MacBook Pro 14” M5 or MacBook Air 15”

[gigit]

In my past life as an architect (buildings, stores, real estate etc), I always used MacBook Pros — they’d usually last me 5–7 years without issue.

Now I’ve started an MBA as my (hopefully!) exit route from architecture.
So at first I considered “downgrading” to a MacBook Air.
But two things are pushing me back toward the Pro:

1. I’m extremely light-sensitive (photophobia + blue eyes).
I used a 13” Air for a few months at my last job, and my eyes felt more strained than ever.
My dry eye symptoms got worse, and I constantly felt like the screen was too harsh.
Maybe it’s not only the laptop — but the discomfort was real.

2. My MBA coursework is intense, and I use the laptop all day.
Between note-taking, following the lecturers’ slides, and sitting under hospital-style classroom lighting, it’s a visually brutal environment.
Oddly, my older iPad Pro feels more comfortable — probably the better contrast and display quality.

For context:
I won’t be doing heavy architectural software anymore, but I’ll still use Adobe (PS/AI/ID) occasionally.
My career direction is innovation, so I’ll likely use AI tools and multitask with many apps open.

So the question is: which Mac should I buy?
Part of me feels the MBP would be a long-term investment in eye comfort and durability — but maybe I’m overthinking it.
Money does matter now that I’m a student, but longevity matters too.

Also:
Is it just me, or is the 15” Air screen huge?
It seems great for multitasking, but I carry my laptop around campus all day.

Last question:
Given my photophobia, should I get Space Black/Gray or Silver?
Silver feels a bit visually “loud” to me, while darker laptops let me focus on the screen — but I know they show smudges more.

 

[Sheepish-Lord]

If you have sensitive eyes then not only is the MBP much brighter it also has high flickering PWM which might also destroy your eyes. While the MBA 15" is larger, it's lighter and less "beefy" than the MBP 14". The keyboard travel between the two is also slightly different given the thickness.

 

[gregmac19]

OP: I am baffled by your experience with the MacBook Pro versus the MacBook Air screens. What was the last MacBook Pro you used?

 

[JPack]

I'd figure out the issue with your eyes first. Both Air and Pro use the same fundamental display technology.

Honestly, for carrying around, get the 13-inch Air. Neither the 15-inch Air or 14-inch Pro are great for moving around.

 

[gigit]

Thanks everyone for the replies — just to clarify my situation a bit better:

I’m not deciding between Air vs Pro based on performance or Adobe use.

My issue is medical/physiological, not software.


I have:

• diagnosed photophobia
• dry eye / MGD
• blue eyes (higher light sensitivity)
• moderate astigmatism
• 10+ hours of daily screen use in an MBA program under very harsh LED lighting

This combination makes me extremely sensitive to:

• backlight harshness
• low contrast
• light scatter
• 60Hz flicker
• grayish blacks / IPS glow

This is why the MacBook Air’s IPS panel has prob been hard on my eyes — I used one for months and the strain was very real.

On the other hand, the mini-LED MacBook Pro (plus 120Hz ProMotion) feels noticeably softer to me, even at lower brightness, because the lighting is more evenly distributed.

So the choice isn’t about power — I don’t use heavy apps anymore.

It’s about eye comfort + long study days.

If anyone here has dealt with photophobia/astigmatism/dry eye specifically, I’d love to hear your experience comparing the two panels.

 

[gigit]

I'd figure out the issue with your eyes first. Both Air and Pro use the same fundamental display technology.

Honestly, for carrying around, get the 13-inch Air. Neither the 15-inch Air or 14-inch Pro are great for moving around.

Thanks I agree re: figuring the right glasses etc. But incorrect - as they are not remotely the same technology…

MacBook Air

• IPS LCD
• 500 nits
• 60Hz
• lower contrast
• more backlight bleed
• harsher on sensitive eyes
• harder to use comfortably at low brightness

MacBook Pro

• Mini-LED
• 1,000 nits sustained / 1,600 nits peak
• 120Hz ProMotion
• local dimming zones
• higher contrast
• softer light spectrum
• easier on photophobic users at low brightness

 

[gigit]

✓ Facts:

If you have sensitive eyes then not only is the MBP much brighter it also has high flickering PWM which might also destroy your eyes. While the MBA 15" is larger, it's lighter and less "beefy" than the MBP 14". The keyboard travel between the two is also slightly different given the thickness.

I think this is technically wrong for modern MBPs especially given my photophobia etc.

MacBook Pro (14” / 16”) – Mini-LED

• PWM frequency: ~14,880 Hz
• This is very high → your brain essentially can’t detect the flicker.
• Result: much calmer, softer, less fatiguing for sensitive eyes.
• 
  MacBook Air (13” / 15”) – IPS LCD
  
  • PWM frequency: much lower (typically a few hundred to low thousand Hz depending on brightness).
  • This is much more noticeable to:
    • photophobic users
    • dry-eye sufferers
    • migraine-prone users
    • astigmatism
    • blue-eyed people
  • Result: more strain, especially at low brightness.
    
    
    🎯 Why 14,880 Hz matters
    
    Human eyes (especially sensitive ones like mine) start perceiving discomfort from flicker below ~3,000 Hz.
    
    So:
    
    
  • Air = in the “your eyes feel it” zone
  • Pro = in the “comfort, invisible flicker” zone
  • 14,880 Hz is way above the threshold where flicker causes eye strain.
    
    

 

[gigit]

OP: I am baffled by your experience with the MacBook Pro versus the MacBook Air screens. What was the last MacBook Pro you used?

I haven’t been using laptops since 2020ish. I’ve used mostly an iPad Pro. The screen of MacBook Air that I used this year or a few months at work seemed… washed out?

 

[dmr727]

If you know the Air will cause eye strain, it sounds like you already have your answer. There already seem to be some good deals on the M5 MBP - I don't think there's a huge price differential over a 15" Air.

 

[JPack]

Thanks I agree re: figuring the right glasses etc. But incorrect - as they are not remotely the same technology…

MacBook Air

• IPS LCD
• 500 nits
• 60Hz
• lower contrast
• more backlight bleed
• harsher on sensitive eyes
• harder to use comfortably at low brightness

MacBook Pro

• Mini-LED
• 1,000 nits sustained / 1,600 nits peak
• 120Hz ProMotion
• local dimming zones
• higher contrast
• softer light spectrum
• easier on photophobic users at low brightness

If you actually understood what those features mean, you’ll realize the fundamental technology is the same.

The only difference is the backlighting. The MacBook Pro uses a high number of smaller LEDs to allow fine control over brightness for different display zones. LCD and Mini-LED use LED as the backlight. Both use the same TFT and polarizing film.

 

[JPack]

✓ Facts:

I think this is technically wrong for modern MBPs especially given my photophobia etc.

MacBook Pro (14” / 16”) – Mini-LED

• PWM frequency: ~14,880 Hz
• This is very high → your brain essentially can’t detect the flicker.
• Result: much calmer, softer, less fatiguing for sensitive eyes.
• 
  MacBook Air (13” / 15”) – IPS LCD
  • PWM frequency: much lower (typically a few hundred to low thousand Hz depending on brightness).
  • This is much more noticeable to:
    • photophobic users
    • dry-eye sufferers
    • migraine-prone users
    • astigmatism
    • blue-eyed people
  • Result: more strain, especially at low brightness.
    
    
    🎯 Why 14,880 Hz matters
    
    Human eyes (especially sensitive ones like mine) start perceiving discomfort from flicker below ~3,000 Hz.
    
    So:
    
    
  • Air = in the “your eyes feel it” zone
  • Pro = in the “comfort, invisible flicker” zone
  • 14,880 Hz is way above the threshold where flicker causes eye strain.

That reads a bit like AI slop with the bullets.

The irony is MacBook Air uses DC dimming, which means no PWM. Anyone sensitive to flickering should choose Air.