The Thunderbolt ports on all Apple Silicon Macs, for all intents and purposes, are "Thunderbolt 4 spec". The only reason Apple had to call it "Thunderbolt 3 / USB4" on the M1/M2 base chip machines is because of the external display requirement, TB4 mandates at least 2 display supported per bus. Apple chose their M1/M2 chip design to only have 2 display buffers (and one is already used for internal screen on MacBooks), so the ports technically do not qualify as TB4 strictly speaking.
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MacBook Air vs. MacBook Pro Buyer's Guide: 30+ Differences Compared
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I agree with this post from June.
DisplayLink.
Get a cheap adapter from eBay*, download the free driver and enjoy the view!
* There are lots of surplus ones for sale – I got an HP one for around 10GBP.
We should maybe clarify that "Professionals" means professional content creators, quants, and software developers. No one else needs a MacBook Pro.
I’ve had DisplayLink working perfectly with 2 x external displays on my M1 Air for some time now.
Apple is just hobbling the Air in order to differentiate its products and upsell. Don’t fall for it.
Same here (although my Air is M1) and agree with you. Don’t forget the ability to run peripherals and external display from your iPad Pro, too!My opinion is: unless you truly NEED the extra power or two-monitor connectivity, the MBA is the KING.
I have both a 12.9" iPad Pro and the M2 MBA and I don't miss ProMotion at all (as nice as it is). The MBA screen is plenty bright and nice.
But the MBA is so thin and light, and its shape actually makes it FEEL thinner and lighter than it is.
I often carry it instead of my iPad... The iPad not having a built in kickstand means I have to add one (the 'ole trifold folio), but the weight difference of my 12.9" with the folio and the MBA again feels negligible.
The MBA is banging. I'll be keeping this one for ten years easy (until I drool for something else).
The issue is that once you start adding RAM and storage to the M2 MacBook Aid (either size) the price starts to creep up towards the 18 GB M3 Pro MacBook Pro, which at $1,999 is a pricey, but luxury and long lasting laptop that will offer many consumers what they need and want for years
Wrong. Realize the Pro has better display and better speakers that apply to any user; also a longer life cycle for most buyers. The MBA is cheaper because it is lesser in every possible way except being lighter.
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Apple's hobbling usually works ;~(. For every person who says "I’ve had DisplayLink working perfectly with 2 x external displays on my M1 Air for some time now" there are two or more horror stories of how much time someone wasted trying to make DisplayLink work properly on an MBA.
Oh yes the screen and 120 Hz is enough for me to buy a pro. Such a huge difference to me!
OK, some lawyers may "need" that 120Hz screen when they scroll through contracts in DocuSign while they listen to Norah Jones when working from home. Granted.
But seriously, of course many of us want a MacBook Pro because we kind of like the better screen and the slightly better sound when watching the odd movie in hotels, but they are built for content creators that need this suff.
I’ll take active cooling any day over having a laptop that runs so hot that it greatly reduces its performance, which is exactly what’s happening to the new MacBook Air.
What are you talking about?? The promotion has been a HUGE upgrade on the last few iPad Pro and iPhones and would be a reason I WOULDNT buy an Apple product without it. And I'm not a lawyer...
I don't know why they put single core CPU geek bench score at 3010 for the M3, in my world, the real world it's the same as the other two at 2120 ish.
In 2022, Apple updated the MacBook Air with a complete redesign and the M2 chip, followed by an all-new 15-inch version this year, so how do the two product lines compare to its latest MacBook Pro models with M3 chips?
Despite now being similar in appearance, the MacBook Air and the MacBook Pro are very different machines, so should you consider purchasing the 13- or 15-inch MacBook Air, which start at $1,099, to save money, or do you need one of the higher-end 14- or 16-inch MacBook Pro models, which cost at least $500 more? Our guide helps to answer the question of how to decide which of these two popular Apple silicon machines is best for you.
MacBook Air MacBook Pro 13.6- or 15.3-inch display 14.2- 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 500 nits brightness Up to 1,000 nits sustained (full-screen) brightness and 1,600 nits peak brightness Apple M2 chip Apple M3, M3 Pro, or M3 Max chip Enhanced 5nm node (N5P)
Based on A15 Bionic chip from iPhone 13 (2021)3nm node (N3B)
Based on A17 Pro chip from iPhone 15 Pro (2023)3.49 GHz CPU clock speed 4.05 GHz CPU clock speed 8-core CPU with with 4 performance cores and 4 efficiency cores M3: 8-core CPU with 4 performance cores and 4 efficiency cores
M3 Pro: Up to 12-core CPU with 6 performance cores and 6 efficiency cores
M3 Max: Up to 16-core CPU with 12 performance cores and 4 efficiency coresUp to 10-core GPU M3: 10-core GPU
M3 Pro: Up to 18-core GPU
M3 Max: Up to 40-core GPU100GB/s memory bandwidth M3: 100GB/s memory bandwidth
M3 Pro: 150GB/s memory bandwidth
M3 Max: 300GB/s or 400GB/s memory bandwidth8GB, 16GB, or 24GB unified memory M3: 8GB, 16GB, or 24GB unified memory
M3 Pro: 18GB or 36GB unified memory
M3 Max: 36GB, 48GB, 64GB, 96GB, 128GB unified memoryNew GPU architecture Dynamic Caching Hardware-accelerated ray tracing Hardware-accelerated mesh shading Support for AV1 decode Neural Engine 15% faster Neural Engine 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, or 2TB of storage M3: 512GB, 1TB, or 2TB storage
M3 Pro or M3 Max: 512GB, 1TB, 2TB, 4TB, or 8TB storagePassive cooling Active cooling Wi-Fi 6 Wi-Fi 6E Two Thunderbolt / USB 4 ports M3: Two Thunderbolt / USB 4 (USB-C) ports
M3 Pro or M3 Max: Three Thunderbolt 4 (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-cancelling 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 Support for one external display M3: Support for one external display
M3 Pro: Support for up to two external displays
M3 Max: Support for up to four external displays13-Inch: 52.6-watt-hour lithium-polymer battery
15-Inch: 66.5-watt-hour lithium-polymer batteryM3 14-Inch: 70-watt-hour lithium-polymer battery
M3 Pro or M3 Max 14-Inch: 72.4-watt-hour lithium-polymer battery
16-Inch: 100-watt-hour lithium-polymer battery18-hour battery life M3 14-Inch: 22-hour battery life
M3 Pro or M3 Max 14-Inch: 18-hour battery life
16-Inch: 22-hour battery life30W, 35W, or 67W USB-C Power Adapter 67W, 96W, or 140W USB-C Power Adapter Silver, Space Gray, Starlight, or Midnight color options M3: Silver or Space Gray color options
M3 Pro or M3 Max: Silver or Space Black color options13-Inch: Starts at $1,099
15-Inch: Starts at $1,299M3 14-Inch: Starts at $1,599
M3 Pro 14-Inch: Starts at $1,999
M3 Pro 16-Inch: Starts at $2,499
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 area of the high-end MacBook Pro is also all-black.
The MacBook Air and M3 version of the MacBook Pro are available in Silver and Space Gray, but the MacBook Air is also offered in Starlight and Midnight color options, so if you are looking for a particular aesthetic with one of these finishes, you will need to get the MacBook Air. Space Black is exclusive to the MacBook Pro with the M3 Pro and M3 Max chips... Click here to read rest of article
Article Link: MacBook Air vs. MacBook Pro Buyer's Guide
Apart from that, unless you're a creator, the real difference between the Air & MBP M3 is the screen, pro motion, the speakers, peak brightness (and you can get vivid, to get it even brighter in sdr) & the ports.
The Air's are budget lap tops, compromised in most area's but especially the ones I've mentioned. They're for the type of people, that like to kid themselves that a phone can replace a lap top 🤣
Brilliant isn't it 😎
I got mine today as well, the only difference is I replaced a 13" M1 MBP
True except that different devices have different ports and total bandwidth. MBAs typically have much less bandwidth.
Darth Tulhu
macrumors 68020
There was a time not so long ago that you needed the most power Apple put unto their machines to give said machine any kind of legs.
No longer. Apple silicon is a revolution. My M2 MBA 13" is the best laptop I've ever had BY A LONGSHOT and FAAAAAR exceeds my needs for a computer.
An MBP is EXACTLY what its name implies: A machine for demanding professionals that need every inch of the additional power over an MBA in order to make money, either via shortened workflows or sustained high-performance over long periods, coupled with portability.
Since the M1 came out, and in the Mac space, when Apple says "Pro" they mean it.
No longer. Apple silicon is a revolution. My M2 MBA 13" is the best laptop I've ever had BY A LONGSHOT and FAAAAAR exceeds my needs for a computer.
An MBP is EXACTLY what its name implies: A machine for demanding professionals that need every inch of the additional power over an MBA in order to make money, either via shortened workflows or sustained high-performance over long periods, coupled with portability.
Since the M1 came out, and in the Mac space, when Apple says "Pro" they mean it.
Not really germane, but just found this:
www.notebookcheck.net
Apple MacBook Pro 16 2023 M3 Max Review - M3 Max challenges HX-CPUs from AMD & Intel
Notebookcheck reviews the brand-new MacBook Pro 16 with the fastest M3 Max SoC as well as a brighter Liquid Retina XDR display.
I've thus far defended Apple strongly with regard to the 8gb RAM as an individual choice.
In 2022, Apple updated the MacBook Air with a complete redesign and the M2 chip, followed by an all-new 15-inch version this year, so how do the two product lines compare to its latest MacBook Pro models with M3 chips?
Despite now being similar in appearance, the MacBook Air and the MacBook Pro are very different machines, so should you consider purchasing the 13- or 15-inch MacBook Air, which start at $1,099, to save money, or do you need one of the higher-end 14- or 16-inch MacBook Pro models, which cost at least $500 more? Our guide helps to answer the question of how to decide which of these two popular Apple silicon machines is best for you.
MacBook Air MacBook Pro 13.6- or 15.3-inch display 14.2- 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 500 nits brightness Up to 1,000 nits sustained (full-screen) brightness and 1,600 nits peak brightness Apple M2 chip Apple M3, M3 Pro, or M3 Max chip Enhanced 5nm node (N5P)
Based on A15 Bionic chip from iPhone 13 (2021)3nm node (N3B)
Based on A17 Pro chip from iPhone 15 Pro (2023)3.49 GHz CPU clock speed 4.05 GHz CPU clock speed 8-core CPU with with 4 performance cores and 4 efficiency cores M3: 8-core CPU with 4 performance cores and 4 efficiency cores
M3 Pro: Up to 12-core CPU with 6 performance cores and 6 efficiency cores
M3 Max: Up to 16-core CPU with 12 performance cores and 4 efficiency coresUp to 10-core GPU M3: 10-core GPU
M3 Pro: Up to 18-core GPU
M3 Max: Up to 40-core GPU100GB/s memory bandwidth M3: 100GB/s memory bandwidth
M3 Pro: 150GB/s memory bandwidth
M3 Max: 300GB/s or 400GB/s memory bandwidth8GB, 16GB, or 24GB unified memory M3: 8GB, 16GB, or 24GB unified memory
M3 Pro: 18GB or 36GB unified memory
M3 Max: 36GB, 48GB, 64GB, 96GB, 128GB unified memoryNew GPU architecture Dynamic Caching Hardware-accelerated ray tracing Hardware-accelerated mesh shading Support for AV1 decode Neural Engine 15% faster Neural Engine 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, or 2TB of storage M3: 512GB, 1TB, or 2TB storage
M3 Pro or M3 Max: 512GB, 1TB, 2TB, 4TB, or 8TB storagePassive cooling Active cooling Wi-Fi 6 Wi-Fi 6E Two Thunderbolt / USB 4 ports M3: Two Thunderbolt / USB 4 (USB-C) ports
M3 Pro or M3 Max: Three Thunderbolt 4 (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-cancelling 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 Support for one external display M3: Support for one external display
M3 Pro: Support for up to two external displays
M3 Max: Support for up to four external displays13-Inch: 52.6-watt-hour lithium-polymer battery
15-Inch: 66.5-watt-hour lithium-polymer batteryM3 14-Inch: 70-watt-hour lithium-polymer battery
M3 Pro or M3 Max 14-Inch: 72.4-watt-hour lithium-polymer battery
16-Inch: 100-watt-hour lithium-polymer battery18-hour battery life M3 14-Inch: 22-hour battery life
M3 Pro or M3 Max 14-Inch: 18-hour battery life
16-Inch: 22-hour battery life30W, 35W, or 67W USB-C Power Adapter 67W, 96W, or 140W USB-C Power Adapter Silver, Space Gray, Starlight, or Midnight color options M3: Silver or Space Gray color options
M3 Pro or M3 Max: Silver or Space Black color options13-Inch: Starts at $1,099
15-Inch: Starts at $1,299M3 14-Inch: Starts at $1,599
M3 Pro 14-Inch: Starts at $1,999
M3 Pro 16-Inch: Starts at $2,499
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 area of the high-end MacBook Pro is also all-black.
The MacBook Air and M3 version of the MacBook Pro are available in Silver and Space Gray, but the MacBook Air is also offered in Starlight and Midnight color options, so if you are looking for a particular aesthetic with one of these finishes, you will need to get the MacBook Air. Space Black is exclusive to the MacBook Pro with the M3 Pro and M3 Max chips... Click here to read rest of article
Article Link: MacBook Air vs. MacBook Pro Buyer's Guide
I upgraded to the 16gb RAM and the M3 14" .....it's night and day compared to the Air's.
However don't be fooled into buying the 8gb version to save $200, it's 100 points slower than the 16gb version in speedometer tests and even more concerning, Ray Tracing doesn't seem to work with the 8gb version.
Watch this review!