Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

M2 MacBook Air vs M1 Pro MacBook Pro 14”


  • Total voters
    473
I noticed my MacBook Pro gets warm by streaming 2 4k videos on 2 different monitors while having mail, WhatsApp, safari, and few other apps...this is just casual use....and doing the same on the Air (4k video steaming with 5-6 apps open) will make the M1 16GB Air warm.... is this normal for the M1/M1 pro chip? I consider this casual use (YouTube, Facebook, WhatsApp)
 
I did the same on my Surface Laptop 3 (Spotify, YouTube, a dozen chrome tabs, and the fan sounds like a jet engine)...how the hell do people get by on 8 gigs of ram? all 3 of my laptops are running 16GB of ram with newer intel/apple chips? is it my Dell U2718 external monitor eating ram? the 4k video streaming? having WhatsApp, and dozens of chrome/safari tabs open? social media like Facebook/Instagram?
 
You know as I lie in bed thinking about it, the new MacBook Air is way superior to a pro machine from 3 years ago.

In 2019 we would have died to have this new air as the 13” MacBook Pro. And look at how pro the 14” is now.

Gotta love our choices now!
 
The value prop is a good point. Now that the M2 MacBook Air has entered the scene it's really thrown some for a loop. So what do you, dear readers, value more?
  • A larger display with mini LED and ProMotion, better overall performance, better speakers, an additional Thunderbolt 4 port, HDMI out, and an SD card reader?
—OR—
  • A thinner, lighter more portable notebook with good overall performance, good speakers, better battery life, more finish options, and is less expensive?
What are you going to be doing with it? Do you need all of what the 14" MacBook Pro offers?

With its combination of features, design, & price, the MacBook Air is going to be a more accessible, more popular computer. You have to ask yourself if you're leaning 14" MacBook Pro, are all of these extra features necessary for what you'll be using it for? If not, save some cash & get the Air.
Fully agree. I have no need for the additional power, extra Thunderbolt 4 port, HDMI-out, SD card reader or better speakers; the only 14" Pro feature of interest to me that the M2 Air lacks is the better screen. I'd much rather have the Air's lower weight and volume than the better screen, and save several hundred dollars, to boot.

I nearly bought the base 14" Pro when it was on sale at Costco for $1,749 a few months ago. I'm very glad I didn't. With education pricing (wife is a teacher), I'll buy a M2 Air with the same amount of RAM (16 GB) and twice the storage (1 TB, which will actually be very useful), while saving $90 vs. Costco's sale price, and won't have to deal with the extra weight of the 14" Pro.
 
the 3 best platforms to find a good deal:

1. Facebook Market Place
2. Ebay
3. Swappa

14 inch Pro = ($1500-$1650 open box/mint condition with low cycles) this is a docked powerhouse workstation with many ports and support for dual monitors..to me this is the computer apple created for office professionals as every desk in my office has dual dell monitors with thunderbolt cables and since we use Office 365 for our shared drives/excel...I can do all my work from my Air or Pro..but much rather type on the Pro all day

13 inch Air = ($600-$750 base model vs high end configuration $1300-$1500) ultralight portable for business trips/take on leisure vacations/surf the internet on bed/couch...I went with the high end configuration but I could have gotten away with the base model as I no longer dock this as a desktop and mostly use it as a media/internet machine so in that case the 1 TB is great since I have stored my music collection/movies/video games

I just can't find value in the new Air since its a hybrid of my two Macs...it will probably have a slightly better display/speakers but if I do end up buying one..it would be so difficult for me to decide if I want to part with the MacBook Air M1 or MacBook Pro M1 Pro since having both is the perfect combo and this M2 Air is a hybrid of my 2 computers...I guess I could sell both and do a 24GB Ram/2 TB SSD but I much prefer having a docked M1 Pro laptop and an Air as a portable laptop
6BC4DC72-2DC8-4AE7-B5AD-A8884785012B.jpeg
 
Last edited:
From 0.44 to 0.61 is a 39% increase in thickness - definitely noticeable.
honestly on my desk...I really don't notice the size difference between the Air/14 inch Pro..its only when I lift the computers up or put it in a suitcase that I notice the extra weight and size...and look how noticeable the extra brightness/bigger screen/bigger trackpad is...the built in speakers in the MacBook Pro are so loud and sound amazing that it even puts my 2 Bose Companion speakers to shame...I only hook them up when I dock my M1 MacBook Air
 
every employee desk at my office has a hp business ultrabook that has an i7/32gb ram that is connected via thunderbolt to dock...when connected.. the desk mouse/keyboard work and it turns into a full desktop with dual monitors/ful keyboard and optical mouse

when docking my MacBook Pro at the office via thunderbolt everything works perfect (keyboard, mouse, dual displays come on)...its brighter, sharper, scrolling is smoother, pictures on website look way better, text looks bolder and better...excel/outlook load instantly

shouldn't 4k 60 look the same regardless of the computer? why is there such a big image gap using my work laptop and my MacBook Pro... graphics card? operating system? is the port on my MacBook better than my work laptop usb c connection?
 
shouldn't 4k 60 look the same regardless of the computer?
It is just a difference in color profiles applied to the display by your computer. Under normal circumstances, both computers can be made to the single reference calibration point by tinkering the settings.
 
If you will have any use for 8 performance cores then get the 14” MBP.

If 4 performance cores will do, get the M2 MBA.

I’m running real-time audio FX in Cubase, so twice the number of performance cores is a benefit.

If I was just using productivity apps, internet and InDesign I’d stick with the MBA and get Midnight Blue!
 
  • Like
Reactions: Obi Wan Kenobi
The difference is obviously noticeable when you hold it in your hands and more generally carry it.
Not enough to make the 14" unpleasant. .7 lbs is noticeable side by side but not enough to change how anyone uses or transports the machine. The better screen actually makes the 14" more robust in more settings such as outside.
 
Why do you tubers keep bringing up if you need the power then buy the Pro… I bought the 14 inch for causal use because the display is simply jaw dropping.. the speakers sound better than any portable device I ever owned.. that justified my purchase.. the Air is using the same display that was in the 2013 MacBook Pro
 
  • Like
Reactions: Devyn89
I've been in a similar dilemma because I really want a lighter/more portable machine. My 16 inch is great but it is a pain to travel with. It's not that it's heavy or bulky by itself, it just adds when stuffed in a bag with other things and it's a bit too unwieldy for an airplane tray.

I love the airs, and they're much more powerful than people give them credit for, but I ultimately decided to go with the 14 inch pro after playing around with various screen sizes in the store.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Obi Wan Kenobi
Why do you tubers keep bringing up if you need the power then buy the Pro… I bought the 14 inch for causal use because the display is simply jaw dropping.. the speakers sound better than any portable device I ever owned.. that justified my purchase.. the Air is using the same display that was in the 2013 MacBook Pro
I just bought a 16" yesterday for casual use, mainly for the display/speakers. Not that the standard LED LCD displays are "bad", but the ProMotion and absolute blacks are worth the premium (to me).
 
my last apple purchase was in 2013 on the MacBook Pro Retina.. I think it was close to $2000 at the time but the display was jaw dropping and my friends were telling me how good the MacBook Air was in 2013

It’s like deja vu and for me again and I remember exactly why I passed up the much cheaper MacBook Air at the time… it was using a crappy display I had in my 2009 MacBook Pro…

The current MacBook Air is still just using a regular retina screen… the mini led will take another 5-10 years to trickle down to their budget (air) product line

I wonder if the MacBook Pro will get an 8k 240 hz OLED in 5-10 years from now and apple will call it something stupid like Ultra Retina or Retina Max
 
I just bought a 16" yesterday for casual use, mainly for the display/speakers. Not that the standard LED LCD displays are "bad", but the ProMotion and absolute blacks are worth the premium (to me).
Exactly… I think having an industry leading display with gorgeous deep blacks, HDR, and a built in sound system that puts my $150 Bose companion ii to shame.. deeper highs.. balanced base… Apple really outdid themselves…

The faster SSD, MagSafe, all the extra ports, the power is just a bonus of getting the best sensory experience on a portable device…

I still remember going back and forth mentally at the Apple store in 2013 because the apple store employe was telling me the $1200 MacBook Air is incredibly snappy with the ssd and gets like 10+ hours of battery life and is perfect for my “casual” needs and when I saw the very first 13 inch Retina Mac at “$2200” with its excellent port selection, 8-10 hours of battery life, the best display and speakers at the time.. I went with the premium option and used it almost 10 years.. and when I finally sold it for $300 4 months ago … there wasn’t a scratch or dent on it… it was my daily driver for nearly a decade and still looked the same from the day I got it… I will never buy a laptop from any other brand because Apple’s build quality/durability is unmatched
 
IMHO M2 MBA is not worth the money when specced similar to base 14.2" MBP, everything aside from battery life and weight, tho both being only slight improvements, is worse on M2 MBA than on 14.2" MBP.
 
  • Like
Reactions: DENZIE
If the M2 Air has a better screen than the base model Pro then I will highly consider it.

If it doesn’t or if it’s not a substantial improvement over the base MacBook Pro M1 screen I’ll just get the Pro 2020.
 
If the M2 Air has a better screen than the base model Pro then I will highly consider it.

If it doesn’t or if it’s not a substantial improvement over the base MacBook Pro M1 screen I’ll just get the Pro 2020.
OP is debating over the 14 Pro. Also, until we get reviews for the MBA and MBP M2, we have to wait as to passing judgement of display.
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.