Searching for a new MacBook might be more complicated than it once was. As the Apple lineup expands, each MacBook Air and MacBook Pro comes with many different models and specifications. This includes Apple’s brand new M2 Chip. If you are going to spend thousands on a computer, it’s important that it is the right fit for your use. For content creators of any kind, your computer is one of your biggest assets — or worst nightmares. Make sure to carefully think about what your intended uses are, and follow along with the rest of this guide to determine whether a MacBook Air vs MacBook Pro is right for you.
Available Models
Both the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro come in multiple different models. Each model has different features, specifications, and cost. Each computer can also be customized to add more memory, storage, and pre-installed software if you wish.
MacBook Air
The MacBook Air comes in one size of 13.6”. At the time of this writing, there are three different models available. The first model is the older version, containing Apple’s M1 Chip. This is the cheapest option, and comes with an 8-Core CPU, 7-Core GPU, 8GB of Memory, and 256GB SSD storage. This model also comes with two Thunderbolt Ports and a Magic Keyboard with Touch ID.
The newer versions of the MacBook Air contain Apple’s brand new M2 Chip, which is touted as being even better than the highly praised M1 chip in their older computers. The MacBook Air with the M2 Chip comes in two different models. The cheaper option comes with an 8-Core GPU and 256GB SSD storage, while the more expensive version comes with 10-Core GPU and 512GB SSD storage. Both versions contain two Thunderbolt ports, and Magic Keyboard with Touch ID.
Here are the MacBook Air models below. If you are looking for a specific laptop color and/or storage size, be sure to browse Adorama for more options.
MacBook Pro
The MacBook Pro comes in three different models, including a 13”, 14”, and 16” version.
The 13” version contains the new Apple M2 chip, and has an 8-core CPU and 10-core GPU, with up to 24GB of memory and 2TB of maximum storage. Meanwhile, the 14” and 16” contains either the M1 Pro Chip or the M1 Max Chip. They boast 10-core CPU, 32-core GPU, and up to 8TB of maximum storage.
The 13” model has a Touch Bar and Touch ID, while the larger versions both only have Touch ID. Two Thunderbolt ports and one headphone jack are included on the 13” MacBook Pro, compared to three Thunderbolt Ports, a headphone jack, an HDMI port, and a SDXC reader on the 14” and 16” MacBook Pro.
Here are the MacBook Air models below. If you are looking for a specific laptop color and/or storage size, be sure to browse Adorama for more options.
Major Differences
Each model is slightly different, and picking out the perfect model may be a challenge. Let’s compare a few of the important specifications for both models.
Display
Each computer uses Apple’s Liquid Retina display with True Tone. Each screen size is slightly different, ranging from 13”, all the way to 16.2”. For the most part, this doesn’t make a huge difference, but you’ll notice that the larger computers have more space for upgraded specifications inside. If screen size does matter for you, consider looking at the MacBook Pro models, which come in both a 14.2” and a 16.2” size.
Ports and Storage
Ports and storage are incredibly important for anyone who wishes to work on their computer. All three MacBook Air models, as well as the 13” MacBook Pro, contain just two Thunderbolt ports and a Headphone Jack. However, the larger 14” and 16” MacBook Pro models contain a third Thunderbolt Port, in addition to a headphone jack, an HDMI port, and an SDXC port. Content creators or anyone who wishes to plug in multiple external devices to their computer will love the extra ports on the larger MacBook Pro models.
The MacBook Air with the M1 Chip, and the M2 Chip with 8-core GPU both come with 256GB internal storage. Meanwhile the MacBook Air with the M2 Chip and 10-core GPU comes with 512GB SSD. The MacBook Air models may be upgraded with up to 2TB of storage. The 13” MacBook Pro model is compatible with up to 2TB of storage, while both larger models can have up to 8TB. You can choose how much storage you want before purchasing.
Battery Life
The battery life of all of the MacBook Pro and Air computers is very similar — ranging from up to 17 hours on the 14” MacBook Pro to 21 hours on the 16” MacBook Pro. The MacBook Air models have up to 18 hours of battery life.
Audio
The MacBook Air with the M1 Chip is equipped with a basic stereo speaker and wide stereo sound. The M2 Chip MacBook Air comes with a four-speaker sound system and wide stereo sound. The 13” MacBook Pro has a studio-quality three-mic array and stereo speakers with spatial audio. The 14” MacBook Pro and 16” MacBook Pro both come with a studio-quality three-mic array and six-speaker sound system with spatial audio.
Performance
All MacBook Air and Pro models contain at least 8-core CPU and 7-core GPU. However, both the MacBook Pro 14” and 16” have 10-core CPU and 32-core GPU. This makes them an obvious pick for video and photo editors. The greatly upgraded GPU will help to make sure that your videos and photos render quickly with as little delay as possible.
The M2 Chip is promised to deliver even faster performance than its predecessor. This chip is in the newer MacBook Air models and the 13” MacBook Pro.
Keyboard/Touch Bar
All versions of the MacBook Air and Pro contain the Magic Keyboard and Touch ID. However, if you want to get the Touch Bar, you’ll have to go for the 13” MacBook Pro. The Touch Bar can be very beneficial when photo or video editing, and this is currently the only model that the Touch Bar is available on.
| MacBook AirM1 Chip | Macbook Air M2 Chip (8-Core GPU) | MacBook Air M2 Chip (10-Core GPU) | MacBook Pro 13” | MacBook Pro 14” | MacBook Pro 16” | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Size | 13.3” | 13.6” | 13.6” | 13.3” | 14.2” | 16.2” |
| Chip | Apple M1 | Apple M2 | Apple M2 | Apple M2 | Apple M1 Pro/Max | Apple M1 Pro/Max |
| CPU | 8-core | 8-core | 8-core | 8-core | Up to 10-core | 10-core |
| GPU | 7-core | 8-core | 10-core | 10-core | 32-core | 32-core |
| Ports | 2 Thunderbolt, 1 Headphone Jack | 2 Thunderbolt, 1 Headphone Jack | 2 Thunderbolt, 1 Headphone Jack | 2 Thunderbolt, 1 Headphone Jack | 3 Thunderbolt, 1 Headphone Jack, 1 HDMI, 1 SDXC | 3 Thunderbolt, 1 Headphone Jack, 1 HDMI, 1 SDXC |
| Storage | 256GB SSD | 256GB SSD | 512GB SSD | Up to 2TB | Up to 8TB | Up to 8TB |
| Battery Life | Up to 18 hours | Up to 18 hours | Up to 18 hours | Up to 20 hours | Up to 17 hours | Up to 21 hours |
| Memory | Up to 16GB | Up to 24GB | Up to 24GB | Up to 24GB | Up to 64 GB | Up to 64GB |
MacBook Air vs MacBook Pro: Which Should You Buy?
Picking the right model of MacBook isn’t easy. The best way to pick a model is to determine your budget and your intended use.
For students that just need a computer to complete coursework and browse the internet, the MacBook Air with the M1 chip is the best bang for your buck. However, content creators may need to look at one of the more expensive 14” or 16” MacBook Pro options, which will handle photos and videos much quicker.
The other major consideration is in the amount of ports on each computer. As a content creator or working professional, you may need more than two ports to plug in all of your devices at once. If you’ll be working on a hard drive, remember that this will take up one of your ports and leave you with only one port left on any of the MacBook Air models or the 13” MacBook Pro.
If you’re looking to purchase more storage, check out Beginner’s Guide to Buying an External Hard Drive.
For students:
All things considered, any of the MacBook Air options would be great choices for travelers or students who aren’t doing any kind of content creation or heavy computer work. These computers are the lightest and thinnest in the Apple lineup, making them perfect for commuting or traveling.
For working professionals:
If you might need a slightly faster computer, consider the 13” MacBook Pro, which will be slightly faster than the MacBook Air models when you’re working with multiple programs open at once.
For content creators:
Lastly, the 14” and 16” MacBook Pro models are ideal for content creators and anyone else who is putting stress on their computer with large files. The 32-core GPU is designed to help render large videos and photos much faster than the traditional 10-core GPU.
Don’t get too concerned over the amount of storage because you can choose to upgrade the internal storage at the time of purchase. However, you should pay attention to the amount of memory if you’ll be using your computer for photography or videography. Having more memory will allow your computer to run smoother when you’re using it for work, making the 14” and 16” MacBook Pro options very attractive with 64GB of configurable memory.
Final Thoughts
Choosing the right computer may have been more of a process than you once thought. The easiest way to decide which computer is figure out what you’ll be using the computer for, and then go from there. Use this article to inform your purchase and pick out the right computer for your use. All of these MacBook Air and MacBook Pro models will work very nicely, but spending a little more money can allow for you to find a computer that will better suit your needs and run a bit smoother.
