Hi, I have never used an Air. Got turned off when I tried the small screen in the store. Now that the up-coming model will have 15.5" screen, besides the screen slightly smaller than the 16" MacBook Pro M2 Pro 2023 and lighter to be called Air, what else could be different?
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What would be the difference between 15.5" Air 2023 and 16" MacBook Pro 2023?
- Thread starter hajime
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Just compare the current Air to the 16" and you'll notice the main differences immediately, less performance, less upgrade options, worse quality display that has neither 120Hz nor HDR capabilities, and so on.
The 15" Air will be to the 16" what the current 13" Air is to the 14".
The 15" Air will be to the 16" what the current 13" Air is to the 14".
I remember when the current Air was released, some users complained about screen quality issues such as backlight. I called Apple to check if they were aware of the issues and they said that there were issues with earlier batches and they fixed the problems. He assured that if I buy one, I would not have such issue. Not sure if it is true as I know a lot of Apple employees have no idea what they are talking about.
Later I read user reviews saying that the screen of the current Air is very good. Could also be that even the screen is not that good, they have lower expectations and rated the screen highly.
One good thing about the Air is that it has more color variations. I am tired of silver after using MacBook Pro in this color for over 20 years and space gray is not my cup of tea.
Later I read user reviews saying that the screen of the current Air is very good. Could also be that even the screen is not that good, they have lower expectations and rated the screen highly.
One good thing about the Air is that it has more color variations. I am tired of silver after using MacBook Pro in this color for over 20 years and space gray is not my cup of tea.
Production issues aside (which I assume Apple has fixed by now), the Air has an empirically lower quality screen compared to the Pro. The screen on the Air is 60 Hz vs 120 Hz on the Pro. The Pro screen can also display HDR content while the Air screen cannot. On the processor side, the Air will have a slower chip that is passively cooled (no fan). So it will be slower in normal use and may throttle under heavy load compared to the Pro. That being said, the M2 chip in the Air is more than fast enough for regular computing tasks (web, email, spreadsheets, etc). The Pro will have more ports, bigger battery, and more upgrade options at purchase. But, it will also be heavier than the Air.
Bottom line: if you value sustained performance and/or having the nicest screen and don’t mind a heavier computer and spending more, get the Pro. If you value having the lightest and thinnest computer of its size class, get the 15” Air when it’s announced. It will still be a good machine for many tasks and you’ll save money over the Pro.
Bottom line: if you value sustained performance and/or having the nicest screen and don’t mind a heavier computer and spending more, get the Pro. If you value having the lightest and thinnest computer of its size class, get the 15” Air when it’s announced. It will still be a good machine for many tasks and you’ll save money over the Pro.
Basically, performance and display. The 15.5-inch model won't offer:
1. Mini-LED display with 120 Hz
2. M2 Max with up to 96GB RAM
3. Six speakers
4. HDMI port, SD reader
5. Heavy weight
15.5-inch MacBook Plus will offer M2 Pro with active cooling and should weigh a bit less due to smaller battery and chassis.
1. Mini-LED display with 120 Hz
2. M2 Max with up to 96GB RAM
3. Six speakers
4. HDMI port, SD reader
5. Heavy weight
15.5-inch MacBook Plus will offer M2 Pro with active cooling and should weigh a bit less due to smaller battery and chassis.
Yes, I think so. M2 Pro consumes up to 35W so I can't see how passive cooling would be sufficient.
lol i don't trust apple employee with anything, most of them have borderline knowledge thats enough to sway your regular avg joe.
the backlight disparity and bleed is still evident even today. nothing changed, i haven't seen one m2 mba with a perfect uniformity. just take a look at couple threads here and you get the gist.
If they do indeed offer it with an M2 Pro option, that unlocks multi-monitor support. Sneaky-good upgrade for those of us wanting that.
I have said this before, but Apple had the size and weight nailed down with the 15” MBP from 2016-2018. If they can recreate this (but modernized) I will instantly purchase. In my opinion, every 16” model since then has been too heavy.
I have said this before, but Apple had the size and weight nailed down with the 15” MBP from 2016-2018. If they can recreate this (but modernized) I will instantly purchase. In my opinion, every 16” model since then has been too heavy.