What is the difference between Apple's MacBook Air and Pro laptops, which one is better for you?

If you think the difference between the Mac Pro and the Mac Book Air from Apple laptops is between the less weight of 100 grams and the lower price of $ 300 and the cooling fan, then allow me to disappoint you! The difference is quite vast and each has its own uses specifically designed to meet them. While most of the comparisons focus on reducing the distance between the Pro and Air, here we will be keen to highlight the vast differences between the two versions!

 

Since 2020, Apple has abandoned the use of Intel chips in its MacBook mobile devices, to be replaced by SoC chips made by the company under the name Apple Silicon, which was adopted in the same year for both the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro devices, as the basic version (MacBook Air 13 and MacBook Pro 13) works with the Apple M1 chip, but this does not mean that they are absolutely equal in terms of efficiency in use, and does not negate the superiority of one over the other, such as the strength of performance and the multitude of options for the MacBook Pro, or the agility, smoothness of use and long battery life for the MacBook Air. As we shall see in the following paragraphs.

 

MacBook Pro | Optimized for heavy duty

 

As for “Apple” products, it is enough to read the name to make your choice even without looking at the technical specifications, and while the majority of major companies use the term Pro to promote, Apple uses it as an indication of the use environment for which the device is directed, especially since it is the most powerful and most expensive of all, as well as it is able to perform difficult tasks in any circumstance without panting, his only problem is the gluttony in energy consumption, in addition to his relatively high price. However, these defects may become a thing of the past when the M2 version of the MacBook Pro series is launched in the coming days, which promises the lowest power consumption in exchange for higher performance.

 

Although the MacBook Air version (M1 version) can do all the tasks assigned to it, such as 8K video processing and 3D rendering, it may need much more time compared to the MacBook Pro (13-inch version), which also depends on the M1 chip, and the reason for that It is due to the lack of a cooling fan in the MacBook Air, which forces the processor to reduce performance in order to keep its temperatures within the limits, unlike the MacBook Pro, which will maintain its work within the same pace.

 

MacBook Pro | Many options for all uses

 

The previous comparison was limited to clarifying the performance difference in general between the two versions of the MacBook Air and the MacBook Pro, specifically the 13-inch version of the MacBook Pro, as both of them use the same internal processing chip, whether Apple M1 or Apple M2, so there is a slight difference in performance. But if we compare the Air with its larger siblings in the MacBook Pro series, we find a huge difference.

 

Apart from the 13-inch version, the MacBook Pro series includes a 14-inch version and also a 16-inch version, and although the numbers here reflect the size of the display screen, at the same time having a larger screen means more space to include more powerful internal hardware, and this is what really happens. In the 14-inch version, the MacBook is powered by the M1 Pro chip, which literally doubles everything in the Apple M1, with 10-core CPUs, 16-core graphics, and a bandwidth of 200 Gbps.

 

The M1 Max chip used in the 16-inch MacBook Pro doubles everything in the M1 Pro with a 32-core graphics processor and a bandwidth of 400 GB/s. Not to mention that the M1 Pro and M1 Max chip contain special technologies that are not available in the M1 or M2 chip currently used in the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro 13 inches.

 

Moreover, the MacBook Pro offers you 8TB and up to 64GB of RAM, compared to 2TB of storage and 16GB of RAM for the MacBook Air, at best. In addition to the number of Thunderbolt inputs, which will become more with the 14/16-inch versions of the MacBook Pro, means that the Pro outperforms the Air to be your ideal choice for professional work, whether designing or editing high-resolution videos. Of course, this is in the event that money is available, especially since the Macbook Pro is famous for its large consumption of energy and money!

 

MacBook Air | Economical in every way

 

So we agreed that the MacBook Pro outperforms in terms of performance in almost everything compared to the MacBook Air, except that this superiority comes at the expense of energy, especially with the M1 Pro/Max chips, which require high electrical energy provided by chargers with a capacity of 140/96 or 67 watts versus 30 watts. Only for MacBook Air chargers. Although the charger for the MacBook Pro is able to charge the battery faster than the MacBook Air, this is not considered an advantage at all if we take into account the rate of battery consumption, as we find that the MacBook Air devices last up to 18 hours at best, while the MacBook battery lasts the 16-inch Pro version takes about 8 hours.

 

Of course, saving energy is not everything for the MacBook Air. There is also “saving money”, especially since its prices start from $ 999 and reach $ 2050 for the final version (highest specifications), compared to $ 1,300 for the cheapest type of MacBook Pro, the 13-inch version. and up to $6,100 for the Ultimate version.

 

Certainly, this price difference makes you rethink between the economical MacBook Air and the more powerful MacBook Pro in terms of performance and consumption. However, despite all of the above, it is very possible that Apple will make up for these differences in the upcoming Mac Pro versions, whether in terms of energy consumption, which will be much lower with the M2 chip, according to Apple's claim, or in terms of price, which Apple has promised to reduce starting from its new releases. Which will see the light next month. In general, savings are not the only thing that distinguishes the MacBook Air from its Pro counterpart. There are other features such as fluidity and light weight.

 

The most elegant MacBook Air, too

 

Another thing that distinguishes the MacBook Air from the Pro is the weight in addition to the streamlined design, especially since the MacBook Air comes with slender edges from the front, which greatly helps the level of use in general, unlike the classic MacBook Pro. Add to this the light weight of the MacBook Air; Approximately 1.29 kg compared to 1.4 kg for the MacBook Pro version (13-inch version), and it becomes 1.6 kg for the 14-inch version and 2.1 kg for the 16-inch version, which means that the MacBook Air is superior in this aspect as well, but rather makes it the best portable device in terms of " Convenience of use" that Apple has ever made.

 

However, despite the classic MacBook Pro design, it features a larger number of USB-C Thunderbolt ports, not to mention the HDMI output and SD card support provided by the 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro versions. Of course, this is not all. There is also something that distinguishes the MacBook Pro from the MacBook Air, which is the screen.

 

The discussion here is not about accuracy and color, but about the intensity of brightness, which reaches 1600 nits for the MacBook Pro versions, compared to 500 units for the MacBook Air. Also, the display panel itself differs, as the 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro models use the Liquid Retina XDR panel, which is better in terms of pixels per inch, while the 13-inch versions of the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro still use the old Liquid Retina and Retina display panels.

 

In conclusion: There are some other minor differences between the versions of the MacBook Pro and Air, such as the golden color of the elegant MacBook Air and the 1080 webcam found in some versions of the beast in the MacBook Pro, which will not change your decision to buy whether the MacBook Pro is the most professional and the most expensive. The Book Air is a stylish beast of Apple that you can carry anywhere. But as we indicated in the introduction, this comparison aims to clarify the crucial differences based on which you can determine which one is best for you.