MacBook Air M1 vs. MacBook Pro M1

[mj_]

I have a first-generation MacBook Air M1 in mint condition that I use regularly for personal stuff. I've had it since January of 2021 and have had zero issues with this device. For what I use it for, it suits me just fine: personal finance using Excel and Numbers, writing in Word and Pages, browsing the web, email, some occasional photo management in Apple Photos and very occasional very light (raw) photo editing in Apple Photos and Affnity Photo, scanning and organizing documents, etc. Overall very lightweight stuff that a base model Neo or even an old Intel-based MacBook would be perfectly suited for.

I have been given the opportunity to upgrade for free to a 14" MacBook Pro M1 with some minor exterior damage (a very small but highly visible ding on the lid close to the Apple logo and another larger but less visible ding on the right palm rest) but in otherwise okay condition. It's pretty filthy but it will clean up.

	MacBook Air	MacBook Pro
CPU / GPU	M1 (8C / 7C)	M1 Pro (10C / 14C)
RAM	8 GB	32 GB
SSD	512 GB	1 TB
Battery	192 cycles, 90% health	126 cycles, 94% health

The way I see it the Pro will be faster in pretty much everything but at the same time it will run out of battery sooner (11h vs. 15h in mixed use according to Apple). It is also noticeably heavier (0.7 lbs) and slightly larger but on the flipside it offers a larger and brighter display. Keyboard and trackpad are the same but cosmetically, the Air is in much better condition.

Apart from the obvious, what am I missing? Given my workload I am certain that I will not notice any performance differences between the two, but is one more likely to be supported for longer than the other (e.g. the Pro because it went on sale year later or the Air because it was sold for longer)? Is the Pro really going to last four hours less on a single charge than the Air? Will I ever hear the Pro's fan (I am hyper allergic to noise, which is why I was so happy that the Air was fanless)? Anything else that I'm not thinking of right now?

The caveat is that the switch will be permanent so whatever I decide now I will have to live with for the forseeable future.

 

[dmr727]

If the cosmetics and weight don't bother you, I'd absolutely make the switch. Especially with 32GB, that Pro will serve you really well until the security updates eventually run out.

 

[Howard2k]

If the cosmetics and weight don't bother you, I'd absolutely make the switch. Especially with 32GB, that Pro will serve you really well until the security updates eventually run out.

Seconded. Total no brainer.

The difference in weight is a method of comparison but neither are heavy devices.

 

[m1maverick]

While the MBP is clearly superior in capability it seems to come down to how important is the weight and battery life to you? Under your current workload are you running up against or exceeding the 11-hour battery life of the MBP? If not then the longer battery life of the MBA largely becomes irrelevant. The same can be said of the weight, do you use the MBA on the go? Or is it primarily sitting on a desk?

Finally, despite the benefits the MBP has over the MBA if the MBA is doing everything you need then a change to the MBP, despite it being a more capable system, only brings you negatives.

 

[mj_]

That's an excellent point that I hadn't considered yet, thank you @m1maverick. I don't believe that I ever got close to running out of battery on the Air. Most of the time I use the device for no more than four to maybe six hours when out and about, which falls well within the Pro's 11 hour window even with age and battery degradation. The cosmetics do bother me slightly but I think I could probably live with the blemishes and would most likely stop noticing them after a while.

I am ever so slightly worried about the weight, which I realize is an absolutely ridiculous and unique problem to have. I am a sucker for lightness and traveling as light as possible so 0.7 lbs are fairly substantial in my book. On the flip side I do love the Pro's noticeably larger display, which is great for my aging eyes, and the fact that there is a slight chance the Pro will receive an extra year of updates.

In other words I am still none the wiser... is there anything else I am missing?

 

[whitby]

I think if (and it is a big if) you can ignore the physical issues with the 14" MBPro, I would upgrade to the MBPro. It has a better screen, more ports and better sound.

But....

The one major caveat is that as it has the physical damage you describe it may indicate that the machine has not been well treated and other parts of the machine may be damaged either internally or externally. The dings indicate that the case is damaged on the interior and may have damaged some internal components (e.g. top ding may have damaged the distplay, palm rest ding may have damaged components underneath that area) . Plus, if the machine is dirty, the keyboard and screen may be marked or damaged. I would check very carefully for other signs of damage. This has not been, based on your description, a well looked after machine and it may have other non-visible issues.

 

[m1maverick]

In other words I am still none the wiser... is there anything else I am missing?

I think the question is: Why upgrade to the MBP if the MBA meets your needs? I understand the appeal of getting a higher spec system but if those higher specs don't buy you anything then what's the point? Especially if there are some negatives (and the physical damage is, IMO, a negative).

 

[mj_]

Yes, I believe you are right. That is the question: why upgrade? I can't think of a reason right now because the Air seems to be doing everything I need, and at first glance the Pro doesn't seem to offer any tangible benefits. That's why I'm asking and wondering whether I'm missing something.

@whitby I have thought about the potential internal damage, yes. The Pro was used by one of our younger developers at the company and while he did not mistreat it as such you can tell that he didn't particularly care about its physical condition either. The ding on the palm rest should be harmless as upon closer inspection it appears to be more of a deep scratch than an actual ding. The top ding however does have a minor impact on the display itself. On a completely white background you can see a small shady slightly blueish area right where the ding sits on the other side, maybe 1/8 inch in diameter. It's barely noticeable so I'm not too worried about it. I took the time to clean the Pro properly today and it looks much better now. No visibible damage apart from what I listed above, no sticky keys, no other obvious issues.

I should also mention that "the switch will be permanent" means that the other device will go to my daughter as her first laptop. Both devices will stay in the family but taking whatever I decide to hand her away again because I end up regretting my decision will be like separating a two-year old from their blankie.

 

[1BadManVan]

It's a tough one.. Thats a big upgrade over your air but at the same time, the air seems to perfectly suit your needs as well so how much of a noticeable upgrade would i be for your own personal usage? Would the negatives of the extra weight and worse physical condition outweigh the benefit?

I personally don't have any use for a MacBook pro and love my air and wouldn't trade up for a pro even if it was for free because i love the portability and fanless design of my air. The sticking point for me in your situation is that extra ram in the pro is a big selling feature if you don't personally have any plans to upgrade in the foreseeable future, the m1 pro will definitely age better as they upgrade the os to be more resource heavy.

If you plan yourself to upgrade to a newer air in the next year or two and really love the design and portability of the air, maybe hold out and get the actual mac you want for your next long term investment.

I have both an M1 air base config and an M5 air 24gb model and i definitely notice the lack of ram on the M1 when i start to multitask and have a few too many windows going, and im not someone who has dozens of them open. It's not super detrimental but side by side i can definitely tell the difference of the slight hang ups as its trying to free up ram on the M1