14" macbook pro is the correct answer. I'm a pilot and spend half my life on the road. It's not just the 120hz screen but the brightness and speakers that make it amazing. I use it every day i'm in a hotel for movies and shows. I don't use hotel tvs as their audio is way worse. You simply can't beat it. I really wish they'd just make a macbook air with a 120hz screen and their best speakers but I get it, won't happen.
I also struggled a lot between a 14 Pro or a 15 Air. I bought the Air, coming from a 16" M1 Pro 16G/1T.
Two colleagues have the 14 Pro and I was able to try them. My aging eyes forced me to ditch the default resolution on the 16 and go down a notch. I would do the same on the 14 and 15. This changes things a little, since on the Air it results on a perfect 2x scaling, while not on the pro machines (the default scaling is 2x). The 14 is just too small for me. As for screen quality, one can see the difference if they are one next to the other, specially the black levels. Working in code, office apps, email and Safari it's hard to notice the 120Hz difference for me. Also, I installed a matte screen protector on the 15 and results in much less reflections, while also not jeopardizing the image quality (specially the text). I went with the Brotect Airglass Mate. it's not easy to apply, but the final result was worth it for me. I haven't seen a nano screen in person, so cannot comment on differences, but alas it is a surcharge 5x greater than the protector.
The 15 Air is just more pleasant to work on than the 16 Pro ever was. And the weight in the backpack is very noticeable as is the thickness even with a sleeve. I don't miss the ports (no graphic/photographic/video work), but really like the feel of the keyboard (seems more "clicky" to me than the Pro).
I went for the 32G/1T version. I was afraid that would make the temps go a little higher, but no, it is in the ballpark of the M1 Pro, around 32~36ºC, but not as low as the M1 Air 13 2020 that I also have, that one idles at 27~30 ºC.
The performance is stunning, even more considering there is lower thermal headroom than the 16". Bear in mind I have never heard the fans "kick in" in the 16" in more than 2 years of use. I am currently using it in low power mode with a USB-C monitor attached to (AZORPA 16" 2560x1600) and the system power is... 10w. Without the monitor it goes to... 4w!!! I am using BT with phones and Wi-Fi.
I have a powerbank connected through magsafe 3 not to stress the battery and use aldente to sail around 85%. I get more than 13h without the external monitor, going from 85 to around 30. I never got that from the Pro, it is just a more power hungry machine (larger screen with more pixels, 5nm process chip,...).
The SSD is slower than the Pro, 3G/s vs 5G/s, but it is not noticeable in booting or when working. It can make a difference in copying large files or other scenarios, but not in my typical use case.
The headroom from the 32G RAM is just massive. I have never seen it swapping, I have 10 Safari tabs (one of them is Udemy, other is Strava), VSC, keynote, mail, chatGPT, Excel, Numbers, WhatsApp, Music resulting in 19% pressure, 0 swap and 12.5GB free. 24G would also be great, but I went for the safer side of things.
Finish is midnight. I love the color, but yes fingerprints are visible. Not bothered at all by them, very slightly visible. Also love the thickness, it is almost as thick as the Magsafe connector. Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder, but I consider this to be a much nicer looking machine compared to the 16. Makes me want to use it more.
Feel free to ask me anything. But I doubt you will miss your Pro, unless you view HDR content regularly.
All the best!
