Apple at the moment sells two laptop computer strains: the MacBook Professional and MacBook Air. The MacBook Professional comes with a 14-inch or 16-inch show and the MacBook Air has both a 13.6-inch or a 15-inch show. And amongst these fashions are an excellent wider vary of specs.
On this article, we’re involved with the Mac laptops greatest suited to common use: dwelling, scholar, and workplace work. There are 14- and 16-inch MacBook Professional fashions powered by M3 Professional or M3 Max chips which might be higher suited to professional customers and have a lot greater costs, and so they aren’t included right here. However if you’re considering your wants would possibly lengthen a little bit additional on the professional facet, you might have an interest to learn Which MacBook Pro or our guide to all of Apple’s laptops.
We’ll be contemplating the next equally specced Mac laptops:
- 13.6-inch MacBook Air, M2 (launched July 2022)
- 13.6-inch MacBook Air, M3 (launched March 2024)
- 14-inch MacBook Professional, M3 (launched October 2023)
- 15-inch MacBook Air, M3 (launched March 2024)
For recommendation about the perfect MacBook, we even have a shopping for information, see: Best MacBook 2023: Which Mac laptop is best? Curious concerning the M3 MacBook Air? Learn: M3 MacBook Air: Everything you need to know.
MacBook Air vs MacBook Professional in contrast
Listed below are the 4 Mac laptops which have our consideration. We’ll examine design, specs, shows, worth and different options under.
1. Apple 13-inch MacBook Air (M2, 2022)
Value When Reviewed:
Dès 1 299 €
2. 13-inch MacBook Air M3 (2024)
4. 15-Inch MacBook Air M3 (2024)
MacBook Air vs MacBook Professional: Design
When Apple revealed its new design for the MacBook Air in June 2022 you would have been forgiven for considering you had been taking a look at a MacBook Professional. Gone is the tapered edge for which the Air was well-known for, changed with a extra uniform design. The MacBook Air continues to be thinner–albeit fractionally–however additionally it is very barely bigger than the previous model of the Air, due to the larger display.
Wanting on the display you’ll discover the opposite evident distinction within the new design: the MacBook Air has a notch just like the one which’s additionally seen on the 14- and 16-inch MacBook Professional and iPhones. This allows the larger display and conceals a significantly better FaceTime digicam, so it’s not a foul factor, though some folks don’t like notches.
In case you miss that tapered design that made the MacBook Air immediately identifiable it’s nonetheless accessible for those who purchase the M1 model of the MacBook Air. Apple now not sells this mannequin as a brand new laptop computer, however limited M1 MacBook Air inventory is available in the Apple Certified Refurbished Store.
If a 13.6-inch display isn’t sufficiently big for you, Apple added a 15.3-inch MacBook Air to the lineup in June 2023. This mannequin appears to be like an identical to the 13.6-inch MacBook Air, and shares (principally) the identical specs, it’s simply greater.
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The 14-inch MacBook Professional is a bit chunkier and heavier than the 15-inch MacBook Air because of the followers wanted for warmth dissipation, whereas the Air is, unsurprisingly, wider and taller, due to the larger show.
Each fashions have a Contact ID sensor constructed into the keyboard, 1080p FaceTime HD cameras, and six-speaker arrays (the 13-inch Air solely has a four-speaker sound system). The sound on the MacBook Professional is described by Apple as “Excessive Constancy,” by which we assume Apple is indicating it’s superior to the Air. Connectivity is by way of Bluetooth 5.3 and Wi-Fi 6E.
One other distinction between these MacBooks is the colour selections. There are 4 shade selections for the 13-inch MacBook Air and the 15-inch MacBook Air: Midnight (darkish blue), Starlight (gold), House Grey and Silver. The Starlight shade is paler gold, whereas Midnight is near black with a darkish blue hue.
The 14-inch MacBook Professional with M3 presents solely Silver and House Grey choices. If in case you have the funds for a 14-inch MacBook Professional with M3 Professional or M3 Max a House Black shade replaces House Grey.
Apple
MacBook Air vs MacBook Professional: Dimensions
The 13-inch MacBook Air is lighter than the 14-inch MacBook Professional, as you’d anticipate, however the 15-inch MacBook Air can also be lighter than the 14-inch MacBook Professional.
- 14-inch MacBook Professional, M3: 3.4 kilos (1.55 kg)
- 15-inch MacBook Air, M3: 3.3 kilos (1.51kg)
- 13-inch MacBook Air, M3: 2.7 kilos (1.24kg)
Apple
The 15-inch MacBook Air is the biggest of the M3 laptops however as a result of it’s thinner, it weighs lower than the Professional. The 13-inch MacBook Air dimensions aren’t so much smaller than these of the 14-inch MacBook Air.
- 15-inch MacBook Air, M3: 13.40 x 9.35 x 0.45 inches (34.04 x 23.76 x 1.15cm)
- 14-inch MacBook Professional, M3: 12.31 x 8.71 x 0.61 inches (31.26cm x 22.12cm x 1.55cm)
- 13-inch MacBook Air, M3: 11.97 x 8.46 x 0.44 inches (30.41 x 21.5 x 1.13cm)
MacBook Air vs MacBook Professional: Show
Listed below are the specs at a look:
- 13-inch MacBook Air M3: 13.6 inches diagonal, 2,560 by 1,664 pixels
- 14-inch MacBook Professional M3: 14.2 inches diagonal, 3,024 by 1,964 pixels
- 15-inch MacBook Air M3: 15.3 inches diagonal, 2,880 by 1,864 pixels
The MacBook Air has both a 15.3-inch or a 13.6-inch Liquid Retina show. The MacBook Professional comes with a superior 14.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR panel. The display on the Air is a bit greater, however the picture high quality is not so good as the display on the MacBook Professional–it nonetheless appears to be like nice, although.
The 15-inch Air’s show runs at a decision of two,880 by 1,864, whereas the 13-inch presents 2,560 by 1,664. Each Airs have a most brightness of 500 nits, which is half of the Professional’s 1,000 nits in regular use, or a 3rd for those who’re working HDR content material at a max of 1,600 nits. That is achieved by the Professional show incorporating mini-LEDs moderately than the Air’s commonplace LCD display.
Maybe the largest distinction although is that the Professional options ProMotion, which means that the refresh fee tops out at 120Hz, once more double that of the Air’s 60Hz refresh fee. This helps hold scrolling and animations clean and crisp. Any of those shows shall be nice for on a regular basis use and lengthy hours of labor, however the Professional has the sting in the case of options.
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MacBook Air vs MacBook Professional: Specs
All of Apple’s laptops are powered by Apple’s silicon. Amidst the MacBook Air and MacBook Professional choices are two generations of chip: the M2 within the $999 13.6-inch MacBook Air, an M3 within the 13.6-inch and 15-inch Air fashions, and an M3 within the 14-inch MacBook Professional that we’re contemplating right here (there are additionally M3 Professional and M3 Max MacBook Professional choices for individuals who want extra energy). To be taught extra about all of the Mac processors learn our Mac processor comparison and see how the M3 stacks up against all of Apple’s chips.
That is how the specs within the numerous MacBook Air and the 14-inch MacBook Professional commonplace configurations examine:
| MacEbook | Value | CPU | GPU | Reminiscence | SSD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13.6-inch MacBook Air, M2 (2022) | $999/£999 | 8-core, M2 | 8-core, M2 | 8GB (as much as 24GB) | 256GB SSD |
| 13.6-inch MacBook Air, M3 (2024) | $1,099/£1,099 | 8-core, M3 | 8-core, M3 | 8GB (as much as 24GB) | 256GB SSD |
| 13.6-inch MacBook Air, M3 (2024) | $1,299/£1,299 | 8-core, M3 | 10-core, M3 | 8GB (as much as 24GB) | 512GB SSD |
| 13.6-inch MacBook Air, M3 (2024) | $1,499/£1,499 | 8-core, M3 | 10-core, M3 | 16GB (as much as 24GB) | 512GB SSD |
| 15-inch MacBook Air, M3 (2024) | $1,299/£1,299 | 8-core, M3 | 10-core, M3 | 8GB (as much as 24GB) | 256GB SSD |
| 15-inch MacBook Air, M3 (2024) | $1,499/£1,499 | 8-core, M3 | 10-core, M3 | 8GB (as much as 24GB) | 512GB SSD |
| 15-inch MacBook Air, M3 (2024) | $1,699/£1,699 | 8-core, M3 | 10-core, M3 | 16GB (as much as 24GB) | 512GB SSD |
| 14-inch MacBook Professional, M3 (2023) | $1,599/£1,699 | 8-core, M3 | 10-core, M3 | 8GB (as much as 24GB) | 512GB SSD |
| 14-inch MacBook Professional, M3 (2023) | $1,799/£1,899 | 8-core, M3 | 10-core, M3 | 8GB (as much as 24GB) | 1TB SSD |
| 14-inch MacBook Professional, M3 (2023) | $1,999/£2,099 | 8-core, M3 | 10-core, M3 | 16GB (as much as 24GB) | 1TB SSD |
There are additionally M3 Professional and M3 Max MacBook Professional fashions that we talk about in our MacBook Pro comparison.
In case you glace on the specs above, the closest comparability is between the $1,499/£1,499 15-inch MacBook Air and the $1,599/£1,699 14-inch MacBook Professional. The additional cash for the MacBook Professional features a higher show, an HDMI port, an SDXC Card slot, and built-in followers to chill the laptop computer so it could keep efficiency on lengthy duties. You could or could not want these options.
With a smaller funds the 13.6-inch MacBook Air, M2 (2022) appears to be like like deal at $999/£999. The primary downside with this machine is the smaller SSD, not simply because it’s smaller, but additionally as a result of the 256GB SSDs are identified to be slower. It nonetheless could be a good selection regardless of the SSD, as a result of that in all probability received’t matter to you if the apps you employ aren’t incessantly writing to the laborious drive.
There are different components that may decelerate the MacBook Air although. As a result of the Air is compact and fanless it’s much less capable of handle warmth, and due to this fact could run slower for those who actually push it. If it’s energy you want then the benchmarks give a clearer image:
As you may see from the scores above, the M3 shoots forward of the M2 and M1, in actual fact it even scores above one configuration of the M1 Professional. However, if you really want a strong machine you would possibly need to take a look at the M3 Professional MacBook Professional or store round for a M2 Professional MacBook Professional which it’s doubtless will stay on sale for a while although Apple has discontinued that mannequin.
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RAM
All of the MacBooks showcased above include 8GB of Unified Reminiscence at their base configuration. The M1 supported as much as 16GB reminiscence, whereas the M2 and M3 chip carry an choice to improve to 24GB RAM. In case you want extra reminiscence than that that you must look to the M3 Professional and M3 Max, which may help 36GB within the case of the M3 Professional and as much as 128GB for the M3 Max.
We suggest that, whichever mannequin you purchase, you improve your MacBook to 16GB Unified Reminiscence for those who can afford to. Our recommendation is to get as a lot RAM as you may afford as you may’t improve it later.
Storage
Apple presents a 256GB storage possibility on the entry-level for each the 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air. The entry-level MacBook Professional begins at 512GB.
There are some issues about this 256GB SSD, with stories that its SSD is as much as 50 percent slower on learn speeds and 30 % on write speeds. We discovered that these observations had been certainly true after we ran our personal set of exams utilizing Blackmagic Disk Speed Test. This will matter if you’re utilizing apps that entry the SSD usually, however it could not make a distinction in typical use. For that reason, for those who can afford a 512GB mannequin we suggest that.
MacBook Air vs MacBook Professional: Battery life and charging
In terms of battery life these Macs are miles forward of the previous Intel MacBook fashions. Based on Apple, the MacBook Air presents 18 hours battery life, whereas the 14-inch MacBook Professional presents an incredible 22 hours (the identical because the 16-inch MacBook Professional).
In our personal testing, the 13.6-inch MacBook Air battery lasted 17.5 hours, outstripping the M1 MacBook Air and M2 MacBook Professional by nearly an hour and a half. The 15-inch MacBook Air battery lasted an excellent higher 19 hours in our exams.
In common each day use, battery life is simply as nice. It’s a bizarre feeling, opening up your laptop computer and doing work for 20 minutes and seeing that the battery proportion hasn’t modified even a single %, however that’s how it’s with Apple silicon. Clearly, battery life varies based mostly on what you’re doing, however for this laptop computer’s goal market–the on a regular basis dwelling and productiveness consumer–it’s laborious to assume that you simply’ll ever must cost up earlier than the day is completed.
It’s not simply how lengthy the battery lasts that issues, but additionally the charging velocity. Charging could be quick for those who use USB-C energy adapter. A regular 35W dual-port adapter can obtain a ten % cost in 10 minutes (30 % in half-hour). Apple’s 61W USB-C Energy Adapter will increase this to 72 % cost in half-hour. See our comparison test of Apple’s M2 MacBook Air chargers in addition to the best USB-C charger for your MacBook.
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MacBook Air vs MacBook Professional: Ports and growth
Through the years it’s felt like Apple has been on a mission to take away ports from Macs in an effort to make them slimmer and slimmer. This has been an obstacle for a lot of, though typically for those who want extra or completely different ports you may simply plug in an adapter or a dock (learn: Best USB-C hubs and adapters for Mac).
The older M1 MacBook Air presents solely two USB 4 ports two USB/Thunderbolt ports, so a type of may also be used for charging (as was additionally the case with the 13-inch MacBook Professional). With the arrival of the 2022 MacBook Air, Apple added a MagSafe charging port thereby releasing up the 2 USB ports so one doesn’t must be given over to charging (the additionally applies to the 15-inch mannequin).
The MacBook Professional options much more ports. On this model of the 14-inch MacBook Professional, you get the identical two Thunderbolt/USB 4 ports, a MagSafe charging port, and a 3.5mm headphone jack as you do on the MacBook Air, however the Professional additionally presents HDMI and SDXC ports that the Air doesn’t have.
In case you want extra ports there’s an extra Thunderbolt 4/USB-C port on the M3 Professional and M3 Max variations of the MacBook Professional.
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MacBook Air vs MacBook Professional: Audio and digicam
The MacBook Air and the M3 MacBook Professional supply a 1080p FaceTime digicam, which is superior to the 720p FaceTime digicam on the M1 MacBook Air and discontinued 13-inch MacBook Professional.
The 15-inch MacBook Air has a profit over the 13.6-inch MacBook Air mannequin: if incorporates a six-speaker sound system with force-canceling woofers, in comparison with a four-speaker sound system. Apple describes the speaker system within the 14-inch MacBook Professional as a high-fidelity six-speaker sound system with force-cancelling woofers, indicating that’s is superior to that within the 15-inch Air. Apple additionally refers to a “studio-quality three-mic array with excessive signal-to-noise ratio and directional beamforming” within the 14-inch Professional, whereas each Air fashions supply solely a “three-mic array with directional beamforming”.
All Mac laptops supply a 3.5mm headphone jack.
MacBook Air vs MacBook Professional: Value and shopping for recommendation
When Apple launched the M3 model of the 14-inch MacBook Professional in October 2023 it changed a less expensive 13-inch MacBook Professional with M2 chip. The 13.3-inch MacBook Professional began at $1,299/£1,349 for the 8-core GPU, 256GB SSD model and rose to $1,499/£1,549 for the 10-core GPU, 512GB SSD model.
Now it’s important to pay $1,599/£1,699 for a 10-core GPU, 512GB SSD entry-level MacBook Professional. That’s fairly a leap from $1,299/£1,349.
With no ‘funds’ MacBook Professional accessible the MacBook Air is the one possibility for these on the lookout for a discount. If you’re on the lookout for the most affordable possibility the $999/£999 M2 MacBook Air would seem like the clear winner. However the beginning worth of the M3 MacBook Air is just $100/£100 extra. Our recommendation is to spend the additional cash for those who can afford to or search for a deal that reduces the M2 MacBook Air to a worth you may afford.
The worth of the MacBook Professional is greater, and on on a regular basis duties it performs the identical because the MacBook Air, but it surely does supply higher efficiency on lengthy, CPU-intensive duties, like picture and video rendering and comparable duties. (To not point out the higher display, HDMI port, and SDXC Card slot.) At simply $100/£100 greater than the 15-inch MacBook Air with M3 and the identical 512GB SSD, it really represents good worth for cash.
We suggest getting the perfect machine you may afford on the time of buy since you received’t be capable of improve down the road, this may occasionally require you to improve the RAM and storage.
The opposite issue that could be essential to you is the display dimension, which is the place the MacBook Air is the clear winner, but when you’re going to plug your Mac into an exterior show each time you’re at your desk this shouldn’t be a call breaker. See our spherical up of the best displays for Mac, additionally keep in mind that it may be difficult using more than one external display with a M1, M2 or M3 Mac.
So which MacBook must you select? If you’re on a funds it must be the MacBook Air and also you received’t be dissatisfied. In case you want a bit extra energy than the Air can supply the M3 MacBook Professional will see you good. However for those who want much more energy you’ll must fork out for the M3 Professional or M3 Max MacBook Professional fashions.
Fortunately, you don’t must pay full worth for a MacBook Air or MacBook Professional, take a look at our best MacBook Air deals and best MacBook Pro deals articles for the perfect reductions accessible.
We additionally take a look at how the MacBook Air compares to the iMac and the way the MacBook Air and Mac mini compare individually. We additionally make it easier to select the Best Mac in our purchasing information.
