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For $270 I would get the more advanced display, increased performance, and more ports

I think it comes down to:
1. Do you really need the extra performance all the time?
2. Will you notice the screen difference for SDR contents when you're not in a pitch black room?
3. Will you be able to use the extra ports regularly enough that it warrants not also just bringing along a dongle of some sort?

For me, it's easily 15" over the 14" Pro now because:

1. 15" Air is still faster than most if not all Intel MacBook Pros. It should already be overkill for most people. It's weird to me that suddenly it's "not enough" for anyone. Sure, the UI of my app builds in 74 seconds on the 14" versus 143 seconds on the 15". I'm not going to die waiting for those extra seconds. I'm getting hours more battery life in return.

2. I don't notice the difference in screen quality, nor will I miss ProMotion. I don't game on my Mac and there's really no point in nitpicking 60fps or 120fps for scrolling an article. It's not like I'm reading the article while it's being scrolled.

3. Dongle life has been a constant since 2016 for me and so... I already have all of the dongles for everything. Even with the extra ports, I'm not getting Ethernet, nor CFExpress, which are used more by "pros" these days so there's really no point to me. Even if I were to stick with SD cards to try and use Apple's SD reader, it's limited to UHS-II speed so it's still super slow. It's like Apple provided the ports more as checkboxes to tick off rather than to actually support pros.
 
I think it comes down to:
1. Do you really need the extra performance all the time?
2. Will you notice the screen difference for SDR contents when you're not in a pitch black room?
3. Will you be able to use the extra ports regularly enough that it warrants not also just bringing along a dongle of some sort?

For me, it's easily 15" over the 14" Pro now because:

1. 15" Air is still faster than most if not all Intel MacBook Pros. It should already be overkill for most people. It's weird to me that suddenly it's "not enough" for anyone. Sure, the UI of my app builds in 74 seconds on the 14" versus 143 seconds on the 15". I'm not going to die waiting for those extra seconds. I'm getting hours more battery life in return.

2. I don't notice the difference in screen quality, nor will I miss ProMotion. I don't game on my Mac and there's really no point in nitpicking 60fps or 120fps for scrolling an article. It's not like I'm reading the article while it's being scrolled.

3. Dongle life has been a constant since 2016 for me and so... I already have all of the dongles for everything. Even with the extra ports, I'm not getting Ethernet, nor CFExpress, which are used more by "pros" these days so there's really no point to me. Even if I were to stick with SD cards to try and use Apple's SD reader, it's limited to UHS-II speed so it's still super slow. It's like Apple provided the ports more as checkboxes to tick off rather than to actually support pros.

Great points, and got a good chuckle out of #2. My CalDigit SOHO already provides HDMI/DisplayPort, USBc, USB-A, and an SD Card slot. I really don't need the extra ports on the MacBook Pro because it's simpler to use a single USBc cable to the SOHO dock.

I've experienced both the new 14" and 16" MBP and really don't want them again. It was a mistake to return my Starlight 16GB/1TB MBA but at least I've experienced the other MacBook Pros and am surer of my original choice. I could possibly get a refurb M1 Pro MBP 14 for less than a similarly-configed MBA 15 but I'd probably regret that as well, just to save a few bucks. It has been really helpful to read comments from others and I'm realizing happiness for me is the MBA 15. Thanks, all!
 
Yep, this is the truth. I placed the MBA 15 and MBP 14 side-by-side in the Apple Store (photos here), both at max brightness, and played the same demo reel. Both laptops are equally bright with non-HDR material, and honestly the 15" was more enjoyable to view than the smaller/cramped 14".

Reminds me of past TV buying decisions -- get the smaller, higher-end TV OR the bigger TV that's one-tier down. I've never regretted getting the larger "less advanced" TV, but have returned a smaller 77" LG C2 OLED before. Even with HDR I just don't see a huge difference that the MBP 14 has over the MBA 15. And, I imagine I can just connect the MBA 15 to a larger external HDR display anyways, right?

Ditto here. In the past two weeks I've returned a M2 Max MBP 16 (because it was too heavy), a MBA 15 (because I mistakenly though it couldn't do 4K editing), and a MBP 14 (because I probably don't need the M2 Max in this form factor).

After realizing I was "using Final Cut Pro wrong", I'm now undecided between buying the MBA 15 again or an M2 Pro MBP 14. I actually like the MBA 15 display better than the 14. The 15" is superb for a non-XDR display, and it's just plain more enjoyable to use and view than the 14". I don't notice the ProMotion benefits of the 14", nor do I notice it on my 12.9" 5th-gen iPad Pro (ProMotion was easily to appreciate on the Phone 13 Pro).

The decision is complicated because I will configure the MBA 15 with 16GB/1TB, which places it at $1759 (edu) vs $2029 for a 16GB/1TB base M2 Pro MBP 14. For $270 I would get the more advanced display, increased performance, and more ports, but I'm still more drawn to the MBA 15's display and I have a dock from my M1 MBA that I can reuse for additional ports. Then there's the Apple refurb M1 Pro MBP 14 options to consider. Now that we have all these options, the choice is that much more difficult to make.
I went for an MBP Pro 14" M2 with 16 gb/1tb ssd. bought it refurbished from Apple for a very nice price. When you increase the specs on the 15" MBA you begin to get into MBP territory. So, that's where I landed.
 
I went for an MBP Pro 14" M2 with 16 gb/1tb ssd. bought it refurbished from Apple for a very nice price. When you increase the specs on the 15" MBA you begin to get into MBP territory. So, that's where I landed.
Apple's pricing ladder is a pretty devious thing isn't it? No matter how you spec. a machine it always feels like just an extra couple hundred bucks will get you something way better.

(For what it's worth, I think you're going to be very happy with the 14" MBP.)
 
Apple's pricing ladder is a pretty devious thing isn't it? No matter how you spec. a machine it always feels like just an extra couple hundred bucks will get you something way better.

(For what it's worth, I think you're going to be very happy with the 14" MBP.)
Thank you. I think so too. :)
 
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Yep, this is the truth. I placed the MBA 15 and MBP 14 side-by-side in the Apple Store (photos here), both at max brightness, and played the same demo reel. Both laptops are equally bright with non-HDR material, and honestly the 15" was more enjoyable to view than the smaller/cramped 14".

Reminds me of past TV buying decisions -- get the smaller, higher-end TV OR the bigger TV that's one-tier down. I've never regretted getting the larger "less advanced" TV, but have returned a smaller 77" LG C2 OLED before. Even with HDR I just don't see a huge difference that the MBP 14 has over the MBA 15. And, I imagine I can just connect the MBA 15 to a larger external HDR display anyways, right?

Ditto here. In the past two weeks I've returned a M2 Max MBP 16 (because it was too heavy), a MBA 15 (because I mistakenly though it couldn't do 4K editing), and a MBP 14 (because I probably don't need the M2 Max in this form factor).

After realizing I was "using Final Cut Pro wrong", I'm now undecided between buying the MBA 15 again or an M2 Pro MBP 14. I actually like the MBA 15 display better than the 14. The 15" is superb for a non-XDR display, and it's just plain more enjoyable to use and view than the 14". I don't notice the ProMotion benefits of the 14", nor do I notice it on my 12.9" 5th-gen iPad Pro (ProMotion was easily to appreciate on the Phone 13 Pro).

The decision is complicated because I will configure the MBA 15 with 16GB/1TB, which places it at $1759 (edu) vs $2029 for a 16GB/1TB base M2 Pro MBP 14. For $270 I would get the more advanced display, increased performance, and more ports, but I'm still more drawn to the MBA 15's display and I have a dock from my M1 MBA that I can reuse for additional ports. Then there's the Apple refurb M1 Pro MBP 14 options to consider. Now that we have all these options, the choice is that much more difficult to make.
I also was conflicted in this decision but I don't need the extra ports since I have a Studio Mac as my main. I did max out the RAM at 24 (half my work is done using a VM) and got 1 TB SSD which also made it about a $300 difference between the 15 and the 14 MBP. I won't receive the 15 until Tuesday so I'll see what I think then, but for me I needed the extra screen and it is thinner. Although it doesn't weigh much less than the MBP 14, I've read that it feels lighter to carry around because of how the weight is distributed.
 
Its just such a no brainer decision IMO to get the MBA 15 over the 16 pro for most people, its so light! I am hopeful apple in the future will make the pros as light! :)
 
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Yep, this is the truth. I placed the MBA 15 and MBP 14 side-by-side in the Apple Store (photos here), both at max brightness, and played the same demo reel. Both laptops are equally bright with non-HDR material, and honestly the 15" was more enjoyable to view than the smaller/cramped 14".

Reminds me of past TV buying decisions -- get the smaller, higher-end TV OR the bigger TV that's one-tier down. I've never regretted getting the larger "less advanced" TV, but have returned a smaller 77" LG C2 OLED before. Even with HDR I just don't see a huge difference that the MBP 14 has over the MBA 15. And, I imagine I can just connect the MBA 15 to a larger external HDR display anyways, right?

Ditto here. In the past two weeks I've returned a M2 Max MBP 16 (because it was too heavy), a MBA 15 (because I mistakenly though it couldn't do 4K editing), and a MBP 14 (because I probably don't need the M2 Max in this form factor).

After realizing I was "using Final Cut Pro wrong", I'm now undecided between buying the MBA 15 again or an M2 Pro MBP 14. I actually like the MBA 15 display better than the 14. The 15" is superb for a non-XDR display, and it's just plain more enjoyable to use and view than the 14". I don't notice the ProMotion benefits of the 14", nor do I notice it on my 12.9" 5th-gen iPad Pro (ProMotion was easily to appreciate on the Phone 13 Pro).

The decision is complicated because I will configure the MBA 15 with 16GB/1TB, which places it at $1759 (edu) vs $2029 for a 16GB/1TB base M2 Pro MBP 14. For $270 I would get the more advanced display, increased performance, and more ports, but I'm still more drawn to the MBA 15's display and I have a dock from my M1 MBA that I can reuse for additional ports. Then there's the Apple refurb M1 Pro MBP 14 options to consider. Now that we have all these options, the choice is that much more difficult to make.
Thanks a ton to the poster who put up the side-by-side photos. Greatly appreciated....!!!! I have a 14 m1 MBP and I'm waffling. If I keep the 14 IMHO, the M1 is fine. I'd spend the extra $270 on Applecare.
 
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So these are awful shots, and I apologize for that, but I went back to the Apple Store for Comparison Round II. Really want to avoid any returns because I make a lot of them and always feel guilty when I do.

Anyway, think the 15” MBA is stealing my heart; it just feels way more expansive vs. the MBP 14” than the numbers would suggest. And the scaling ends up making a massive difference on some websites.
 
OP, I am about to be in the exact same situation as you - I own a 14" MBP and have a 15" MBA on order.

I went into my local Apple Store to try to see the 15" Air just out of curiosity, because it's a product I've thought Apple should make for a really long time and I was excited to see it come to fruition. I loooooove the mini-LED and ProMotion on my MBP, so I didn't anticipate putting any serious thought into switching, but when I saw it in person... Wow! The screen looks considerably larger than the 14"'s, and it's beautiful. Enough of a significant difference in screen real estate to make me consider one.

It's funny, when you look at a DisplayWars comparison of the 14" MBP vs. 15" MBA they really don't look significantly different. And "16% larger area" doesn't sound like all *that* much. But again, the difference in person was noticeably discernible. Keep us posted with what your decision ultimately ends up being.
View attachment 2221073
Hmm... It seems like the 14-inch MacBook Pro has more screen real estate than the 15-inch MacBook Air. Is that correct?
 
View attachment 2222429View attachment 2222430View attachment 2222428So these are awful shots, and I apologize for that, but I went back to the Apple Store for Comparison Round II. Really want to avoid any returns because I make a lot of them and always feel guilty when I do.

Anyway, think the 15” MBA is stealing my heart; it just feels way more expansive vs. the MBP 14” than the numbers would suggest. And the scaling ends up making a massive difference on some websites.
These pictures have tipped me towards getting the MacBook Air 15. The screen real estate is really impressive! Thank you.
 
Except, no you can’t. The 1600 nits peak brightness is ONLY used for HDR content. Which means only while watching HDR videos.

When doing anything else on the laptop - surfing, working, etc - the MBP14” is limited to 500 nits, just like the new MBA. So exactly the same brightness.

The higher nits are only for tv and movie watching.
There are several apps which will let you access the full brightness. I don’t use it for extended periods of time, but it’s great for working outside.
 
View attachment 2222429View attachment 2222430View attachment 2222428So these are awful shots, and I apologize for that, but I went back to the Apple Store for Comparison Round II. Really want to avoid any returns because I make a lot of them and always feel guilty when I do.

Anyway, think the 15” MBA is stealing my heart; it just feels way more expansive vs. the MBP 14” than the numbers would suggest. And the scaling ends up making a massive difference on some websites.
How do they compare when viewed at an angle, not straight on?
 
Something looks off. The GUI elements on the 14" looks slightly larger than the 15", maybe the resolution settings have not maxed out on the 14"?

Or is it because of the notch's height?
 
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Something looks off. The GUI elements on the 14" looks slightly larger than the 15", maybe the resolution settings have not maxed out on the 14"?

Or is it because of the notch's height?
They are both set to their default scaling settings. That does end up giving the 14” larger elements. The next scaling setting up (more res) on the 14” makes the elements way too small, IMO. It’s a big jump.
 
On these pictures, pro 14 looks like a winner to me. Yes more things are seen on the 15, but pictures and text are larger and more sharp on the pro 14.
 
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Screen real estate and weight distribution on the 15'' Air make it such a winner for me. I'm just doing office work and it is my dream office computer by being both large enough that I can put all of my reports, spreadsheets, etc. up in a single workspace with ease but still light enough that I don't mind toting it around at work all day long.

I wasn't even slightly tempted by the Pro series. I would have been content with my 13'' Air until the 15'' Air came along. I imagine a lot of people are really going to appreciate having a really nice premium computer for office work. Just because I don't need much performance doesn't mean I want to be doing my work on some junkie plastic Dell Inspiron.
 
View attachment 2222429View attachment 2222430View attachment 2222428So these are awful shots, and I apologize for that, but I went back to the Apple Store for Comparison Round II. Really want to avoid any returns because I make a lot of them and always feel guilty when I do.

Anyway, think the 15” MBA is stealing my heart; it just feels way more expansive vs. the MBP 14” than the numbers would suggest. And the scaling ends up making a massive difference on some websites.
I know a lot of people make this comparison because of the close price when equalising specs, but to me these two just aren't competitors. The 14" is still ultimately a 13" class machine. It offers a bit more on screen room, but it's not a full-size laptop experience. If there is competition between the Pro and Air machines, the 16" is the real competitor, and the price is astronomical compared to the 15"...

Also no one seems to recognise that if you actually equalise the price, you can almost get the 24GB/1TB Air over the 16GB/512GB Pro, which is a real world benefit people might very well value over the display gubbins and extra GPU power.
 
I will say I was using a 16" yesterday, and while the screen was just amazing to look at it definitely felt like a pain to have on my lap and I can see how it'd be annoying to lug around when traveling. I also find the keyboard is just a little too big for my hands or just in general. Perhaps I'm just used to typing on my 13" now, but the 13/14" models could definitely be more tight for typing at times too. Definitely a worry for me with the 15", could lean into that "slightly too big" category for me these days, has me eyeballing the 14" although I never thought I would until recently.
 
They are both set to their default scaling settings. That does end up giving the 14” larger elements.

On these pictures, pro 14 looks like a winner to me. Yes more things are seen on the 15, but pictures and text are larger and more sharp on the pro 14.

Oh, no! Other people were reporting that things (text, GUI, etc.) appear LARGER on the 15” and that it would be better for aging eyes or those with viewing difficulties.

This now suggests it's the opposite! I better dig up other comparisons…

One other visual issue is PWM — present in the 14” and presumably absent in the 15” — although we're awaiting a Notebook Check review of that.
 
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