As someone who just bought the M4 MBP for $1474 yesterday, I have no idea why you'd go with a MBA unless you were good with 256gb of storage. It's only a little lighter and thinner, but right now before the MBA gets its M4 update, it's worse at just about everything else and only a bit cheaper if you configure with the same amount of storage.
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MacBook Air vs. MacBook Pro Buyer's Guide: 30+ Differences Compared
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Nice timing for the update to this article. I'm kind of shopping for a MacBook for the first time (I've only ever used desktop Macs and a few iPads). But with some new work coming up I'm going to need to have a Mac with me that's portable (I seriously contemplated just carrying around an M4 Mac mini with my Vision Pro).
Never really followed the laptop line closely, but it has an excellent range of options and sizes now.
I'm really torn on a 14" Pro v 15" Air (upgraded to 512GB storage). $100 more for the base Pro. Really don't need more power beyond M3/M4.
Very similar weight, with the Air having a slightly larger footprint (and larger screen), but the Pro being thicker.
I think I would prefer having a bit more screen real estate with the 15" Air (though looking at it seems like the Pro has higher pixel density and a heck of a much nicer display). But seems like typing on the Air with the thinner profile would be nicer for long periods of time? Additional ports on the Pro are definitely nice as well. Hmmm
Never really followed the laptop line closely, but it has an excellent range of options and sizes now.
I'm really torn on a 14" Pro v 15" Air (upgraded to 512GB storage). $100 more for the base Pro. Really don't need more power beyond M3/M4.
Very similar weight, with the Air having a slightly larger footprint (and larger screen), but the Pro being thicker.
I think I would prefer having a bit more screen real estate with the 15" Air (though looking at it seems like the Pro has higher pixel density and a heck of a much nicer display). But seems like typing on the Air with the thinner profile would be nicer for long periods of time? Additional ports on the Pro are definitely nice as well. Hmmm
ALWAYS get the Pro. It's the only Apple computer with actually good value. Get an older one if you're budget-conscious; 14" M1 or something.
The difference between atrociously slow low-res panel of MB Air and 120 Hz mini-LED of MB Pros is stark; everything else does not matter, including weight, ports or whatever.
The difference between atrociously slow low-res panel of MB Air and 120 Hz mini-LED of MB Pros is stark; everything else does not matter, including weight, ports or whatever.
Yes, agreed. Totally forgot to mention that. After getting used to 120Hz on the iPhone and iPad there is no chance I could go back to 60.
But that is also something that worries me - I use an iMac at home and Studio Display at work. I feel like those displays are going to be ruined for me if I start using a MacBook Pro.
Whichever way you spin it, regardless of the chip the MacBook Air is always a big compromise hardware wise compare to the Pro!
Apple recently updated the MacBook Pro with the M4 series of chips and a series of other upgrades including a 12MP camera, a nano-texture display option, and Thunderbolt 5 connectivity. The new machines follow updated MacBook Air models with the M3 chip that were released earlier in 2024, so how do the latest models compare?
Despite now being similar in appearance, the MacBook Air and the MacBook Pro are very different devices, so should you consider purchasing the 13- or 15-inch MacBook Air, which start at $999, to save money, or do you need one of the higher-end 14- or 16-inch MacBook Pro models, which cost at least $600 more? Our guide helps to answer the question of how to decide which of these two popular laptops is best for you.
[td]
MacBook Air MacBook Pro M2: 13.6-inch display
M3: 13.6- or 15.3-inch display14.2- or 16.2-inch display LCD Liquid Retina display Mini-LED Liquid Retina XDR display 60hz refresh rate ProMotion for refresh rates up to 120Hz Up to 500 nits brightness Up to 1,000 nits brightness and 1,600 nits peak HDR brightness Nano-texture display option 1080p FaceTime HD camera 12MP Center Stage camera with support for Desk View Apple M2 or M3 chip Apple M4, M4 Pro, or M4 Max chip M2: Enhanced 5nm node (N5P) based on A15 Bionic chip from iPhone 13 (2021)
M3: 3nm node (N3B) based on A17 Pro chip from iPhone 15 Pro (2023)3nm node (N3E) based on A18 chip from iPhone 16 (2024) M2: 3.49 GHz CPU clock speed
M3: 4.05 GHz CPU clock speedM4: 4.4 GHz CPU clock speed
M4 Pro and M4 Max: 4.5 GHz CPU clock speed8-core CPU with 4 performance cores and 4 efficiency cores M4: 10 CPU cores with 4 performance and 6 efficiency cores
M4 Pro: Up to 14 CPU cores with 10 performance and 4 efficiency cores
M4 Max: Up to 16 CPU cores with 12 performance and 4 efficiency coresUp to 10-core GPU M4: 10-core GPU
M4 Pro: Up to 20-core GPU
M4 Max: Up to 40-core GPUUpdated GPU architecture Updated GPU architecture with improved efficiency M2: 16-core Neural Engine, 15.8 trillion operations per second
M3: 16-core Neural Engine, 18 trillion operations per second16-core Neural Engine, 38 trillion operations per second 16GB or 24GB unified memory M4: 16GB, 24GB, or 32GB unified memory
M4 Pro: 24GB or 48GB unified memory
M4 Max: 36GB, 48GB, 64GB, or 128GB unified memoryLPDDR5 memory LPDDR5X memory 100GB/s memory bandwidth M4: 120GB/s memory bandwidth
M4 Pro: 273GB/s memory bandwidth
M4 Max: 546GB/s memory bandwidthPassive cooling Active cooling High Power Mode on all M4 Pro and M4 Max models M3 models only:
Dynamic Caching
Hardware-accelerated ray tracing
Hardware-accelerated mesh shading
Support for AV1 decodeDynamic Caching
Hardware-accelerated ray tracing
Hardware-accelerated mesh shading
Support for AV1 decodeM2: Wi-Fi 6
M3: Wi-Fi 6EWi-Fi 6E Two Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C) ports M4: Three Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C) ports
M4 Pro or M4 Max: Three Thunderbolt 5 (USB-C) portsHDMI 2.1 port with support for multichannel audio output SDXC card slot 13-Inch: Four-speaker sound system
15-Inch: Six-speaker sound system with force-canceling woofersHigh-fidelity six-speaker sound system with force-cancelling woofers Three-mic array with directional beamforming Studio-quality three-mic array with high signal-to-noise ratio and directional beamforming M2: Support for one external display
M3: Support for up to two external displays when the lid is closedM4 or M4 Pro: Support for two external displays
M4 Max: Support for up to four external displaysDedicated display engine 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, or 2TB of storage M4: 512GB, 1TB, or 2TB storage
M4 Pro or M4 Max: 512GB, 1TB, 2TB, 4TB, or 8TB storage13-Inch: 52.6-watt-hour lithium-polymer battery
15-Inch: 66.5-watt-hour lithium-polymer battery14-Inch: 72.4-watt-hour lithium-polymer battery
16-Inch: 100-watt-hour lithium-polymer battery18-hour battery life M4 14-Inch or M3 Pro 16-Inch: 24-hour battery life
M4 Pro 14-Inch: 22-hour battery life
M4 Max 14-Inch: 18-hour battery life
M4 Max 16-Inch: 21-hour battery life67W, 96W, or 140W USB-C Power Adapter Silver, Space Gray, Starlight, or Midnight color options Silver or Space Black color options M2 13-Inch: Starts at $999
M3 13-Inch: Starts at $1,099
M3 15-Inch: Starts at $1,299M4 14-Inch: Starts at $1,599
M4 Pro 14-Inch: Starts at $1,999
M4 Pro 16-Inch: Starts at $2,499
30W, 35W, or 67W USB-C Power Adapter[/td]
Design
Both the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro share the same basic design with a flat top and rounded edges on the bottom, but they do have several minor details that differ. For example, while both MacBooks have displays with a "notch" at the top to facilitate the built-in webcam, the MacBook Pro's bezels are noticeably slimmer. The keyboard well of the high-end MacBook Pro is also all-black... Click here to read rest of article
Article Link: MacBook Air vs. MacBook Pro Buyer's Guide: 30+ Differences Compared
I don't need a "Pro" !
I just need a MacBook Air with a better display and more USB C ports and a SD slot and...
Sigh.
I just need a MacBook Air with a better display and more USB C ports and a SD slot and...
Sigh.
The M4 MBP should really be a MacBook… save the Pro nomenclature for the M4 Pro and M4 Max Laptops…
What makes the M4 MBP PRO? its basically a MBA with a fan and better screen… okay a different chip, but before too long the MBA will have a M4 in it and then like the previous cycle there wont be very much to split the M4 MBP from the M4 MBA… Just call it a MacBook and be done with it…
What makes the M4 MBP PRO? its basically a MBA with a fan and better screen… okay a different chip, but before too long the MBA will have a M4 in it and then like the previous cycle there wont be very much to split the M4 MBP from the M4 MBA… Just call it a MacBook and be done with it…
I'm thinking exactly this thought ever since they started doing Two Thunderbolt 3 Ports model back in 2016.
It's literally just a MacBook. It doesn't deserve the Pro moniker ):
$100 is worth it for a better display. I'm torn between a MacBook Pro and Mac mini with a large display.
MacRumors won’t acknowledge PWM (pulse-width modulation aka backlight flickering), but it is a very real issue with many Apple products including MacBook Pro and iPhone.
In this case, MacBook Air does NOT use PWM. So, if you care about your eyes and your health, and you don’t enjoy headaches, go with MacBook Air.
In this case, MacBook Air does NOT use PWM. So, if you care about your eyes and your health, and you don’t enjoy headaches, go with MacBook Air.
I agree, feels like a no brainer. It's just knowing that it'll be random office work for 3-4 hours at a time, I just worry about the profile / height of the keyboard relative to the desk compared to the Air. I've really only ever worked at desktop Macs and feels like it'll throw me off for a while to work with my palms/wrists sitting on top of the laptop with a decent height difference from the desktop. I guess most people do this though.
That's a tough choice you have there too. As a desktop fan I love my Mac mini + Studio Display.
Sounds nonsensical to me. Every real world comparison I have done shows the MBP display as far superior.
Do the math. The 16" provides substantially more screen real estate. Those many people who have evolved workflows to take advantage of screen real estate will see a difference; substantial for many of us. Even folks doing a single window of a simple Office app like Excel benefit by seeing many more cells at once. Personally I even use 2x32" displays plus the MBP display to obtain larger productivity gains when in desktop mode.
Those of you who fail to grasp the improved productivity of additional screen real estate have no business ignorantly claiming that those who do "have other issues."
If the MacBook Air M4 got a better display, I'd be tempted to buy it (I do appreciate how light and thin it is). But it seems doubtful that Apple will give up ProMotion and Nanotexture as distinctive factors of the Pro line, so I guess I'll end up with the MacBook Pro.
Much better display and much better speakers make any MBP a MBP. MBA is not even close.
I’ve owned both a m2 13 inch MBA and a 14 inch m1 MBP, if the MacBook was my main computer, the pro is the way to go for sure.
In my case I have a powerful desktop, and 99% of my laptop use is very casual. For those reasons I’ve grown to really prefer the MBA for the passive cooling and slim light form factor and smaller footprint, it’s nice not having to pull a dog hair out of the fan intake because I set the laptop down on a bed or something.
If I wasn’t fortunate enough to have multiple computers though, the pro would be the one to rule them all. Definitely.
In my case I have a powerful desktop, and 99% of my laptop use is very casual. For those reasons I’ve grown to really prefer the MBA for the passive cooling and slim light form factor and smaller footprint, it’s nice not having to pull a dog hair out of the fan intake because I set the laptop down on a bed or something.
If I wasn’t fortunate enough to have multiple computers though, the pro would be the one to rule them all. Definitely.
Agree to disagree…
better makes the MBA a MacBook… nothing about what you have hi-lighted make it a Pro machine… the only people who think a MBP with a base M4 is a Pro machine are those that bought one…
Funny, for me the resolution, refresh rate doesn't matter. But size and weight is the most important. Only if it had an hdmi.
Math isn't part of this discussion. You're reviving an old conversion but if you followed it, you should understand this is about portability just as much as it is screen size.
I'd expect just about anyone to be able to adapt to different screen sizes and that works both ways unless you are trying to make an argument of workflows that have changed so substantially you've made it a challenge to complete on anything smaller than X screen size - which to me is an operational issue.
So I'll say it again, you have other issues if you can't function on a 14" vs a 16" screen - that's pragmatism not ignorance. You claiming I'm ignorant for "failing to grasp improved productivity of screen size" is hilariously bad. No where have I made an argument that a larger screen doesn't or can't lead to increase productivity but its certainly not a guarantee nor is it necessarily going to be significant gains for most users when comparing 14" vs 16" and that's the crux of this entire argument when portability is a desirable trait.
I've used a wide variety of laptop sizes and I'll take the smaller one over the larger one in most situations as the main reason I want a laptop in the first place is portability - otherwise there's options for boosting productivity when portability is less of a factor, whether that be simply using a desktop, portable monitors, etc.