After the 2020 MacBook Air update, its “rivalry” with the 13-inch MacBook Pro became somewhat more complex. Despite their similarities (they both offer Retina displays and even have a similar price range, for example), the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro do have some major differences in terms of their specs and features, and the balance tips in favor of one. .
In this guide, we take the MacBook Air and the 13-inch MacBook Pro face to face to see which is the best computer, although in this last range you even find a 16-inch model. Interested in buying any of these MacBooks? Then do not stop checking comparative.
Design
MacBook Air and MacBook Pro share an aluminum finish and offer gray and silver colors, although MacBook Air has a third gold option. Beyond that, they look almost identical.
Both devices include a Retina Display with a total resolution of 2,560 x 1,600 or 227 pixels per inch. They look similar, but their performance is different. The display on the MacBook Air is less bright: it only reaches 389 nits, better than the 291 nits of the previous model, but still well behind the 500 nits of the MacBook Pro. Still, its color accuracy is high, although MacBook Pro will be a better choice for photographers or graphic designers.
For the 2020 version of the MacBook Air, Apple replaced the troublesome butterfly keyboards with ones based on a scissor mechanism, following what had already been done with the 16-inch MacBook Pro. The next update for the 13-inch MacBook Pro should follow the same path. The great trackpad that both devices share is ideal for selecting texts, dragging windows or multitouch texts. It remains one of Apple’s strengths.
Both MacBook Air and Pro share USB-C Thunderbolt 3 ports. These ports can perform a wide variety of tasks, including charging and high-speed data transfer. The Air has only two on the left side, so you’ll need to buy UBS-C hubs if you want more connectivity. The 16-inch MacBook Pro offers two ports on each side, while the 13-inch has two or four alternatives.
You’ll also find 720p webcams, stereo speakers, and a 3.5mm headphone jack on both devices. If sound is particularly important, you should consider that the high dynamic range of the Macbook Pro tends to offer better audio. However, the MacBook Air does come with additional microphones so Siri can pick up your voice more easily.
There is still no Touch Bar on the MacBook Air keyboard. After the mixed reception it had, Apple decided to focus on other features for the Air, such as the Touch ID sensor and the login button. Meanwhile the 13-inch MacBook Pro got the Touch Bar in July 2019, which means that new model will have it by default.
Specifications and performance
The specs would indicate that there are huge price differences between MacBook Air and MacBook Pro. After the mid-2019 update, the base model of the MacBook Pro comes with an 8th generation Intel Core i5 processor with four 1.4GHz cores up to 3.9 GHz. Its price is $ 1,299 dollars. You’ll have to spend $ 1,799 to get a new processor, halfway between entry-level prices for the MacBook Pro 13 and MacBook Pro 16, but that’s not anywhere near that in terms of performance.
The high-end MacBook Air, at the same price, includes a dual-core 10th-gen Intel Core i5 processor from 1.1GHz to 3.5GHz. The key is the 10nm process technology used to make this new CPU, which promises better performance and energy efficiency compared to similar 14nm-based chips.
However, in our review of the MacBook Air, we did find some disappointments with the quad-core i5 processor. While it offers twice as many cores as the basic MacBook Air’s i3 CPU, it only gives you around 27 percent additional performance on multi-core tasks and just an 8 percent increase in single-workloads. core. That’s due to the low 9-watt power consumption of these chips, leading to performance limitations. If you want power, the MacBook Pro is your best option, despite its older processor.
Another notable difference is memory. All 13-inch MacBooks Pro rely on older LPDDR3 memory with a 2,133MHz clock speed. The 16-inch MacBook Pro released with DDR4 sticks clocked at 2,667MHz. The early 2020 MacBook Air uses LPDDR4X memory with a clock speed of 3,733MHz. These latest chips aim for low power consumption without sacrificing bandwidth.
If you want a beautiful MacBook without spending all your savings, the $ 999 basic MacBook Air is a decent machine. It’s the only model offering Intel’s tenth-generation i3-1000NG4 dual-core CPU, though you should consider grabbing the quad-core i5 CPU for $ 100 more.
If you need a little more oomph, you can go for the 16-inch MacBook Pro with the ninth-generation six-core Intel processor, but it pays for the privilege, starting at $ 2,399.
Portability
The MacBook Pro is 0.59 inches thick and 11.97 inches wide, while the MacBook Air is 0.16 to 0.63 inches thick and the same width of 11.97 inches. Obviously, the MacBook Air is the thinnest and lightest option for transporting. Honestly, you won’t notice the difference. If anything, the only defining visual difference between the two is the Air’s additional gold color and its lack of a Touch Bar.
When it comes to battery life on both models, the MacBook Air is a bit below the competition, but still decent. The MacBook Pro provided us with 10 hours and 24 minutes of battery life in our video loop tests and 5 hours and 3 minutes in web browsing.
In comparison, the MacBook Air managed around 9 hours and 30 minutes on light web browsing, 10 hours of video playback, and 3 hours executing more intense tasks. An average day, comprising numerous tabs from Chrome, web apps, Slack, and Spotify, has around 6 hours of battery life. Overall, that’s a little better than the MacBook Pro: While the video playback performance was almost the same, the MacBook Air was ahead when it came to web browsing. It is the best battery life of any MacBook.
Still, it’s less than Apple’s claims of up to 11 hours of wireless web browsing and up to 12 hours of iTunes movie playback. Apple claims that the 16-inch MacBook Pro can last 11 hours of web browsing or video streaming.
Which one should you buy?
After significantly upgrading the entry-level 13-inch MacBook Pro in 2019 and the MacBook Air in early 2020, choosing one over the other is a tough choice given.
However, there are a couple of notable areas that set them apart. The MacBook Pro’s superior display and performance make it best suited for professional-grade tasks such as video production and photo editing, where a color-accurate display and low rendering times are important. If that’s what you’re looking for, the MacBook Pro should be your choice.
For the rest, the MacBook Air is likely to be your best option. It has newer components (for now, at least), and it provides more storage for the same price as the Pro: 512GB compared to the 128GB on the $ 1,299 MacBook Pro (or 256GB on the MacBook Air of $ 999 entry-level dollars.) Most importantly, it has a much more reliable keyboard.
If you need something bigger and price isn’t really a factor, the 16-inch MacBook Pro should be your choice. You can equip it with an eighth-generation 8-core Intel i9 processor and discrete Radeon Pro graphics, but be prepared for a hefty starting price.
If you want to save money, the $ 999 entry-level MacBook Air is definitely worth considering, even if we don’t settle for its dual-core chip.