After many rumors and reports, Apple has finally unveiled the new generation MacBook Air; a product that uses a new design and is similar to the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro. This similarity can be easily seen in the notch above the display. So the MacBook Pro, available in 13-inch, 14-inch, and 16-inch sizes, and the MacBook Air, available in 13.3-inch or 13.6-inch models, are the two laptop lines Apple currently sells.
Choosing a MacBook can be difficult, especially since Apple offers certain models with M1 CPUs and other variants with M1 Pro or M1 Max processors. The MacBook Air 2022 screen has a resolution of 2560 x 1664 pixels, supports 1 billion colors and True Tone technology, and its brightness reaches 500 nits. This product is also equipped with a 1080p webcam.
Let us leave the display aside and get to the chip of this Apple laptop: M2. This chip is equipped with 8 processor cores, like the M chip used in the previous generation MacBook Air, but it shows higher performance and has optimized power consumption. This chip is housed in two clusters: 4 cores with low power consumption and 4 cores with high power consumption.
This is where our comparison between the MacBook Air and the MacBook Pro comes into play. We compare price, features, performance, battery life, and other factors to find out which MacBook offers the best value among the MacBook Air, 13-inch MacBook Pro, 14-inch MacBook Pro, and 16-inch MacBook Pro.
So let’s take a closer look at the difference between the MacBook Air and the Pro to see what sets these MacBooks apart. By the end of this tutorial, you should be able to decide which MacBook to buy with your money or whether you should wait until the next model hits the market.
MacBook Air vs MacBook Pro: Design
Winner: The MacBook Air Is More Portable and has a newer color variety
The MacBook Air 2022 and MacBook Pro designs are more similar than ever in some ways. The MacBook Air 2022 no longer has the tapered shape that immediately distinguished it as an Air.
The M1 MacBook Air and Pro both have machined aluminum enclosures, come in silver and space gray, and have a small lip on the front of the case to help open the screen. The updated MacBook Pros have thin bezels and forgo the Touch Bar in favor of a feature bar. The 1080p webcam is located in a recess on the top, but it is not overly noticeable.
The 13-inch MacBook Pro is the only Mac notebook with Apple’s Touch Bar, which is another eye-catching feature. For the 2021 models, Apple has removed the Touch Bar from the 14 and 16-inch MacBook Pro models. Another differentiator is the available colors for these MacBooks. The new colors for the MacBook Air 2022 are Midnight (dark blue), Starlight (gold), Space Gray, and Silver.
The MacBook Air is slightly lighter than the MacBook Pro. When the MacBook Air was launched in 2008, it was the lightest notebook. However, over time, the weight of the MacBook Pro has also decreased, so the difference is not as noticeable now. M2 MacBook Air: 1.24 kg, M1 MacBook Air: 1.29 kg, and M2 MacBook Pro: 1.40 kg. The MacBook Air 2022 has undergone a facelift and is now only slightly larger than the 13-inch MacBook Pro. Thanks to this change, Apple is now able to accommodate a larger screen. The M1 MacBook Air has the same dimensions as the 13-inch MacBook Pro.
MacBook Air vs MacBook Pro: Power
Winner: MacBook Pro
If you are an architect who wants to model your construction projects with a MacBook, or if you are a graphic designer who works with graphics software all the time and wants to create long-term renderings with a MacBook, you have to pay attention to the system’s performance. Consider the MacBook Pro if you need more power for demanding tasks like video editing, 3D rendering, and data processing. Although the M1 crisps in the 13-inch MacBook Pro are identical to those in the MacBook Air, the active cooling system allows it to run longer with a heavier load.
However, the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models are for you if you want more CPU and GPU cores for better multitasking and more performance in multi-threaded applications. You can choose even more powerful extras at checkout.
CPU
The CPU is actually the brain of the computer, where all the processing is done in this part. Running programs and performing calculations are all the responsibility of the CPU. The CPU gets the instructions it executes from the RAM. Therefore, when choosing between two devices, you must pay attention to their differences in CPU.
Apple’s M2 processor powers both the 13-inch MacBook Pro and the MacBook Air 2022. The M2 processor has eight CPU cores, four of which are high-performance cores and four of which are high-efficiency cores, just like the M1 chip that continues to be found in the entry-level MacBook Air.
The high-performance processor cores are still available for more demanding tasks when the high-efficiency processor cores are busy backing up to iCloud or syncing images, which is an advantage of Apple’s chip design.
According to Apple, the M2 is better than the M1 because this time the more powerful cores are coupled with a larger cache and the efficient cores experience even greater performance benefits. The website CPU looks the same, but it is not.
GPU
Choosing the model that best suits your needs may depend in large part on the number of GPU cores. The more expensive Air model may be the ideal choice if you think you need the extra GPU cores. However, the 10-core GPU option of the MacBook Pro might be the better choice.
The MacBook Pro has a fan for cooling and is thus a bit more demanding than the MacBook Air, which makes it a better choice for graphically demanding tasks. The MacBook Air works well under normal circumstances, but since it doesn’t have a fan, it will work at a lower speed. Paying attention to this point can optimize your choice and prevent you from making mistakes.
RAM
First of all RAM or Random-access memory is one of the important components in all devices. RAM is a high-speed component that temporarily stores the information needed by the device. Accessing the data stored on RAM is very fast, unlike hard drives, which access their information slower, but they store data for a long time.
In the lowest configuration, all M1 MacBooks – both Pro and Air models – have 8 GB RAM (Unified Memory). The M1 processor can only handle 16 GB RAM, but the M2 chip offers the ability to expand it to 24 GB RAM. You may be worried that 8 GB of RAM isn’t enough for your needs, but you should know that this RAM, which Apple calls Unified Memory, is actually part of the M2 (or M1) CPU.
The 8 GB RAM in these models isn’t the same as the 8 GB in an Intel Mac because it’s available for both CPU and GPU, resulting in performance benefits.
MacBook Air vs MacBook Pro: Buttery life
Winner: MacBook Pro
Battery life is one of the most important factors that play a key role when choosing between two devices. Especially for those who constantly work with the device, short battery life can be annoying. We performed a test in this regard and explain the result in detail.
Another area where the switch to Apple’s own M1 processors has led to significant improvements in battery life, although these Macs are still light years ahead of previous Intel MacBook models. Apple claims a whopping 20 hours of battery life for the 13-inch MacBook Pro, while the M1 and M2 models of the MacBook Air only last 18 hours. The 10 hours of battery life of the now discontinued 13-inch MacBook Pro with 2.0 GHz seems terrible in comparison. In our test of the M1 models, the MacBook Pro was slightly superior to the Air, but both were incredibly efficient, with a 45% improvement over previous Intel models.18.5 hours with the M1 MacBook Pro and 17 hours with the M1 MacBook Air. In the end, the MacBook Pro seems to be the winner of this competition in terms of battery life
MacBook Air vs Pro: Audio
Winner: MacBook Pro
Another feature that the MacBook Pro seems to win is sound quality: the 13-inch MacBook Pro and MacBook Air both have great stereo sound, but the new MacBook Pros are on a whole different level.
That’s because of the six-speaker configuration available on the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models. They now also have an octave deeper sound and more bass for a stronger audio profile. And instead of only supporting headphones, the new MacBook Pros can play Dolby Atmos audio through the speakers – so considering that sound quality is another factor that influences the choice of a device, you should take this point into account when making a purchase decision
MacBook Air vs MacBook Pro: Display
Winner: MacBook Pro
The screen of the new MacBook Air 2022 is an improvement over the previous generation and is larger and brighter than that of the M2 MacBook Pro.
Instead of a standard Retina display, the new MacBook Air features a 13.6-inch Liquid Retina display. This essentially means that the new display can display more colors and has a higher contrast ratio (one billion versus millions).
The Liquid Retina XDR displays in the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models are superior to both, although neither is as excellent. Compared to the MacBook Air M2 and M1, which offer 500 and 400 cd/m² brightness, respectively, the more expensive MacBook Pro models offer up to 1,000 cd/m² brightness, deeper blacks, and more vivid colors, and ProMotion. On the other hand, The Liquid Retina XDR panels in the 2021 MacBook Pros set new standards for display quality.
They feature Mini LED technology for enhanced color and contrast and are certified for 1,000 nits brightness. A 120 Hz ProMotion display provides a smoother display
MacBook Air vs Pro: price comparison
Winner: MacBook Air
MacBook Air:
M1 MacBook Air with 8‑Core CPU and 7‑Core GPU, 256GB SSD: $999.
M2 MacBook Air with 8‑Core CPU and 8‑Core GPU, 256GB SSD: $1,199
M2 MacBook Air with 8‑Core CPU and 10‑Core GPU, 512GB SSD: $1,499
MacBook Pro :
M2 13inch MacBook Pro with 8‑Core CPU and 8‑Core GPU, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD: $1,299
M2 13inch MacBook Pro with 8‑Core CPU and 10‑Core GPU, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD: $1,499
M1 14inch MacBook Pro with 8-core CPU, 14-core GPU: $1,999
M1 16inch MacBook Pro with 10-core CPU, 16-core GPU 16-core Neural Engine: $2,499
With a starting price of $999, the MacBook Air is still the most affordable model and offers a performance advantage over the 13-inch MacBook Pro. Both the old and new 13-inch Pro offer longer battery life, but that may not be enough to justify the $1,299 price tag.
Although the MacBook Pro 14-inch costs significantly more than the 13-inch, you get a lot for your $1,999. Improvements include the M1 Pro chip, a better 14-inch mini-screen LED with a 120Hz refresh rate, a better 1080p camera, and additional ports. But to really benefit from all these advantages, you will probably have to overcome a difficult task.
The 16-inch MacBook Pro is the best Apple notebook for those who want the largest display and accordingly costs $2,499. Moreover, the battery lasts longer.
We also invite you not to miss our other popular technology articles such as the Difference between hardware and software.
