Apple presently sells two laptop computer traces: the MacEbook Pro (which is available in 13-inch M2, 14-inch M1 Pro/Max and 16-inch M1 Pro/Max fashions) and the MacEbook Air (which is obtainable in 13.3-inch M1 or 13.6-inch M2 fashions). That is a whole lot of Mac laptops with very totally different specs.
Within that line up are a set of equally speced 13-inch Mac laptops which are designed for house, pupil, and workplace use. These embody the 13.6in MacEbook Air and the 13-inch MacEbook Pro, which each characteristic the M2 chip and went on sale in July 2022, and an older M1-equipped 13.3-inch MacEbook Air mannequin launched in 2020. The 14- and 16-inch MacEbook Pro fashions, launched in 2021, are higher suited than professional customers.
It’s these 13-inch Mac laptops we’re most focused on right here. In this text we examine the 13in MacEbook Pro with the MacEbook Air that will help you resolve which one to purchase. If you might be questioning whether or not your wants would possibly prolong somewhat additional on the professional facet, you may additionally have an interest to learn: Which MacEbook Pro: 13, 14, 16-inch in contrast. Elsewhere we take a look at the MacEbook Air M1 vs M2 and the 2 variations of the M2 MacEbook Air in contrast.
MacEbook Air vs MacEbook Pro: Design
In some methods the design of the 2022 MacEbook Air and MacEbook Pro are extra alike than ever. The 2022 MacEbook Air has misplaced its tapered design that made it immediately identifiable because the Air (and remains to be out there in case you purchase the M1 model of the MacEbook Air). Now the MacEbook Air appears to be like like a thinner model of the MacEbook Pro. However, there’s rather a lot to set these two Macs aside.
IDG
Thanks to an intensive redesign, the MacEbook Air has many options that the 13-inch MacEbook Pro lacks. Most vital is the truth that the 2022 MacEbook Air has a bigger 13.6-inch display with slimmer bezels, whereas the 13-inch MacEbook Pro has an older 13.3-inch show (the identical because the M1 MacEbook Air).
Another notable distinction is that the 13in MacEbook Pro is the one Mac laptop computer that options Apple’s Touch Bar strip. Apple eliminated the Touch Bar from the 14-inch and 16-inch MacEbook Pro fashions with the 2021 fashions, so if you’d like the Touch Bar the 13-inch MacEbook Pro is the one Mac laptop computer to supply it. All three MacBooks have the identical Magic Keyboard with scissor-switch keys. All of the fashions even have a Touch ID sensor and Force Touch trackpad.
As you’d anticipate from the title, the MacEbook Air is lighter than the MacEbook Pro, however solely barely. When it launched in 2008, the MacEbook Air was the lightest laptop computer out there, however over time the burden of the MacEbook Pro has additionally declined, so the distinction is rather a lot much less now:
- M2 MacEbook Air: 2.7 kilos (1.24kg)
- M2 MacEbook Pro: 3 kilos (1.4kg)
- M1 MacEbook Air: 2.8 kilos (1.29kg)
Following its redesign the 2022 MacEbook Air is definitely very barely bigger than the 13-inch MacEbook Pro. That change is what permits Apple to accommodate a bigger show. The measurements of the M1 MacEbook Air are the identical because the 13in MacEbook Pro.
- M2 MacEbook Air: 30.41cm x 21.5cm x 1.13cm
- M2 MacEbook Pro: 30.41cm x 21.24cm x 1.56cm
- M1 MacEbook Air: 30.41cm x 21.24cm x 1.61cm-0.41cm
Another distinction between these MacBooks is the colour selections. The 2022 MacEbook Air is available in some model new colours: Midnight (darkish blue), Starlight (gold), Space Gray and Silver.
The MacEbook Pro presents solely the silver and house gray choices. The M1 MacEbook Air is available in silver, house grey and gold. The new Starlight shade is paler gold, whereas Midnight is near black with a darkish blue hue.
MacEbook Air vs MacEbook Pro: Display
The 2022 MacEbook Air has a brand new show that’s bigger and brighter than the M2 MacEbook Pro, and a leap from the show on the earlier technology MacEbook Air.
IDG
The M2 MacEbook Air presents a 13.6-inch Liquid Retina show, quite than a plain outdated Retina show. This basically means the newer show has a greater distinction ratio and might assist extra colours (a billion versus tens of millions). However, neither is nearly as good because the Liquid Retina XDR shows within the 14-inch and 16-inch MacEbook Pro fashions. Those costlier MacEbook Pro choices convey as much as 1,000 nits of brightness (versus 500 on the M2 MacEbook Air and 400 on the M1 MacEbook Air), deeper blacks and extra vivid colours in addition to ProMovement.
Due partly to the truth that the 2022 MacEbook Air display is barely taller, with a diagonal measurement of 13.6 inches quite than 13.3 inches, the MacEbook Air show now presents barely extra pixels:
- M2 MacEbook Pro: 2,560 x 1,600 pixels
- M2 MacEbook Air: 2,560 x 1,664 pixels
- M1 MacEbook Air: 2,560 x 1,600 pixels
MacEbook Air vs MacEbook Pro: Specs
Apple has now up to date all Mac laptops to run by itself system on chip. First the M1 arrived in November 2020, then the M1 Pro and M1 Max in October 2021, and the M2 has arrived on the 2022 MacEbook Air and 13in MacEbook Pro in July 2022. The M2 is a more moderen chip than the M1 Pro and M1 Max, however these chips are nonetheless superior to the M2. See: M2 vs M1 Pro, Max, and Ultra: Why Apple’s latest chip isn’t the very best.
If you assume you want one thing extra {powerful} you might want to take a look at the 14in or 16in MacEbook Pro with the choice of M1 Pro or M1 Max, or watch for the M2 sequence to develop. If you wish to discover out extra in regards to the M1 sequence of chips learn our M1-series chip information. We have extra in regards to the M2-series right here: Apple’s M2 chip: Everything you might want to know.
Here’s how the fashions break down:
MacEbook Air, M1 (2020, $999/£999)
8-core CPU with 4 carry outance cores and 4 effectivity cores
7-core GPU
16-core Neural Engine
8GB Unified Memory (as much as 16GB)
256GB SSD
MacEbook Air, M2 (2022, $1,199/£1,249)
8-core CPU with 4 carry outance cores and 4 effectivity cores
8-core GPU
16-core Neural Engine
8GB Unified Memory (as much as 24GB)
256GB SSD
MacEbook Air, M2 (2022, $1,499/£1,549)
8-core CPU with 4 carry outance cores and 4 effectivity cores
10-core GPU
16-core Neural Engine
8GB Unified Memory (as much as 24GB)
512GB SSD
13in MacEbook Pro, M2 (2022, $1,299/£1,349)
8-core CPU with 4 efficiency cores and 4 effectivity cores
10-core GPU
16-core Neural Engine
8GB Unified Memory (as much as 24GB)
256GB SSD
13in MacEbook Pro, M2 (2022, $1,499/£1,549
8-core CPU with 4 efficiency cores and 4 effectivity cores
8-core GPU
16-core Neural Engine
8GB Unified Memory (as much as 24GB)
512GB SSD
You’ll discover that there’s a MacEbook Air and a MacEbook Pro mannequin which have equivalent specs and the identical value ($1,499/£1,549). You would possibly subsequently anticipate the benchmarks to be related for these two fashions, however different elements can decelerate the MacEbook Air a bit – the truth that it’s extra compact and fanless means the MacEbook Air is much less in a position to handle warmth, and subsequently could also be throttled considerably in case you had been to essentially push it.
CPU
The 2022 MacEbook Air and 13in MacEbook Pro each run on Apple’s M2 chip. Like the M1 chip, which you’ll nonetheless get within the entry-level MacEbook Air, the M2 has eight CPU cores, 4 of that are high-performance cores and 4 are high-efficiency cores. This is a bonus of Apple’s chip design: when the high-efficiency processor cores are busy backing as much as iCloud or syncing pictures the high-performance cores will nonetheless be out there for extra intensive operations. The M2 is superior to the M1 as a result of this time around the quicker efficiency cores are paired with a bigger cache, whereas the effectivity cores see even larger efficiency positive factors, in accordance with Apple. So it would seem like the CPU is identical, however it isn’t.
In our Geekbench 5 CPU benchmarks we noticed that the M2 MacEbook Air peak efficiency was in keeping with the M2 MacEbook Pro, and a bit higher than the M1. But it’s not on par with the higher-end M1 Pro and Max processors.
The Cinebench R23 assessments present the variations between the M2 MacEbook Pro and MacEbook Air although – the brand new MacEbook Air was 15 % quicker than the M1 mannequin, however 10 % slower than the M2 MacEbook Pro.
GPU
As you will note from the specs above, one other key distinction between all of the Mac laptops on supply right here is the variety of graphics cores.
The entry-level MacEbook Air doesn’t solely supply a less-powerful M1 chip, there are solely seven graphics cores in comparison with the eight or ten graphics cores within the M2 MacEbook Air fashions.
The variety of GPU cores could be a key a part of the choice about which mannequin is greatest suited to your wants.If you assume you might be more likely to want that further GPU core you might assume that the best choice is to purchase the costlier Air. But the MacEbook Pro, which presents a 10-core GPU possibility, could be a greater possibility, as we are going to clarify.
The cause why the MacEbook Pro is a greater possibility for graphic intensive operations than the MacEbook Air is that it additionally features a fan for cooling – because of this it is possible for you to to push it somewhat additional. The MacEbook Air will likely be completely high quality for regular operations, however as a result of it lacks a fan you might discover that issues decelerate to ensure that it to not overheat if you are pushing it.
The Geekbench 5 Compute benchmarks confirmed scores for the M2 MacEbook Air with 10-core GPU had been in keeping with the M2 MacEbook Pro and virtually 60 % quicker than the outdated M1 MacEbook Air (with 7 GPU cores), and about 40 % quicker than the “full” M1 with 8 GPU cores within the M1 MacEbook Pro.
A MacEbook Air has by no means been an excellent gaming laptop computer, and even the enhancements we discover within the M2 don’t change that. But it’s fascinating to see how significantly better it’s at operating premium video games than the M1.
RAM
All the M1 MacBooks – each Pro and Air – include 8GB of Unified Memory at their base configuration. The M2 chip brings an choice to improve to 24GB RAM whereas the M1 is restricted to 16GB RAM.
You could also be considering that 8GB RAM gained’t be sufficient in your wants, however you must observe that this RAM – which Apple calls Unified Memory – is a part of the M2 (or M1) chip. As a consequence it’s accessible to each the CPU and the GPU, which brings efficiency advantages which means the 8GB RAM in these fashions isn’t actually akin to 8GB in an Intel-powered Mac.
If you might be involved although you’ll be able to replace your MacEbook Air or 13in MacEbook Pro to 16GB or 24GB RAM at level of sale – and we do advocate that you simply get 16GB in case you can afford to.
If you’re feeling that you simply want greater than 24GB reminiscence then you will have to show to the M1 Pro (which ships with 16GB Unified Memory and is upgradable to 32GB), or the M1 Max (which ships additionally with 16GB Unified Memory, however is upgradable to 64GB). It is even attainable to get 128GB RAM however for that you’ll want the M1 Ultra within the Mac Studio.
Storage
The Air and 13in Pro each include 256GB of storage on the entry-level, with an extra mannequin providing 512GB. You may also add a bigger SSD at level of sale, however the M1 MacEbook Air and Pro fashions are capped at 2TB.
There are some issues in regards to the 256GB SSD within the entry-level M2 MacEbook Air with stories that its SSD is as much as 50 % slower on learn speeds and 30 % on write speeds. We discovered that these observations had been certainly true once we ran our personal set of assessments utilizing Blackmagic Disk Speed Test.
The 256GB Air confirmed learn speeds that had been 47.9 % slower than the 1TB MacEbook Air we additionally examined. While write speeds had been a staggering 50.2 % slower, far worse than anticipated. Unfortunately the entry-level Air was additionally significantly slower than the 2020 mannequin.
MacEbook Air vs MacEbook Pro: Battery life and charging
When it involves battery life nothing has modified because the M1 Macs, however these Macs are nonetheless miles forward of the outdated Intel MacEbook fashions. According to Apple, the M1 and M2 MacEbook Air fashions supply 18 hours, whereas the 13in MacEbook Pro presents an incredible 20 hours. This makes the discontinued 2.0GHz 13in MacEbook Pro’s 10 hours battery life look appalling.
In our personal testing the MacEbook Air battery lasted 17.5 hours, outstripping the M1 MacEbook Air and M2 MacEbook Pro by virtually an hour and a half.
In common day by day use, battery life is simply as nice. It’s a bizarre feeling, opening up your laptop computer and doing work for 20 minutes and seeing that the battery share hasn’t modified even a single %, however that’s how it’s with Apple silicon. Obviously battery life varies based mostly on what you’re doing, however for this laptop computer’s goal market–the on a regular basis house and productiveness consumer–it’s laborious to assume that you simply’ll ever need to cost up earlier than the day is completed.
These quantity are actually spectacular, though not essentially the most hours of battery life on supply from an Apple MacEbook, which is 22 hours for the 2021 16-inch MacEbook Pro.
It’s not simply battery life that’s higher on the MacEbook Air although. Apple has improved charging pace in case you use USB-C energy adapter. A normal 35W dual-port adapter (which comes with all fashions of the Air apart from the entry-level mannequin) can obtain a ten % cost in 10 minutes (30 % in half-hour). The Apple’s 61W USB-C Power Adapter will increase this to 72 % cost in half-hour. See our comparability check of Apple’s new M2 MacEbook Air chargers.
IDG
MacEbook Air vs MacEbook Pro: Ports and enlargement
Over the years it’s felt like Apple has been on a mission eradicating ports from Macs to be able to make them slimmer and slimmer. This has been a drawback for a lot of, though typically in case you want extra or totally different ports you’ll be able to simply plug in an adapter or a dock (learn: Best USB-C hubs and adapters for Mac).
With the arrival of the 2022 MacEbook Air Apple did add a MagSafe charging port, which implies that these two USB ports are nonetheless free if you find yourself charging. This places the 13in MacEbook Pro and the older MacEbook Air at a drawback since they each supply solely two USB 4 ports two USB/Thunderbolt ports, so a type of can even be used for charging.
IDG
If you do really feel that you simply want extra ports the 14in MacEbook Pro and 16in MacEbook Pro have numerous ports out there together with three Thunderbolt 4 (USB‑C) ports, an HDMI port and a SDXC card slot. (If you might be questioning what the distinction between USB-C and USB 4 is, USB 4 ought to be capable of supply 40Gb/s, which is what Thunderbolt 3 already presents. USB-C presents 10 to 20Gb/s.)
All Mac laptops supply a 3.5mm headphone jack.
MacEbook Air vs MacEbook Pro: Price
Regardless of the options, the choice of whether or not to purchase the MacEbook Air or MacEbook Pro may come down to cost. You could be in search of the most cost effective possibility – wherein case the $999/£999 M1 MacEbook Air is the clear winner – otherwise you could be pleased to pay somewhat extra to get higher worth for cash.
We advocate getting the very best machine you’ll be able to afford on the time of buy because you gained’t be capable of improve down the road. Normally we’d recommend that you simply improve the RAM earlier than the storage, however given the problems with the storage within the entry-level M2 MacEbook Air we’d recommend that you simply go for extra storage this time spherical. An M2 MacEbook Air with 8-core GPU and 512GB SSD would value $200/£200 extra at $1,399/£1,449 however at that time you would possibly as effectively spend one other $100/£100 on the 10-GPU core mannequin.
We’ll run by way of the pricing for the totally different fashions beneath, together with a few of the newest presents on new MacBooks – since you don’t essentially need to pay Apple’s value. We additionally advocate checking the Apple Refurbished Store to see in case you might decide up a reduced MacEbook.
MacEbook Air costs
The
MacEbook Air is obtainable in two default configurations:
- M1 Chip with 8‑Core CPU and seven‑Core GPU, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD: $999/£999.
- M2 Chip with 8‑Core CPU and eight‑Core GPU, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD: $1,199/£1,249.
- M2 Chip with 8‑Core CPU and 10‑Core GPU, 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD: $1,499/£1,549.
Buy instantly from Apple, or look beneath for the very best costs proper now:
M2 MacEbook Air, 8-core GPU (MSRP: $1,199/£1,249)
When the M2 MacEbook Air goes on sale you will note costs beneath.
$1199.00
Free
M2 MacEbook Air, 10-core GPU (MSRP: $1,499/£1,549)
$1499.00
Free
M1 MacEbook Air, 7-core GPU (MSRP: $999/£999)
$899.99
Free
$999.00
Free
Not Available
Free
For offers on much more MacEbook Air take a look at our greatest MacEbook Air offers article for reductions out there elsewhere.
13in MacEbook Pro costs
There are two 13in configurations of the MacEbook Pro offered by Apple:
- M2 Chip with 8‑Core CPU and eight‑Core GPU, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD: $1,299/£1,349
- M2 Chip with 8‑Core CPU and 10‑Core GPU, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD: $1,499/£1,549
You’ll discover that the costlier Air is identical value because the costlier 13in MacEbook Pro. Both share the identical specs. The distinction is within the design.
Buy instantly from Apple, or look beneath for the very best costs proper now:
M2 MacEbook Pro, 10-core GPU, 256GB SSD (MSRP: $1,299/£1,349)
When the M2 MacEbook Pro goes on sale you will note costs beneath.
$1,253.92
$1299.00
Free
M2 MacEbook Pro, 10-core GPU, 512GB SSD (MSRP: $1,499/£1,549):
When the M2 MacEbook Pro goes on sale you will note costs beneath.
$1499.00
Free
We additionally advocate that you simply check out our spherical up of the very best MacEbook Pro offers proper now.
MacEbook Air vs MacEbook Pro: Buying recommendation
The MacEbook Air and 13in MacEbook Pro are each nice MacBooks. Really the choice needs to be based mostly in your price range. If a low value is an important to you then the M1 MacEbook Air is the best choice, however you simply have to weigh up whether or not getting twice as a lot storage is extra beneficial to you than the MacEbook Pro’s higher battery life, further graphics core and fan. If you don’t do the type of work that requires a lot of graphics processing the 7-core MacEbook Air may very well be enough.
If it’s a alternative between the M2 MacEbook Air and M2 MacEbook Pro, the brand new design and higher display of the M2 MacEbook Air do edge it forward somewhat. The M2 MacEbook Pro has little going for it apart from the Touch Bar and the truth that it has higher cooling than the MacEbook Air, so if you might want to use your Mac for intensive work the Pro could be higher for you.
But if you really want the final word in energy then you definitely actually needs to be wanting on the 14in MacEbook Pro and the 16in MacEbook Pro, which supply extra graphics cores and assist extra RAM. They additionally supply a bunch of ports that will profit many.
Decided to get a MacEbook, Pro or Air? Check out the
greatest equipment for MacBooks.
Still undecided? We additionally take a look at
how the MacEbook Air compares to the iMac and the way the
MacEbook Air and Mac mini examine individually.
