I really want Apple M2 – but is the 2022 MacBook Pro worth it?

At WWDC 2022 – that's Apple's worldwide developer conference, for the uninitiated – the Mac-maker revealed its next-gen M2 silicon. And I really want one powering my next MacBook. So, good news first: I could head to Apple's website and bag myself a shiny new MacBook with M2 power right now. 

Except there's a quirk: I'm talking about the 13-inch MacBook Pro M2 model, not the all-singing, all-dancing MacBook Air with its great new features. Less applause. Now, don't get me wrong, I'd love to buy a MacBook Pro – and I've really enjoyed using one for a week for my Pro M2 review – but there's a bone of contention with this model that's hard to ignore.

What's that? It still features the Touch Bar. I'm afraid that the 13-inch MacBook Pro just doesn't encapsulate the lovely design newness of the 14-inch and 16-inch models that were introduced in 2021 (notch included and all). 

M2 + Touch Bar = wait for the Air?

Now I'm no mathematician, but to me Apple M2 + Touch Bar = not the MacBook I was expecting. It's an interesting vessel to launch the M2 to the world first, so you'll have to live with the touchpanel strip above the keyboard if you're that keen on the idea of bagging M2 power first.

It's a bit too soon for the larger-scale MacBook Pro models to come with M2, I suppose, as it would undermine anyone who purchased a brand new one in recent months. And, actually, if it's raw power that you're looking for then the M1 Pro or M1 Max are actually more powerful than M2 anyway.

For me, though, it's not so much the raw power as it is economy of power. As I'm so often on the go, I want a laptop that can deliver battery life that will keep everything ticking along without compromise. My M1 MacBook Air did well, but could be even better, which is the key reason I want to be part of the M2 brigade. Especially having tested it and seen just how well it lasts.

For now, though, I'm going to have to pause and wait on the all-new MacBook Air – as that, plus M2 power, is a very tempting prospect indeed.