MacBook Air vs. MacBook Pro: Which Laptop Is the Best Fit for You?

We break down the differences of Apple’s two laptops with the M3 chip.

Apple’s laptop offerings now include devices with its M3 chip. The company has slowly released the different models, but now we can compare them. In this article, we’ll pit the MacBook Air against the MacBook Pro—the more “economical” vs. its big sibling.

MacBook Air vs. MacBook Pro Specs


MACBOOK PRO M3 (14-inch)

MACBOOK AIR M3 (13-inch)

SIZE AND WEIGHT

Height: 0.61 inch
Width: 12.31 inches
Depth: 8.71 inches
Weight: 3.4 pounds

Height: 0.44 inch
Width: 11.97 inches
Depth: 8.46 inches
Weight: 2.7 pounds

DISPLAY

14.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR display

3,024-by-1,964 native resolution at 254 pixels per inch

XDR brightness: 1,000 nits sustained full-screen, 1,600 nits peak2 (HDR content only)
SDR brightness: 600 nits
Wide color (P3)
True Tone technology
ProMotion technology for adaptive refresh rates up to 120Hz

13.6-inch LED-backlit display with IPS technology
2,560-by-1,664 native resolution at 224 pixels per inch
500 nits brightness
DCI-P3
True Tone technology

CHIP

8-core CPU with 4 performance cores and 4 efficiency cores

10-core GPU
Hardware-accelerated ray tracing
16-core Neural Engine
100GB/s memory bandwidth

8-core CPU with 4 performance cores and 4 efficiency cores
8-core GPU
Hardware-accelerated ray tracing
16-core Neural Engine
100GB/s memory bandwidth

ram and STORAGE

RAM: 8GB or 16GB unified memory configurable to 16 GB or 24 GB

Storage: 512 GB or 1 TB SSD configurable to 1 TB or 2 TB

RAM: 8 GB unified memory configurable to 16 GB or 24 GB

Storage: 256 GB SSD configurable to 512 GB, 1 TB, and 2 TB

CAMERA

1080p FaceTime HD camera
Advanced image signal processor with computational video

FaceTime HD

AUDIO

High-fidelity six-speaker sound system with force-cancelling woofers
Wide stereo sound
Support for Spatial Audio when playing music or video with Dolby Atmos on built-in speakers
Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking when using AirPods
Studio-quality three-mic array with high signal-to-noise ratio and directional beamforming
3.5 mm headphone jack with advanced support for high-impedance headphones

Four-speaker sound system
Support for Spatial Audio when playing music or video with Dolby Atmos on built-in speakers
Three-mic array with directional beamforming

CONNECTIVITY

Wi-Fi 6E

Bluetooth 5.3
Two Thunderbolt/USB 4 ports
HDMI port
SDXC card slot
MagSafe 3

3.5 mm headphone jack

Two Thunderbolt / USB 4 ports
Wi-Fi 6E
Bluetooth 5.3

BATTERY

Up to 15 hours wireless web

Up to 22 hours Apple TV app movie playback

Up to 18 hours Apple TV app movie playback
Up to 15 hours wireless web

PRICE

From $1,599

From $1,099

Apple 2024 MacBook Air 13-inch Laptop with M3 chip: Built for Apple Intelligence, 13.6-inch Liquid Retina Display, 8GB Unified Memory, 256GB SSD Storage, Backlit Keyboard, Touch ID; Midnight

Apple 2023 MacBook Pro Laptop M3 Pro chip with 11‑core CPU, 14‑core GPU: Built for Apple Intelligence, 14.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR Display, 18GB Unified Memory, 512GB SSD Storage; Silver

Table of Contents (7)

MacBook Air vs. MacBook Pro Features

Design

Beyond the pretty similar aesthetics, the difference comes from what each user wants in a laptop. For those looking for lightness who need to carry the computer as a faithful work companion, the ideal choice is the MacBook Air, which weighs 2.7 pounds and is much lighter than its Pro sibling.

On the other hand, the MacBook Pro is the ideal choice for those who prioritize power and a fuller screen, no matter how much the computer weighs. Although it’s still a laptop, its dimensions are slightly larger.

Display

MacBook Air M3

The MacBook Pro features a 14.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR mini-LED display with adaptive ProMotion technology that delivers up to 120Hz, 1,600 nits maximum brightness (HDR), and a wide color gamut.

The MacBook Air, meanwhile, has a 13.6-inch Liquid Retina display with a resolution of 2,460 x 1,664 pixels, an IPS LCD panel, 500 nits of brightness, 60 Hz, and True Tone technology.

Audio

This is another substantial difference, although both have high-quality sound systems. The MacBook Pro has a six-speaker hi-fi system with force-canceling woofers. In contrast, the latest version of the MacBook Air includes four speakers, sacrificing sound performance.

Why You Should Choose the MacBook Air

  • The 2024 version has matched hardware strengths with the M3 chip.
  • Lighter and more compact.
  • More economical.

Apple 2024 MacBook Air 13-inch Laptop with M3 chip: Built for Apple Intelligence, 13.6-inch Liquid Retina Display, 8GB Unified Memory, 256GB SSD Storage, Backlit Keyboard, Touch ID; Midnight

Why You Should Choose the MacBook Pro

  • Display with better panel, higher brightness level, and 120 Hz refresh rate.
  • Better audio system.
  • Slightly longer battery life.

Apple 2023 MacBook Pro Laptop M3 Pro chip with 11‑core CPU, 14‑core GPU: Built for Apple Intelligence, 14.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR Display, 18GB Unified Memory, 512GB SSD Storage; Silver

Now that you know the differences between the two Apple laptops, which would you choose based on your budget and preferences?

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Images | Apple

Related | I Tried to Replace My MacBook Pro With the New iPad Pro. I Was Stopped by iPadOS

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