The 2023 MacBook Pro M2 Max Can Get Wildly Expensive

There is no denying that Apple products — especially the Pro-level MacBooks — are expensive pieces of machinery. These gadgets are generally more costly than laptops from competing brands thanks to Apple's premium positioning. 

Given that prices for entry-level MacBooks breach the $1000 mark, it is not surprising to see people dole out significant amounts of money to buy higher-configuration MacBooks or MacBook Pro models. With the recent announcement of the M2 Pro and M2 Max-powered MacBook Pros, consumers now have the option to customize and buy high-end, pro-grade machines at an equally pro-grade price.

We wanted to find out how expensive the fully spec'd out versions of the latest M2 Max-powered MacBook Pro models could get. We headed to the Apple website, which has been updated with the newest SKUs from the company. Notably, only the 14-inch and 16-inch models of the new MacBooks offer the M2 Max as a CPU option; with prices for the entry-level variants starting at $3099 for the 14-inch version, and $3499 for the M2 Max-powered 16-inch MacBook Pro.

At over $3000, even the base versions of the M2 Max-powered MacBook Pros are among the most expensive laptops out there. But our aim here was to go completely wild and see how much more expensive they could get if someone opts for the maxed-out model of the same.

Note that even the base version of the M2 Max 16-inch is a pretty high-end machine with 32GB of unified memory and 1TB of SSD storage. However, you can opt for either 64GB of memory (for $400 more), or go up to a staggering 96GB of unified memory for an additional $800. With the latter selected, the machine's price goes up to $4299. 

If you intend to store a lot of data locally on your MacBook Pro, and the base 1TB of SSD storage simply doesn't cut it, Apple gives you the option to opt for 2TB, 4TB, or 8TB of storage. The last option will bump the price of the machine up by $2200 — taking the price of the system to $6499.

Incredibly, Apple has additional ways to options by allowing you to purchase a license for the Final Cut Pro ($299.99) and Logic Pro ($199.99) apps, which takes the price of your machine to a staggering $6998.98. In addition, Apple also sells you AppleCare+ coverage for three years for an additional $399. Finally, you can also buy a two-meter USB-C to Lightning Cable for $29, and a USB-C to USB adapter for $19, thereby taking the total price tag for the M2 Max-powered 16-inch MacBook Pro to an eye-popping $7445.

Note that this price excludes any local taxes you may be liable to pay. For fun, we entered the zip code for Manhattan (10018), which bumped up the price to more than $8000 ($8106.81, to be precise), with the tax component alone adding up to $660.83.