Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
How does the battery life compare to the 2019 MBP?
- Thread starter VertPin
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
In my case, the answer is a resounding yes. It might actually be even more than that. With the MBP even though its rated at 10 hours, I was never actually able to get that much from it. For regular use (lots of screen time at 70-80% with browsing, emails, videos), I was getting more like 6-8 hours with the MBP. The MBA may not be getting me 12 hours, but it beats what I was getting from the MBP by 2+ hours.
Thanks for your feedback. Are you using the base model 1.4 MPB 2019? I can't decide which one to get, and battery life is the main deciding factor for me too. The reviews are all over place on the battery life, some reviews claim that the new MBP has longer battery life than the MBA, others say MBA last longer. So I'm a bit confused.
I'm currently using an MBA 1.6GHz/8GB/256GB. I have previously used a base (2TB3) MBP 1.4/16/512 and a 4TB3 MBP 2.4/16/512. I returned the MBPs because of other issues, but I did use them for around 2 weeks so I have a general idea of battery life.
I recall seeing a YouTube review that claimed the battery life on the MBA is worse, but that has not been the case in my experience. Perhaps it had to do with workload in the sense that the CPU was being worked hard during the test which tends to not be the case in real use.
The MBA is also the coolest of the lot (temperature wise, but also otherwise 😉).
I recall seeing a YouTube review that claimed the battery life on the MBA is worse, but that has not been the case in my experience. Perhaps it had to do with workload in the sense that the CPU was being worked hard during the test which tends to not be the case in real use.
The MBA is also the coolest of the lot (temperature wise, but also otherwise 😉).
I was getting headaches with the 4TB3 MBP, not sure why. I found the build quality in the 2TB3 MBP lacking. Something as simple as connecting and disconnecting the charger didn't feel smooth, the keyboard felt different than the 4TB3 model (also reported by other users) and there was noticeable flex in the parts of the chassis. Both of the pros also got very hot when watching videos in chrome or when on conference calls in skype/zoom.
So at that point I decided to get the cheapest macOS machine that would satisfy my needs for today without trying to future proof. This would allow me to upgrade as soon as a better keyboard is available. Both the pros were 16GB/512GB machines. My MBA is 8GB/256GB and it's plenty for what I do. After buying the MBA, I'm totally satisfied with my decision. It runs much cooler than the pros (almost never heats up). The battery life is also noticeably better than either pro, which is weird because there are some reviews on youtube saying the 2TB3 pro has the best battery life of the three.
Thanks. I just got a 2019 Macbook Air for $899 plus tax and I was just wondering if Pro was worth it. I am happy with the Air though.
Morrissey
macrumors regular
I also bought a new MBA 2019 ($799 on last BF Amazon Sale), to replace my 2015 MBA that I use mostly for presentations from work, it's the same battery life, and the sound is better on the old MBA, even that Apple says that the New 2019 is 25% better/louder... Well it is not!
I also have a MBP 2016 for personal use @ home, I bought it new on feb 2019, at first I thought the battery was defective, probably because it was two years stored on a warehouse, or who knows... compared with the old Air that can hold 8 - 9, this MBP battery is just 6 - 7 hrs top.
The MBP is like night and day compared with the Air, we all know that, but the battery life on the MBA wins.