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M2 MacBook Air vs M1 Pro MacBook Pro 14”


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It's a fact. People who claim it has a great life are comparing it to the Intel version Macs or are just sugar coating their recent purchases.
Look at this YTer. He browsed FB watching videos and his went from 100->87 in 1.5 Hrs. At max brightness. That's ~7 hours & 40 minutes. Sad.
11:50

So 7:40 at max brightness is bad?

So what battery life does the M2 MBA get at max brightness (which is less bright and no 120hz)?
 
I just want to say, after more than 2 weeks of owning the M2 Air, it is absolutely brilliant. I think my favourite MacBook of all time.

It has it all.

Believe it or not but the display is gorgeous. Every time I flip it open and look at websites I'm blown away by the precise accuracy of the display, absolutely perfect LED balance, no 'bleeding', and the whites are far superior to my old MBP.

Everything is just so smooth too. Scrolling, swiping, everything.

Everything I've thrown at it, the Air has smashed it all with ease. Gaming, music production, web design, Teams, everything. No heat, no throttling, just amazing speed.

I'm also using it on half brightness, which seems just as bright as my last MBP (but somehow I don't think it is, it's just an illusion but shows the quality of the display on the Air). Only when I went outside did I need the brightness up. Weird. I've always been a full brightness guy.

On top of that, I'm taking it to the office and picking it up, walking around with it, far easier than previous laptops. It's so light and cute 😂

THEN, it lasted TWO full days without charge, in the office. TWO!?!?!

How have Apple created a laptop without fans which doesn't heat up. It's totally silent, all of the time.
 
So 7:40 at max brightness is bad?
Well display alone at max brightness uses around 8W in MBP 14" (battery 69,9W).
In MBA M2 display power use at max brightness is around 7W or so (battery 52,6W).
Those are just display, you must count CPU and other parts use power too.
Check Notebookcheck measurements for detailed information. Link below.

So what battery life does the M2 MBA get at max brightness (which is less bright and no 120hz)?
Information for that question is here: https://www.notebookcheck.net/Apple...but-too-expensive-daily-MacBook.636637.0.html
 
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THEN, it lasted TWO full days without charge, in the office. TWO!?!?!
Does not sound as good as MBA M1, which some people could run 3 days (7-8 hours of use per day) with total 21-24 hours of actual use with still 40% battery left. So theoretically 40 hours of use on full battery. Check the posts below. ;)


How have Apple created a laptop without fans which doesn't heat up. It's totally silent, all of the time.
My MBP 14" has been totally silent too in my use. So far in one month use the fans have started only once when I was looping Cinebench long time but even then I had to put my ear very close to the MacBook to be able to hear it.
My MBP 14" is amazing in normal use because is it much more silent compared to my previous Mac Mini M1.
 
IDK why people buy the MBP and don't use it to the max or it's features. It's called Pro for a reason.
My car can go as fast as 200km/h but I still don't drive that fast (usually), so I'm not using its max feature, right?
I also have an 77" OLED TV, I use only about 1/4 of the full panel brightness, so that must be futile too like my car.
 
Does not sound as good as MBA M1, which some people could run 3 days (7-8 hours of use per day) with total 21-24 hours of actual use with still 40% battery left. So theoretically 40 hours of use on full battery. Check the posts below. ;)



My MBP 14" has been totally silent too in my use. So far in one month use the fans have started only once when I was looping Cinebench long time but even then I had to put my ear very close to the MacBook to be able to hear it.
My MBP 14" is amazing in normal use because is it much more silent compared to my previous Mac Mini M1.

Why are you trying to assert the MBP’S superiority? Why not just accept that there are lots of people for whom the MBA is just a better fit. I’ve had both and I’m one of those. The M2 MBA is better for me than the 14” MBP in very important ways.
 
Why are you trying to assert the MBP’S superiority? Why not just accept that there are lots of people for whom the MBA is just a better fit. I’ve had both and I’m one of those. The M2 MBA is better for me than the 14” MBP in very important ways.
specifically in what ways? How did battery compare?
 
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Why are you trying to assert the MBP’S superiority? Why not just accept that there are lots of people for whom the MBA is just a better fit. I’ve had both and I’m one of those. The M2 MBA is better for me than the 14” MBP in very important ways.
Maybe because he purchased a MBP and can't have anyone think their computer might be better in some way 🤣
 
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Why are you trying to assert the MBP’S superiority? Why not just accept that there are lots of people for whom the MBA is just a better fit. I’ve had both and I’m one of those. The M2 MBA is better for me than the 14” MBP in very important ways.
No, you got me totally wrong. I just want underline the fact that some people claim getting unrealistic battery life out of their units. ;)
 
I replied earlier in this thread but I think it is worth reiterating. This decision truly comes down to: Portability & Battery Life VS Sustained Performance & Ports.

You have a 50% improvement in battery life (15 hours vs 10 hours) in favor of the Air (for everyday tasks).
A 33% reduction in weight in favor of the Air.
But you also have ~2x sustained performance difference in favor of the Pro.
SD Reader, HDMI, and 2 external monitor support in favor of the Pro.

Everything else IMHO is fairly negligible - even the screen. Yes, the 14" Promotion XDR is fantastic for HDR video, but in normal office work it is pretty hard to tell the difference vs the M2 Air. Why do I say that? Color accuracy, vibrancy, and brightness are top of the line in daily tasks on both, and if you put your 14" in low power mode it drops the frame rate down to 60hz anyway.

For any of you who are on the fence and debating between the two, it sounds like you can afford either model. Therefore, my advice is: ignore the retail price, the sales price, and whatever perceived value you think there is on paper. Instead just weigh your priorities: Portability & Battery Life VS Sustained Performance & Ports.

Go with whichever model best fits you. You will not be disappointed with either one.
I'm disappointed...Honestly. I'm looking down at my keyboard while play Starcraft:BW and fidgeting because those extra 2" (that's what she said) on the older Macbook 15" or Airs make a huge difference. Cramped keyboard. I can't type as fast I do on my Macbook Pro 15', 2015.

Air was made for the average consumer. I am an average consumer. I bought this because of the $1,599 sale and people kept harping how it has a better screen, 120 hz, Pro Motion, Ports and slightly more power (except when web browsing which M2 blows the M1 Pro out of the water). All of which I don't really notice or won't notice because I won't be pushing this to it's potential. Not to mention, the battery life is 50% worse than the MBAs.
 
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Well display alone at max brightness uses around 8W in MBP 14" (battery 69,9W).
In MBA M2 display power use at max brightness is around 7W or so (battery 52,6W).
Those are just display, you must count CPU and other parts use power too.
Check Notebookcheck measurements for detailed information. Link below.


Information for that question is here: https://www.notebookcheck.net/Apple...but-too-expensive-daily-MacBook.636637.0.html
Notebookcheck? The website that doesn't even have the MBA M1 on their top 10 list of Ultrabooks. Super reliable resource there.
 
I just want to say, after more than 2 weeks of owning the M2 Air, it is absolutely brilliant. I think my favourite MacBook of all time.

It has it all.

Believe it or not but the display is gorgeous. Every time I flip it open and look at websites I'm blown away by the precise accuracy of the display, absolutely perfect LED balance, no 'bleeding', and the whites are far superior to my old MBP.

Everything is just so smooth too. Scrolling, swiping, everything.

Everything I've thrown at it, the Air has smashed it all with ease. Gaming, music production, web design, Teams, everything. No heat, no throttling, just amazing speed.

I'm also using it on half brightness, which seems just as bright as my last MBP (but somehow I don't think it is, it's just an illusion but shows the quality of the display on the Air). Only when I went outside did I need the brightness up. Weird. I've always been a full brightness guy.

On top of that, I'm taking it to the office and picking it up, walking around with it, far easier than previous laptops. It's so light and cute 😂

THEN, it lasted TWO full days without charge, in the office. TWO!?!?!

How have Apple created a laptop without fans which doesn't heat up. It's totally silent, all of the time.
which version did you pick up?
 
Does not sound as good as MBA M1, which some people could run 3 days (7-8 hours of use per day) with total 21-24 hours of actual use with still 40% battery left. So theoretically 40 hours of use on full battery.
Think you misunderstood me. I didn't say it ran out of battery after 2 days.

I just didn't add: it had 30 percent battery life left after 2 days. I still didn't even need to charge it, but I got home after those 2 days and always charge when working at home. Incredible. Sounds like it's better than the M1 battery.
 
Unless there is screen shots it's all hearsay

Great laptop coming from Windows
By Kelly on 13 August 2022
The battery life does state 18hrs however thats on the lowest running setting e.g. lowest brightness, power saving mode etc. Its more like 5-6 hours but I will mention I am a student and I run 5-6 applications at a time plus I play some games like minecraft and fortnite. The reason I am giving it 4 stars is because is slides around easily on most surfaces, I had to add an extra grip sticker on the bottom so it stops sliding around.
 
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I'm disappointed...Honestly. I'm looking down at my keyboard while play Starcraft:BW and fidgeting because those extra 2" (that's what she said) on the older Macbook 15" or Airs make a huge difference. Cramped keyboard. I can't type as fast I do on my Macbook Pro 15', 2015.

Air was made for the average consumer. I am an average consumer. I bought this because of the $1,599 sale and people kept harping how it has a better screen, 120 hz, Pro Motion, Ports and slightly more power (except when web browsing which M2 blows the M1 Pro out of the water). All of which I don't really notice or won't notice because I won't be pushing this to it's potential. Not to mention, the battery life is 50% worse than the MBAs.
Sounds like you chose the wrong computer for your wants/needs/priorities 🤷‍♀️
 
I'm disappointed...Honestly. I'm looking down at my keyboard while play Starcraft:BW and fidgeting because those extra 2" (that's what she said) on the older Macbook 15" or Airs make a huge difference. Cramped keyboard. I can't type as fast I do on my Macbook Pro 15', 2015.

Air was made for the average consumer. I am an average consumer. I bought this because of the $1,599 sale and people kept harping how it has a better screen, 120 hz, Pro Motion, Ports and slightly more power (except when web browsing which M2 blows the M1 Pro out of the water). All of which I don't really notice or won't notice because I won't be pushing this to it's potential. Not to mention, the battery life is 50% worse than the MBAs.
This is the problem with all the click bait YouTube videos and a lot of people on these forums just telling everyone to buy the 14” MBP because it is a good value without understanding the needs of the people buying the computer.

I and others in this thread have tried to counter the narrative that just because the cost is similar or even the same the value of a device is going to differ based on how that device is used and the priorities of those buying.

The reason Apple sells different computers is not just to offer a cheap device. With Mr. Cook he has become a Master of the upsell by always tempting people to buy up even if they don’t need it by only offering specific features on specific devices. The thing is that there is actually also some logic behind why Apple doesn’t put Pro features into every device and it isn’t always about profit.

Apple does a pretty good job of balancing feature sets to use cases and generally gives value by over delivering on what people can expect. The very fact that the M2 air is even compared to the MacBook Pro 14” and 16” is a good example of how good the air is. A few years ago there was no way you could even try to edit video content on a computer without a fan and now people are doing just that.

I guess the best advice is to take a step back from the hype of a good “deal” and try to be honest with yourself as to what you need and what you prioritize? And ignore the cost beyond of course what you can afford. A deal is only a deal if what you buy is useful to you and only you can decide that.

Who cares if a MacBook Pro costs the same as the air as long as the air is priced competitively in its market. It doesn’t make the Pro a better value. If the air will serve your needs better and it isn’t a rip off compared to the competition then that is the best value.

The internet is filled with toxic people who want to force their opinions on others instead of offer information so people can make the best choice for themselves. Whatever you buy makes no difference to me and I am not a better or worse person if you disagree. Find what you like and enjoy your decision. Don’t listen to everyone else if their advice doesn’t help you.
 
Not to mention, the battery life is 50% worse than the MBAs.
Where you pulled that info? Show me a real review where they list it running on battery at 100% brightness for over 10 hours?
Seriously with use you described here I’d say you are chasing an ”unicorn”.

Notebookcheck? The website that doesn't even have the MBA M1 on their top 10 list of Ultrabooks. Super reliable resource there.
Unrealiable, are you serious? That is one of the most reliable reviewer.
There are many reasons for top 10 list, while MBA M2 scored decent in test, I believe they also consider price performance ratio and such. It does not make their review unreliable. Show me another review that tests products with using exact measurements?

BTW, what is the reliable resource in your opinion?
 
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Think you misunderstood me. I didn't say it ran out of battery after 2 days.

I just didn't add: it had 30 percent battery life left after 2 days. I still didn't even need to charge it, but I got home after those 2 days and always charge when working at home. Incredible. Sounds like it's better than the M1 battery.
OK, but in that link it was 3 DAYS of use each 7-8 hours so total 21-24 hours of use with stlll 40% battery left. So how many hours of actual use at what screen brightness you claim getting? Give me a serious measurement.

I have a feeling some might live in a world were time and laws of physics acts differently. :D
 
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