MacBook Air vs MacBook Pro: Which Is Better?

Apple’s latest MacBook Air and MacBook Pro have some key differences; the biggest of these is the $300 price difference, the Touch Bar screen and different screens. For most people, the basic MacBook Air will serve just fine, but those with higher demands should strongly consider the MacBook Pro, as it has enough extras to justify the price premium over the MacBook Air.

Apple’s latest MacBooks are the first models to feature Apple’s M1 processors. It’s important to note that Apple still sells high-end models with Intel Core processors, including the 16″ MacBook Pro and the quad-port 13.3″ MacBook Pro. This guide focuses on the new MacBook Air and the dual-port 13.3″ MacBook Pro, which offer more than enough computing power for most people.

	Macbook Air	MacBook Pro
Cost	$999	1,299$
view	400 nits	500 nits
battery life	18 hours	20 hours
Weight	2.8 pounds	3.0 pounds
Touch Bar / Function Keys
Yield	M1 (7 core GPU)	M1 (8 core GPU)

The table above is a summary of the main differences between MacBook Air and MacBook Pro. You can scroll down or click the links in the first column of the table to help you decide which is best for you.

MacBook Air and MacBook Pro Cost

MacBook Air starts at $999, and the new 13.3″ MacBook Pro starts at $1,299. Both base MacBook models come with 8GB of memory and 256GB of storage. If your budget is tight, the MacBook Air is the obvious choice.

Of course it’s easy to pin down on the starting prices of the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro, but prices for both machines skyrocket if you want more storage, memory or other extras. The table below compares the prices of the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro with their maximum specs.

As you can see in the table above, upgrading to higher storage capacity and memory is very expensive. Note that the 512GB MacBook Air comes with the M1 chip with 8 GPU cores, just like the MacBook Pro. If you don’t mind the faster processor, you can start with the $999 MacBook Air and only upgrade the storage capacity; your total amount will be $50 less than the prices above.

When purchasing a new MacBook, keep in mind that Apple is offering a $100 discount to educators, college students, and homeschoolers of all grade levels.

Both the new MacBook Air and the new MacBook Pro feature 13.3″ Retina Displays with a resolution of 2560 x 1600 pixels. Both have 227 pixels per square inch, meaning you won’t be able to see individual pixels like you would on older computers.

MacBook Air and MacBook Pro: Display

The main difference between the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro display is brightness. The MacBook Air’s display reveals 400 nits of brightness, while the MacBook Pro’s display measures a maximum of 500 nits. The MacBook Air’s display is bright enough for most users, but if you plan to use your new MacBook outdoors or in bright conditions with the screen facing a window, you’ll appreciate the MacBook Pro’s 500-nit display. It will help reduce reflections.

MacBook Air vs MacBook Pro: Size and Weight

Extremely mobile users should start with the MacBook Air at the top of their shopping list. The MacBook Pro and MacBook Air have very similar footprints and weigh nearly the same, but the MacBook Air is significantly thinner thanks to its wedge design.

The 13.3″ MacBook Pro is 0.61 inches thick across its frame. The MacBook Air is slightly thicker towards the back of the machine, but tapers to just 0.16 inches high at the front.

The MacBook Pro weighs exactly 3.0 pounds, while the MacBook Air weighs 2.8 pounds. Frankly, it’s not much of a difference, but the MacBook Air is balanced differently so it may feel lighter when moving around.

MacBook Air and MacBook Pro: Touch Bar

The new MacBook Pro has a Touch Bar, while the MacBook Air has physical keys to control things like brightness and volume. The Touch Bar has been standard on many MacBook Pro models in recent years, but many MacBook users prefer physical buttons and find the ever-changing Touch Bar controls confusing.

Others are big fans of the MacBook Pro’s Touch Bar, especially if they’re constantly using apps with optimized Touch Bar controls. For example, apps like Final Cut Pro and Adobe Photoshop turn the Touch Bar into a shortcut palette for common tasks like trimming and trimming.

This is a close-up of the MacBook Air’s function keys. Some people prefer traditional physical switches as they don’t change when switching between apps.

MacBook Air vs MacBook Pro: Storage Capacity

Both MacBook Air and MacBook Pro come with 256GB SSD storage by default. Upgrade to 512GB costs $200, 1TB $400, and 2TB $800. same on both computers. Note that you may not be able to see these exact numbers as Apple includes this in the prices of its off-the-shelf models; so you may see slightly different pricing if you choose the base model and don’t upgrade from there.

Note that unlike some computers, you cannot upgrade the SSD on newer MacBook Air or MacBook Pro models. That means you’re stuck with whatever option you choose. If you rely mostly on cloud storage, 256GB might be enough. But if you enjoy syncing your iPhone with your MacBook, installing lots of apps, storing videos locally, or having constant access to years of photos, you’ll want to opt for 512GB or larger drives.

MacBook Air vs MacBook Pro: Speed ​​and Performance

If you’re looking for superior performance from your Mac, the MacBook Pro will surpass the MacBook Air. This is because the MacBook Pro has an 8-core GPU compared to the 7-core GPU in the MacBook Air. However, it will not be as dramatic as you might expect. Both of these base machines are relatively close in terms of performance. Apple will launch much more powerful MacBook Pros with much higher price tags in the future.

If you’re like most people and mostly use web browsers, Microsoft Office, and Apple’s suite apps most of the time, then either machine will do just fine.

If you spend a lot of time editing photos, editing videos, or using graphics-intensive apps, go for the MacBook Pro if you can afford it. If you can relate to the above image of a photographer editing footage shot on a DSLR, you should go with the MacBook Pro.

MacBook Air and MacBook Pro Battery Life

Both the new MacBook Air and the new MacBook Pro have outstanding battery life, which most users have advertised as allowing them to work all day unplugged. If you’re a long-time MacBook user and aren’t happy with your old MacBook’s battery performance, then this is what you need to set aside these experiences. Apple’s latest MacBooks have much better battery performance compared to older models.

Of course, real-world MacBook battery performance varies greatly from user to user as there are many variables such as what apps are used and how bright the screen is set. Apple claims that the battery of the new MacBook Air will last up to 18 hours on a single charge, while the battery of the new MacBook Pro will last up to 20 hours. With just a 10% difference between the two, that shouldn’t be a deciding factor for most people, and it might be wiser to lower the MacBook Air’s screen brightness rather than paying over $300 for the MacBook Pro.

The above image from Apple’s website shows how the new MacBook Air, new MacBook Pro, and older Intel-based MacBook Pro models compare in terms of battery life.

If you’re an extremely mobile user and want to do your best to avoid battery worries, the slightly better battery performance of the MacBook Pro might impress you.

MacBook Air vs MacBook Pro: Noise

MacBook Air is virtually silent thanks to its fanless design. Apple has managed to design the MacBook Air to run cool enough without the tiny fans spinning when it gets hot. While the MacBook Pro has similar performance, it does have a fan when things get hot. If you prefer to work and study in complete silence, the MacBook Air may be a better choice for you.

MacBook Air and MacBook Pro: Ports and Connections

Both MacBook Air and MacBook Pro have only two Thunderbolt/USB 4 ports for charging and connecting to external devices. Each also has a headphone jack if you want to connect to external speakers or a wired headset.

Older high-end MacBook Pros with Intel processors come with four Thunderbolt ports, and we expect to see the same thing when Apple starts rolling out more powerful 13-inch MacBook Pros and 16-inch MacBook Pros with Apple Silicon instead of Intel.