Screen Size of 14" MacBook Pro vs 15" MacBook Air

[smirking]

I'm considering upgrading my 16" M1 Pro to an M4 version. I'm contemplating going down to a 14" model to slim down the size and weight of my travel pack. In comparing different models it jumped out at me that the 14" MacBook Pro actually has more pixels than a 15" MacBook Air.

Huh? Is the screen on the 14" MacBook Pro actually larger than the screen on the 15" Air? How is it that the 14" MBP has a resolution of 3024 by 1964 pixels, but the 15" Air's resolution is 2880 by 1864 pixels?

 

[Nermal]

The pixels are smaller. You can fit more on the screen, but it's physically an inch smaller.

 

[smirking]

The pixels are smaller. You can fit more on the screen, but it's physically an inch smaller.

Oh yes. I see that now. 224 ppi vs 254 ppi.

 

[lcseds]

The pixels are smaller. You can fit more on the screen, but it's physically an inch smaller.

Two inches......

 

[NeonNights]

Be careful comparing resolutions as the scaling options play a big part in how much you can fit onscreen. Despite my M3 Max MBP 14 having a higher overall native resolution of 3024x1964, the available scaling options imply the MBA 15 will actually show more content.

I wish I had just a little more room to work with in Photoshop without having to go to the heavy 16" MBP. The MBP 14 is technically the better display, but you will fit less onscreen at virtually all MacOS scaling options compared to the MBA 15. No one is really going to use a MacBook at native spec resolution, text and icons would be uncomfortably tiny and difficult to read. Instead, MacOS offers different scaling options.

MBA 15:
- 1024 x 663
- 1280 x 828
- 1440 x 932
- 1710 x 1107 (default)
- 1920 x 1243 (more space)

MBP 14:
1024x665
1147x745
1352x878
1512x982 (default)
1800x1169 (more space)

 

[OSMac]

I ran my 15” Air at 1440x932 a step down from the default for a clean 2x integer scale. Fonts were easy to read.

The 14” Pro defaults to a 2x scale 1512x982 resulting in smaller default fonts. Of course you can tinker with font sizes in many apps or scale to a lower system resolution on the Pro but then you lose the advantages of crisp integer scaling.

 

[kp98077]

The pixels are smaller. You can fit more on the screen, but it's physically an inch smaller.

so when you are viewing emails, you will see more of that email on a 14 vs a 15?

 

[Nermal]

so when you are viewing emails, you will see more of that email on a 14 vs a 15?

The answer to that question is "it's complicated", because it depends on the scale factor. If both are set up the same then yes, you'll see more on the 14 (and the text will be smaller).

 

[Isamilis]

I read somewhere in this forum that 15” is closer to 16” while 14” is closer to 13”. I don’t have 14”, only have 15” and 13” Air, and I much prefer 15” than 13”.

 

[kp98077]

The answer to that question is "it's complicated", because it depends on the scale factor. If both are set up the same then yes, you'll see more on the 14 (and the text will be smaller).

Really? Seems like see more on 15 air …

 

[neo_cs193p]

Really? Seems like see more on 15 air …

If using the default resolution on both, the Air will show more content.
But default resolution on the Air uses non-integer scaling (slightly more blurry text), while the Pro uses integer scaling (2x) as default.
OTOH, if you want to match the non-blurriness of the Pro on the Air, you can set it to true 2x scaling (looks like 1440x932), but that will make content larger and less overall content will fit on its screen than the Pro.

Recommendation: if possible go see both at an Apple store and pick what feels better to you. They are both excellent but small trade-offs apply.