $3,499, and that’s just the default configurations. Optional upgrades can add thousands more to the price. With the new M2 chip, we’re now firmly in the second generation of Apple Silicon, and the M2 versions of the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro are strong performers, even if some models are more expensive than their predecessors.

The MacBook Air and MacBook Pro are known for excellent design, build quality and ease of use. MacOS, with its intuitive nature, plays a big part in that, as does the fact that Apple makes both the hardware and software, leading to inherent synergies.

That said, MacBooks aren’t flying off the shelves like they used to. Data from analyst firm IDC says that Mac sales in the first quarter of 2023 were down a whopping 40% from the same period a year ago. Part of that is because so many people bought new laptops during COVID-19, and those generally have a three- to five-year lifespan, so we’re between upgrade cycles at the moment.

Still, the current M2 version of the MacBook Air, which starts at $1,199, gets my vote as the most universally useful laptop most people can buy right now, and I use one almost daily.

Below, we go over each MacBook and its strengths and weaknesses, as well as offering some MacBook shopping tips and answers to common questions.

Apple is still offering education deals on MacBooks: Normally, the Apple Store is (ironically) not the best place to buy an Apple laptop (really, almost any Apple product) because sales are all but nonexistent. The big exception to the rule is Apple’s education discounts, which usually include MacBook deals. On the other hand, we’ve also found Apple laptop deals through Best Buy’s Student Deals page.

The Touch Bar is (mostly) dead: Apple announced the Touch Bar with great fanfare in 2016 but this slim secondary touchscreen, which sits above the keyboard, is now only available on one model. You can find it on the M2 13-inch MacBook Pro, which retains its dated design, despite having Apple’s latest chip.

Great webcam on the 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro, and the 13-inch Air; 13-inch MacBook Pro webcam is still meh: The jump to a 1080p resolution camera in the newest MacBooks, as well as the 24-inch iMac, is a game-changer for people sitting in video meetings all day. Only that dated-looking 13-inch M2 MacBook Pro retains the not-great old camera. Here are some tips on making the 720-pixel cameras in those other Macs look better.

If you need something bigger and don’t mind it being tied to a desk: Apple updated its smaller iMac (formerly 21.5 inches, now 24 inches) in 2021, and it now comes in seven color options and runs on the company’s M1 processor. You can also pair a Mac Mini or Mac Studio desktop with the new 27-inch Mac Studio Display.

Almost all Macs have transitioned to Apple’s own M1 and M2 chips: Since late 2020, the MacBook Air, 13-inch MacBook Pro, Mac Mini, Mac Studio, 24-inch iMac, 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro now all run either M1 or M2 chips (including Pro, Max and Ultra varieties), which combine both CPU and GPU cores into a single package. Based on our testing, the Apple M1 and M2 line has largely delivered on Apple’s promises of better battery life and faster performance. You can still find the really old Mac Pro desktop with an Intel Xeon chip.

The key question is how to make sure you’re not buying too little MacBook — or too much. Which is the best MacBook for your needs? For most people, the 13-inch Air remains the default choice and rightly so. The 14-inch and 16-inch Pro models are more powerful but in a way that only people who need heavy GPU support will appreciate.

Watch this: MacBook Air M2 vs. MacBook Air M1: Worth the Extra $200

09:10

Read more: Best Mac VPN for 2023

MacBook starting configurations

	14-inch MacBook Pro	16-inch MacBook Pro	MacBook Air (13-inch, M1)	MacBook Air (13-inch, M2)	13-inch MacBook Pro (M2)
CPU	M2 Pro or M2 Max	M2 Pro or M2 Max	M1	M2	M2
No. of GPU cores	16-19 (M1 Pro), 30 (M1 Max)	19 (M2Pro), 38 (M2 Max)	7	8	8
Screen size (inches)	14.2 in	16.2 in	13.3 in	13.6 in	13.3 in
Screen resolution	3,024×1,964 pixels	3,456×2,234 pixels	2,560×1,600 pixels	2,560×1,664 pixels	2,560×1,600 pixels
Starting storage	512GB	512GB	256GB	256GB	256GB
Starting RAM	16GB	16GB	8GB	8GB	8GB
Webcam	1080p	1080p	720p	1080p	720p
Networking	802.11ax Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.0	802.11ax Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.0	802.11ax Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.0	802.11ax Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.0	802.11ax Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.0
Connections	Thunderbolt USB-C x3, HDMI, SDXC card, MagSafe 3	Thunderbolt USB-C x3, HDMI, SDXC card, MagSafe 3	Thunderbolt USB-C x2	Thunderbolt USB-C x2	Thunderbolt USB-C x2
Weight (pounds)	3.5 lbs	4.7 lbs	2.8 lbs	2.7 lbs	3.0 lbs
Starting price	$1,999	$2,499	$999	$1,199	$1,299

Best MacBooks of 2023

Dan Ackerman/CNET

MacBook Air (13-inch, M2, 2022)

The 2022 MacBook Air got its biggest refresh in many years, moving to the M2 chip and adopting a new design. Thanks to that MacBook-Pro-like design, larger display (13.6-inch vs 13.3-inch), faster M2 chip and a long-awaited upgrade to a higher-res webcam, it’s now my favorite Mac, with one caveat. At $1,199, the $200 price increase over the traditional $999 MacBook Air starting price is a disappointment.

The MacBook Air goes beyond the Pro models it mimics in one important respect — it adds new colors to the space gray and silver, with a new gold-like starlight and a deep, dark midnight finish. Midnight, which appears as a matte black finish, reminds me of the old matte black polycarbonate MacBooks of the mid 2000s, which I’ve always thought was a sharp look.

We’ve got a lot of different MacBook models, prices and specs to keep track of. To sum it up, the key reasons you’re going to prefer the new M2 Air over the previous M1 model are:

Slimmer, more modern design in new colors
Upgraded full-HD webcam
Larger, brighter display (13.6 inches vs. 13.3 inches)
Faster M2 processor

Read our full review of the MacBook Air M2.

$1,199 at Best Buy $1,199 at Apple $1,049 at B&H Photo-Video

Dan Ackerman/CNET

MacBook Air (13-inch, M1, 2020)

This model has been surpassed, but not replaced, by the new M2 MacBook Air. Because it’s staying on as Apple’s sole $999 laptop, it still deserves a place on this list.

For many years, this Apple laptop was everyone’s favorite laptop. It was reasonably priced, thin, light and built like a tank. It could last for years and take lots of falls and bumps. For any college student or coffee shop creative type, $999 would get you sorted.

You get only two Thunderbolt 3 USB-C ports, but for most people that’s enough, as long as you can get a whatever-to-USB-C dongle.

The 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro laptops, like the new M2 MacBook Air, have better displays, faster processors and more ports. The Pro models also have HDMI and SD card slots.

Read our full review of the MacBook Air M1.

$800 at Amazon $800 at Best Buy $999 at Apple

The Apple MacBook Pro 16 sitting on a wood desk, open and angled to the left showing the orange-flower desktop, against a purple-blue background

Lori Grunin/CNET

MacBook Pro 16-inch (2023)

Apple’s 2023 update to its flagship MacBook Pro 16-inch line follows the company’s usual MO. It offers a modest refresh from the more significantly redesigned 2021 model; notably, upgrades to the latest generation of M2-class processors, Wi-Fi 6E and HDMI 2.1, which means support for displays up to 8K, 60Hz and 4K, 240Hz and variable refresh rates.

We awarded it our Editors’ Choice award for its combination of the old and new. It’s a powerhouse Mac for creation and development work.

Read our full review of the MacBook Pro 16-inch.

$3,249 at Amazon $3,499 at Best Buy $3,499 at Apple

The 16-inch Macbook Pro from 2021 on a table

Dan Ackerman/CNET

MacBook Pro 14-inch (2021)

Compared with the 13-inch Pro, the screen size here jumps from 13.3 to 14.2 inches. It’s what Apple calls a Liquid Retina XDR display, which is basically a mini LED screen, like in the 12.9-inch iPad Pro. It also has the same HDMI, SD card and MagSafe ports as the 16-inch MacBook Pro and the same 1080 webcam.

We last tested a 14-inch Pro in 2021, but the performance and configuration options remain substantially similar to the 16-inch M2 MacBook Pro, which we tested and reviewed in 2023.

If you’re a college student, coffeeshop writer or other mainstream laptop user, this is a hefty premium to pay for a better screen, better webcam and more ports. It might be like buying a sports car just for driving on city streets. Bring in all-day, every day web video meetings, you might be able to make a good case, but the new M2 Air also solves that problem.

Read our full review of the 14-inch MacBook Pro.

The Apple MacBook Pro M2 13-inch laptop 2022

Dan Ackerman/CNET

MacBook Pro (13-inch, M2, 2022)

This new 2022 version of the 13-inch MacBook Pro looks just like the 13-inch MacBook Pro that was part of Apple’s first wave of M1-chip Macs in late 2020. Same body, same camera, same limited ports, same Touch Bar. Yes, this remains the last holdout of the Apple Touch Bar, a clever-but-underused second screen that’s fallen out of favor.

And that’s exactly what this system is: The 2020 13-inch MacBook Pro, with the initial M1 chip swapped out for the new M2 chip. That makes it Apple’s most powerful 13-inch laptop, and it edges out the otherwise similar new M2 MacBook Air because its active cooling allows it to run at higher temperatures.

That means it’s less likely to be your best choice for a MacBook. But there are some reasons you may still want the 13-inch MacBook Pro over either the new MacBook Air or the pricier 14- or 16-inch MacBook Pro. We outlined the most obvious reasons here and they include:

The last opportunity to get a MacBook with a Touch Bar
Smallest MacBook with the longest battery life (at least until we test the new Air model)
Platform continuity for your company or creative shop

Read our full review of the M2 13-inch MacBook Pro.

$1,099 at Amazon $1,149 at Best Buy $1,299 at Apple

Which MacBook should I buy?

My TL;DR advice is as follows.

If you need a MacBook for everyday work, schoolwork, web surfing, movies and light creativity, go with the M2 MacBook Air. For most people, this is all the MacBook they’ll need.
The new design and camera are great, as is the bigger screen, but the older $999 M1 version of the MacBook Air is still great if you don’t want to spend $200 more on the M2 version.
The 13-inch MacBook Pro remains a tough sell. More expensive than the Air but essentially the same performance and same Apple M2 chip. It’s also the last holdout of the Touch Bar.
The 16-inch MacBook Pro is the one high-end creative types have been waiting for. The video editor and creative pros I’ve spoken to have flocked to it and usually with the highest-end M2 Max chip.
The 14-inch MacBook Pro can do almost everything the 16-inch can, but in a smaller package. It’s either a premium mainstream laptop splurge or a work tool for creative types who need something a little more portable.

The best laptops in every category

More on MacBook

Technologies

Verizon’s Simple Mobile and Total Wireless Plans Expand International Features

If you frequently call or visit countries outside the US, these prepaid phone plan improvements could help your travel budget.

Travel patterns are changing, with more people in the US venturing outside the country and needing to stay connected. To accommodate this surge, Verizon is boosting the international options in its prepaid Simple Mobile and Total Wireless phone brands starting Aug. 28.

Most phone plans include options to call and text people in Canada and Mexico, along with some roaming options for US travelers. Depending on the plan, those options are extended to many other countries around the globe. But you often end up paying for a more expensive plan than you need in order to get the travel benefits.

Now, the Simple Mobile and Total Wireless brands are expanding their international options and increasing data allotments so you can travel using the plan you carry every day without the stress of finding local coverage.

See also: Make sure you have a good phone for traveling.

Simple Mobile changes

The Simple Mobile prepaid plans include an allotment of high-speed data before downshifting to slower unlimited data. Be sure to check the details for specific countries on the site. Here’s how they break down:

The $25 Unlimited plan includes 15GB of high-speed data (up from 3GB) and unlimited calling to more than 100 countries.
The $30 Unlimited plan includes 20GB of high-speed data (up from 5GB) and unlimited calling to more than 125 countries (up from 100 countries).
The $40 Unlimited plan includes 30GB of high-speed data (up from 15GB) and unlimited calling to more than 125 countries (up from 100 countries).
The $50 Unlimited World plan, formerly named the Truly Unlimited plan, includes unlimited high-speed data and unlimited calling to more than 200 countries (a doubling of the number of countries from before).
The $60 Unlimited World Plus plan, formerly the Truly Unlimited Plus plan, includes unlimited access to Verizon’s fastest network, 5G Ultra Wideband (where available) and unlimited high-speed data. It also doubles the number of countries with unlimited calling to over 200, and offers international roaming in more than 140 countries.

Total Wireless Plans

The top two Total Wireless plans, Total 5G Unlimited ($50 a month) and Total 5G Unlimited Plus ($60 a month), feature unlimited high-speed data, including 5G Ultra Wideband speeds.

As of Aug. 28, roaming coverage for those plans doubles to more than 30 countries and international calling to 180 countries.

The Total Base 5G Unlimited plan stays the same with unlimited high-speed data (but not 5G Ultra Wideband), international calling to more than 85 countries and texting to over 200 destinations and roaming in Canada and Mexico.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Strands Hints, Answers and Help for Aug. 20 #535

Here are hints and answers for the NYT Strands puzzle for Aug. 20, No. 535.

Looking for the most recent Strands answer? Click here for our daily Strands hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Today’s NYT Strands puzzle is a tough one. It helps to know a little something about different currencies, but there was one on there that was completely new to me. If you need hints and answers for today’s Strands puzzle, read on.

I go into depth about the rules for Strands in this story.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections and Mini Crossword answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: NYT Connections Turns 1: These Are the 5 Toughest Puzzles So Far

Hint for today’s Strands puzzle

Today’s Strands theme is: Mint condition

If that doesn’t help you, here’s a clue: We’re in the money!

Clue words to unlock in-game hints

Your goal is to find hidden words that fit the puzzle’s theme. If you’re stuck, find any words you can. Every time you find three words of four letters or more, Strands will reveal one of the theme words. These are the words I used to get those hints but any words of four or more letters that you find will work:

GULP, GLOB, LORE, DOLL, DOLE, DOLED, ROPE, ROPER, WALL

Answers for today’s Strands puzzle

These are the answers that tie into the theme. The goal of the puzzle is to find them all, including the spangram, a theme word that reaches from one side of the puzzle to the other. When you have all of them (I originally thought there were always eight but learned that the number can vary), every letter on the board will be used. Here are the nonspangram answers:

EURO, PESO, DOLLAR, POUND, RAND, RUPEE, KWANZA

Today’s Strands spangram

Today’s Strands spangram is GLOBALCURRENCY. To find it, look for the G that’s four letters to the right on the very top row, and wind down.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Wednesday, Aug. 20

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for Aug. 20.

Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword has a few challenging clues (4-Down threw me off), but it’s mostly OK. Need some help with today’s Mini Crossword? Read on. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword

Let’s get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers.