Apple first Mac textbooks for Apple’s new era are here, based on chipsets The M1 Apple Silicon, even before choosing which one you like best, is easy to tell the difference in performance between the two.
So far, it has been easy to recommend one model or another depending on the tasks you have to perform and to travel. With the M1 chip, performance between the MacBook Pro and MacBook Air seems to be declining. Let’s see the difference.
Design
Either the 13-inch MacBook Pro or MacBook Air is different from their previous models of previous years, at least physically. Both retain size and the air still has an iconic edge from 0.16 inches to 0.63 inches.
For its part, the Pro model has a fixed stiffness of 0.61 inches and weighs more than Air, although both remain less than 1.5 kilograms, the success of laptops working well.
The interior is the same. Both already have the Magic Keyboard with matching speakers alongside large-sized borders. The large trackpad with Force Touch focuses on the lower part of the keyboard that combines silver colors with a gray area.
Our vision: We have to admit that we were expecting something more from the design level, moving away from the traditional ones of years past, especially considering that Apple had to reboot the motherboard with a new M1 chip to install it inside.
screen
While both laptops already have a 13.3-inch screen of the same size, the Pro model was advantageous in line with the DCI-P3 range to offer greater color complement.
Now MacBook Air also meets this definition, so the display is almost the same. These are the features:
- 13.3 inch IPS panel panel
- 2560 x 1600 pixel resolution
- Wide color (P3)
- Real Tone
The only difference between them now lies in the fact that most people will not see it. On the MacBook Pro, the brightness is 500 nits, while on the MacBook Air the value stays at 400 nits. However, both are particularly bright.
Our vision: Both laptops have amazing displays, some of the best on the market, but we’d love to see improvements in the next generation. Designs with mini-LEDs on the edge, circular corners, or any other look that feels right now.
Keyboards, ports and cameras
Both Air and Pro have the same Magic Keyboard released last year, so you don’t have to worry about problems coming with previous models. It is a major improvement compared to the previous one and is free to use during long-term operation.
Both have a background light with an ambient light sensor, as well as an Touch ID unlock sensor, authentication and the ability to use it not only for login, but also for purchases via Apple Pay.
The difference is the keys to performance. Like the last generations, the MacBook Pro has a Touch Bar, an OLED screen that is known for everything that is available on the digital line.
For its part, MacBook Air lacks the Touch Bar, maintains a standard line of performance keys, including dedicated Spotlight (f4), Dictation (F5) and Dont disturb (F6) keys for the first time.
Speaking of ports, both models have USB-C / Thunderbolt ports on the left side, and a headphone jack on the right. And that’s it. Apple offers an expensive 13-inch MacBook Pro with four ports, but it uses an Intel processor.
Sadly, the two new MacBooks are still using the same 720p FaceTime camera, though Apple says image quality should improve with the new chip.
Apple uses a custom image signal processor and Neural Engine acquisition on the M1 that the company says will deliver “brighter, sharper images” with more details in the shadows and brighter.
Take us: If your choice between MacBook Air and MacBook Pro drops on the keyboard, it’s a game of chance. We still do not see the concept of the touch bar, but we no longer hate it as before. New buttons can be very helpful.
However, we are not at all happy with the limit of the ports, two of which are not enough for a technology machine, which will force you to get adapters.
Look at ours a guide for Thunderbolt 3 adapters that you can use with your Mac.
Processors and graphics
Both of Apple’s new notebooks include the new M1 processor, which Apple claims is “the fastest core CPU in the world when it comes to low-power computers.”
However, like iPhones, Apple does not provide hard data for performance claims.
While it claims that the new MacBook Air is 3.5 times faster than the previous generation, while the Pro reaches 2.8 times faster than the previous Pro, it does not provide data to support those claims.
We think the M1 chip in the MacBook Pro has a higher clock speed and more cache than the Air model, but we actually don’t have the technical specifications that allow us to consolidate data.
What we do know is that the MacBook Pro has a fan, while the MacBook Air relies on random heat transmission, the first unmistakable Mac from the Intel’s Core M. era. This suggests that the Pro’s M1 chip works faster and requires more cooling.
IMacBook Air (256 GB)
- 8-core CPU
- 7-core GPU
- Neural 16-core engine
IMacBook Air (512 GB)
- 8-core CPU
- 8-core GPU
- Neural 16-core engine
IMacBook Pro (256 GB / 512 GB)
- 8-core CPU
- 8-core GPU
- Neural 16-core engine
The difference is small, but you get a 7-core GPU with 256GB MacBook Air and an 8-core GPU with 512GB Air on top. All MacBook Pro configurations come with an 8-core GPU. We do not know the results of the operation.
Our opinion: we do not know which is the most recommended. Common sense suggests that the Pro will be faster than the Spirit, but we do not know how fast even though there is a single GPU theme.
Storage, battery and RAM
Apple sells only two configurations for each MacBook model, and the difference between them is very small. As mentioned earlier, the entry-level MacBook Air comes with a 7-core GPU, compared to the high-end and 8-core advantages.
All four models come with 8GB of “unified” DDR4 RAM which can be upgraded to 16GB, but we don’t know how the system upgrades. And both models come in 256GB or 512GB SSD models, with 1TB and 2TB upgrades.
Apple says new SSDs are 2x faster than ever in all operating environments.
Battery life is another matter. While we continue with Apple’s claims that battery life has improved significantly, Air has received up to 15 hours (compared to 11 hours for previous models).
In the case of the MacBook Pro, we can now run 17 hours, the biggest jump from the last 10 hours. And that has the same 49.9-watt-hour battery built into the Air and a 58.2-watt battery in the Pro.
This shows that Apple’s new M1 chip works very well.
Our opinion: again, there is little difference between the specifications of both machines, so it is difficult to make a recommendation. The 17-hour battery life in the Pro is very tempting, but also, 15 hours in the air to light up, is a combination.
Prices
Apple sells two standard suspensions for each model at prices similar to the previous ones:
You can upgrade to 16GB of RAM with an increase in the price of $230, and each storage category (from 512GB to 1TB) is also upgraded by $230. Apple charges $460 from 1 TB to 1 TB -2 TB.
Our opinion: If you read it regularly, you will know that we recommend buying a configuration that you can pay for at the time of purchase, because you will not be able to update it in the future. If you are unsure of the additional RAM or SSD, choose upgrade RAM first.
Our purchase advice
Continuing with what Apple told us, we may choose to purchase 13-inch MacBook Air with 512 GB of storage and 16 GB of RAM for $1,399. All other things are equal, it has specs that should last for many years and has the best value for money.
You may want to wait for the reviews and updates of the equipment before deciding on a final purchase. But if shopping is urgent, this should be our recommendation.
See first published tests for The MacBook Air with M1 exceeds the 16-inch MacBook Pro.
Table of Contents
