Which MacBook Should You Buy? Pro vs Air Comparison

MacBook Air or MacBook Pro: Which Apple laptop should you get?

If you're in the market for a new MacBook, you might be wondering whether you should get a MacBook Pro or a MacBook Air. With Apple announcing five MacBook variants and officially discontinuing three models in a single year, the purchasing uncertainty is understandable.

When purchasing a MacBook, you should evaluate the display size, storage capacity, computational power, and pricing. For example, the 2022 13-inch and 2023 15-inch MacBook Air models, are outfitted with Apple's M2 chip, which provides higher performance, more efficiency, and longer battery life when compared to MacBooks equipped with an M1 or Intel chip.

Apple's M3 CPUs, which are more efficient and capable than the M2 chips, appeared in the most recent MacBook Pro models. Consider yourself to be Goldilocks in this position; you're presented with four various MacBook models, but you need to select the one that's exactly suitable for you. So, before you decide, let's go over the primary distinctions between the Pro and Air.

What is the distinction between the MacBook Pro and the MacBook Air?

There are numerous distinctions between the MacBook Pro and MacBook Air, believe it or not. The main distinctions between the two are in pricing and computational power. The least expensive MacBook Pro with an M2 chip will cost more than the least expensive Air with an M2 chip. The Pro, on the other hand, is more powerful due to updated internals behind the hood.

The M3 MacBook Pro models include more unified memory, a longer battery life, more ports (including HDMI and SD card), and a more sophisticated GPU and CPU than the Air variants. The MacBook Pro has two sizes: 14-inch and 16-inch.

The core computational components of the M3 MacBook Pro have been enhanced for greater efficiency and performance. The M3 series consists of three main chips: M3, M3 Pro, and M3 Max. The media engines of the M3 models have been enhanced to handle video playback better. The M3 chips feature the same number of CPU, GPU, and neural engine cores as the M2 chips, and they can both support the same amount of unified memory.

Apple claims that the M3 chips are 15% quicker than the M2 chips, so if you recently updated to an M2 MacBook Pro, you're not far behind in terms of computing capability.

If you're looking for a new 13-inch MacBook Pro, you'll be disappointed to learn that Apple discontinued the 13-inch MacBook Pro with the announcement of the new 14-inch MacBook Pro. A 13-inch MacBook Pro is no longer available for purchase on Apple's website. Apple has stopped selling the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with M2 Pro and M2 Max processors.

Apple's new M3 Pro and M3 Max chips are available for the 14-inch and 16-inch Pro models, while the 14-inch Pro can be purchased with the original M3 chip. If you want to go big with the 16-inch Pro, know that your only choices are the M3 Max or M3 Pro chips, which will up the price.

The enhanced chipsets outperform the standard M2 chips featured in the 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Airs. These improved CPUs enable the 14-inch and 16-inch Pro to edit professional-grade video footage (up to 8K), render 3D art, create music, and edit high-resolution pictures in Adobe Photoshop.

However, the more power you desire from the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros, the higher the price. The 14-inch Pro starts at $1,599 and may go up to $3,199 with chip and internal storage additions. The 16-inch Pro starts at $2,499 and can be upgraded to $3,999 with internal enhancements.

Which MacBook is the best for you?

The answer is greatly influenced by how you envision yourself using the laptops, as well as how display size and weight come into the equation.

If you're a graphic designer, professional photographer, music producer, videographer, 3D artist, or iOS game and app developer, a MacBook Pro is the way to go. The Pro models can handle intensive graphics processing as well as more software running in the background without lagging, overheating, or slowing down noticeably.

A MacBook Air may be a better choice if you are a student or spend most of your time in the Microsoft Office Suite or Google Suite. If you want a MacBook to leisurely surf the internet, watch YouTube or Netflix, react to emails, and FaceTime your friends, the Air model is not just capable of doing so but also light on your back.

A MacBook, regardless of model, is a good choice for consumers who want to expand their personal Apple environment with a computer that works flawlessly with the iPhone, AirPods, and other devices. Handoff, for example, lets you move between your MacBook and iPhone for FaceTime chats, and your MacBook can effortlessly access your iPhone's files, messages, contacts, and photographs.