MacBook Air or MacBook Pro: Which One Is Right For Me?

by Erica Lorenzo Brand and Lifestyle Consultant

The newest models of the MacBook Air and the MacBook Pro are out. Despite sharing similarities, both offer unique features for different kinds of users. It all depends on what you need and how much you’re willing to spend your hard-earned money on. Are you after cutting edge components and high power? Or are you after a more affordable and portable fit?

You need to weigh your options before deciding which Mac portable is the right one for you. We give you a detailed look at how the new MacBook models compare.

Price and Power

The MacBook Air is the most affordable way to get one of Apple’s laptops. It still doesn’t come cheap, but if you’re on a budget, this may be the best choice. Apple has cut the MacBook Air’s price by $100, with an entry-level price of $1,099. This model comes with an 8th generation Dual-core 1.6GHz Intel Core i5 processor and Turbo Boosts to 3.6GHz.

The high-end MacBook Air also has the same specs but with twice the storage space at 256GB and a higher price of $1,299. The MacBook Air may have impressive speed, but for the same amount of $1,299, you’ll get an updated 8th gen Intel Quad-core processor with the MacBook Pro. The two extra cores and the capability to Turbo Boost to 3.9GHz give the MacBook Pro a significant performance boost.

If you’re after high performance and willing to spend more, then you can opt for the more expensive Pro models. The 15-inch model of the MacBook Pro starts at $2,399 and features a 9th gen Intel 6-core chip.

The MacBook Air and MacBook Pro start at 128GB for fast flash storage and double to 256GB for the next model up; the 15-inch MacBook Pro gets 512GB of storage. You can configure all models if you need more storage. The MacBook Air can go as high as 1TB while the MacBook Pro goes even further at 2TB.

Pro tip if you want to order outside the United States: You can take advantage of online shopping websites that offer great deals on fees and deliver you MacBook straight to your doorstep.

Display and Design

The latest MacBook Air and MacBook Pro all feature Retina displays with True Tone technology, allowing you to adjust the color and intensity shown on the screen to match the ambient light that makes colors look more natural. Both devices’ screens look incredibly sharp with a total resolution of 2,560 x 1,600 or 227 pixels per inch.

The MacBook Pro’s models, however, have the edge on brightness as it features 500 nits of brightness and P3 wide color support. The latest MacBook Air can only manage a total brightness of 291 nits. Both the 2019 MacBook Air and 13-inch MacBook Pro come with the Touch ID sensor that features Apple’s T2 security chip, enabling you to log in and pay for things online securely. The Touch Bar is now on all MacBook Pro models.

This thin glass display above the third-generation keyboard is touch-sensitive and gives you interactive and customizable controls. If you think that a Touch Bar that gives you quick shortcuts for a more seamless workflow will come in handy, then the MacBook Pro may be a good choice.

When it comes to size and weight, the MacBook Air remains an impressively light and thin laptop with dimensions of 11.97 x 8.36 x 0.61 inches and its thinnest point is at 0.16 inches or 0.41 cm. It also weighs a mere 1.35 kilograms. The MacBook Air may have the edge here, but the difference isn’t quite as big. The MacBook Pro is still portable at 1.37 kilograms and virtually has the same dimensions as the Air, only a lot thicker overall.

Graphics

The 15-inch MacBook Pro is the leader in terms of faster and more powerful graphics performance, as it is the only model with a dedicated graphics chip made for intensive rendering tasks. The AMD Radeon Pro graphics makes it easier for you to make side-by-side document and 4k video editing, alongside massive Lightroom batch exports.

Both the 13-inch MacBook Pro and MacBook Air have integrated Intel graphics. The first two Pro models, however, use Intel Iris Plus Graphics 645, while the MacBook Air uses the lower grade Intel UHD Graphics 617.

Battery Life

For battery life, the latest MacBook Air has the highest rate at 12 hours of wireless web browsing and 13 hours of video or iTunes movie playback. The MacBook Pro is rated for 10 hours each for wireless web browsing and movie playback.

Have you taken your pick yet? See if you can also pick up refurbished Macs with the same specs that the Air and Pro offer. Weigh your options by knowing your budget and the features that you need for day-to-day tasks. Check whether it is best to go for affordability but still have the most recent features that enable basic tasks, or if you can spend more for powerful software and hardware upgrades.