A cheaper 14-inch MacBook Pro with an M2 chip could land soon

If you’ve been looking longingly at the 14-inch MacBook Pro but don’t want to drop $2,000 on a new laptop, a solution may be on the way. A new rumor claims that Apple is preparing to launch a new model that costs hundreds less.

DylanDKT on Twitter follows up on Mark Gurman’s speculation of a new low-end MacBook Pro with some intriguing details. According to the post, the current M1 MacBook Pro 13 will be replaced with a new version of the 14-inch MacBook Pro powered by an M2 chip. 

It’s unclear whether the new models will have the same Liquid Retina XDR display or stick with the standard LED retina in the current model. Dylan says the new model will “have the same design as the M1 Pro and M1 Max MacBook Pro 14,” though it’s unclear if that extends to the notch and the ports. However, it almost certainly means the Touch Bar is gone.

While the M2 processor will technically be a newer chip than the M1 Pro and M1 Max in the current 14-inch Pro, it will actually be slower, likely significantly so. That could create some confusion with customers, but the price difference should help sort things out. Dylan says the new model will receive “a slight price increase over the previous generation,” which starts at $1,299. So the new model will still be at least $500 less than the current entry-level 14-inch Pro.

Dylan expects that laptop to be released in the second half of 2022 alongside the “redesigned M2 MacBook (Air),” which is also expected to have a new design and M2 chip.