15-inch MacBook Air vs 14-inch MacBook Pro: More screen or more power?

Apple Macbook Pro 14″ (2023, M2 Pro, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD): 2299

Best Prices Today: Apple 15-inch MacBook Air (M2, 256GB, 2023)

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The MacBook Air has always been a slim and compact device that’s light and easy to carry. And now it has a big screen, too: Apple introduced a MacBook Air with a 15-inch screen that’s just as thin and light as the 13-inch model and actually bigger than the more powerful 14-inch MacBook Pro. So which one should you buy?

We’ll break down all the details here. You can also read our article comparing the 13-inch MacBook Air and the 13-inch MacBook Pro as well as our best MacBook guide.

15-inch MacBook Air vs 14-inch Pro: Price

One of the most important parts of any buying decision is how much you want to spend. That’s why the 16-inch MacBook Pro was left out of this comparison, because you could almost get two 15-inch MacBook Airs for the same price, which puts Apple’s biggest laptop in a different league.

But with a starting price of $1,999, the 14-inch MacBook Pro is a bit closer in price to the 15-inch Air, so let’s look at how the current models line up:

• 15-inch MacBook Air (M2, 8GB/256GB) – $1,299/£1,399/$1,599
• 15-inch MacBook Air (M2, 8GB/512GB) – $1,499/£1,599/$1,829
• 14-inch MacBook Pro (M2 Pro, 16GB/512GB) – $1,999/£2,149/$2,399
• 14-inch MacBook Pro (M2 Pro, 16GB/1TB) – $2,499/£2,699/$2,999
• 14-inch MacBook Pro (M2 Max, 32GB/1TB) – $3,099/£3,349/$3,699

As you can see there is still a big disparity in price, but the Pro models come with at least double the memory and storage as the respective Air (which raises the price of the AIr to 1 $699/£1,799), plus a faster M2 Pro chip.

Apple also sells a 13-inch MacBook Pro, which has the same M2 chip as the 15-inch MacBook Air for $1,299, but with an older design (which includes the Touch Bar), we recommend the 14-inch Air or Pro. .

Apple

15-inch MacBook Air vs 14-inch MacBook Pro: Design and specs

Apple updated the design of the MacBook Air when it launched the 13-inch MacBook Air (M2) in July 2022, removing the tapered chassis it had used since Steve Jobs introduced the Air to the world by removing it from a inter-office envelope. The design is very similar to the Pro model

• 15-inch MacBook Air: 0.45 inches x 13.40 inches x 9.35 inches, 3.3 lbs; 1.15cm x 34.04cm x 23.76cm, 1.51kg
• 14-inch MacBook Pro: 0.61in x 12.31in x 8.71in, 3.5 lbs; 1.55cm x 31.26cm x 22.12cm, 1.60kg

Even with a smaller screen, the Pro is a bit bulkier and heavier due to the fans needed for heat dissipation, while the Air is, unsurprisingly, wider and taller, thanks to the bigger screen. .

Apple

The thicker MacBook Pro has more ports. Apple equips the MacBook Air with two Thunderbolt/USB 4 ports, a MagSafe charging port, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. On the Pro, you get an additional Thunderbolt 4/USB-C (bringing the total to three), along with MagSafe, HDMI, SDXC ports, and a headphone jack.

Both models have a Touch ID sensor built into the keyboard, 1080p FaceTime HD cameras and six-speaker arrays (the 13-inch Air only has a four-speaker audio system). The MacBook Pro’s sound is described by Apple as “high fidelity”, by which we assume Apple is indicating it’s superior to the Air. Connectivity is via Bluetooth 5.3 and while the Air supports Wi-Fi 6, the Pro tips the scales with Wi-Fi 6E.

15-inch MacBook Air vs 14-inch MacBook Pro: Display

The 15-inch MacBook Air features a 15.3-inch Liquid Retina display, while the Pro comes with a 14.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR panel. The Air’s screen is a little bigger, but it’s not as good as the MacBook Pro’s.

The Air’s display runs at a resolution of 2,880 x 1,864 with a maximum refresh rate of 60Hz. Its maximum brightness is 500 nits, which is half of the Pro’s 1,000 nits in normal use or a third if you run HDR content at a maximum of 1600 nits. This is achieved by the Pro display incorporating mini-LEDs rather than the Air’s standard LCD display.

Perhaps the biggest difference is that the Pro has ProMotion, which means the refresh rate hits 120Hz, again double that of the Air. This keeps scrolling and animations smooth and crisp. Either display will be great for everyday use and long hours of work, but the Pro definitely has the advantage when it comes to features.

Foundry

15-inch MacBook Air vs 14-inch MacBook Pro: performance and battery

The new 15-inch MacBook Air features the same M2 chip as the 13-inch MacBook Air and 13-inch MacBook Pro, while the 14-inch MacBook Pro comes with the M2 Pro or M2 Max. However, while the base model of the 13-inch Air has an 8-core GPU, the 15-inch MacBook Air has a full 10-core GPU as well as an 8-core CPU.

As the name suggests, the base M2 Pro packs more power, with a 10-core CPU and 16 or 19-core GPU. You can also upgrade to the M2 Max chip with a 12-core CPU and a 30 or 38-core GPU.

Apple

The standard M2 is a very capable chip, which can handle most things you throw at it, including light photo and video editing. But if those are your main intended uses for your MacBook, we think the extra power of the Pro or Max chip would be the best fit. Otherwise, the M2 will be more than enough for a few years to come.

You don’t have to factor battery life into this run, as Apple says both are capable of 18 hours of use from a single charge, which should get you through even the busiest working days.

15-inch MacBook Air vs 14-inch MacBook Pro: Verdict

The fact that both devices have similar looks and sizes makes it easier to choose which device to choose, as it all comes down to price, screen size, and power. If you’re looking for an everyday laptop for writing documents, creating presentations, working on spreadsheets, playing light games and enjoying plenty of streaming video, the 15-inch MacBook Air is the a fantastic choice. Compared to the MacBook Pro, you get a slightly lighter laptop with a bigger screen at a much lower price.

Those who need the brightest, smoothest screen, extra ports and even more power will inevitably find the 14-inch MacBook Pro’s siren song too much to resist. It is a production powerhouse designed for video editing, code creation and gaming, capable of handling all the extreme demands of these activities. It’s called a Pro for a reason.

Most people who need a MacBook Pro probably aren’t reading this article, they know who they are. But for the rest of us, the 15-inch MacBook AIr is Apple’s best value in a laptop and the only one worth buying.