MacBook Pro vs MacBook Air: Which one is best for your creative needs? Both have similar strengths. They are fast and easy to use, with great battery life. However, the Pro is $100 more expensive than the Air. Is the Pro worth the extra money or should you choose the Air at a lower price? We’ll help you make a decision in this article.
To be clear, these are the latest models: the MacBook Air (2022) and the MacBook Pro 13″ (2022). Both come with the new M2 chip. The Magic Keyboard works with both devices, but there are nuances that can make a difference in creative work.
This guide will help you choose the right MacBook for you. You can also find a lower-priced MacBook by reading our reviews of the last year’s models, including our Apple MacBook Pro 16″ (2021), review, and our MacBook Pro 15″ (2021), review.
MacBook Pro vs MacBook Air: Performance
If you have been following Apple’s naming conventions, the difference in power between MacBook Pro and MacBook Air should not be surprising. The ‘Air’ products offer less performance but are more affordable. However, the ‘Pro’ products have more power and other high-end features.The MacBook Pro is powerful enough to run serious professional apps. (Image credit: Future).
The standard 8GB RAM on the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro is included in both the MacBook Air, MacBook Pro and MacBook Pro. This can limit creativity and design. They can be configured to either 16GB or 24GB to increase speed.
Both the new MacBook Air and MacBook Pro 13 inch from 2022 have the M2 chip. Apple claims that this chip offers 40% more performance than the M1. The Air’s base model has an 8-core GPU. However, the Pro version comes standard with a 10 core GPU (graphics processing units). These two extra GPU cores are crucial for creative applications.
The MacBook Air is capable of handling light image editing and video editing, but the MacBook Pro can handle more complex tasks like 3D modelling or animation. This can really make a difference in your productivity.
We don’t think the MacBook Air is capable of using Adobe’s apps and other editing tools. It was voted best laptops to music production. If you are primarily looking to edit and assemble video, it can handle 4K video editing. It’s not designed for 3D modeling.Although the MacBook Air is less expensive than the Pro, it’s still very capable.
The Pro has a longer battery life than the Air. The Pro was able to run a looped 1080p video for 16 hours and 6 more minutes than the Air.
MacBook Pro vs MacBook Air: Design
Apple kept the same design for the MacBook Pro 13 inch with the 2022 models. The new MacBook Air has a completely new design. The MacBook Air 2022 is no longer a wedge-shaped device. It has a squarer design and four colour options: Starlight, Silver, Pace Gray and Midnight Blue. The MacBook Air 2022 is 20% smaller than the previous MacBook Air and measures in at just 11mm thick. It also weighs only 2.7 lbs.
Although the MacBook Pro weighs in at 3 lbs and 15.6 cm respectively, it is not significantly heavier. Both designs look great to us, even though they are quite different. We recommend that you decide between the Air or the Pro based upon their capabilities, not what they look like.Although the MacBook Pro is slightly different than the Air, they are both very nice.
Although the webcam resolution of the MacBook Air is 720p, it does the job. However, the MacBook Pro has a 1080p webcam. The screen is distorted by a visible ‘notch’ at the top that blocks some of the menu bars. However, we consider this a worthwhile price.
MacBook Pro vs MacBook Air: Display
Apple laptops have similar displays, and the two new models are no exception. The 2022 MacBook Air’s screen is 13.6 inches. It also has a 2560×1664 resolution. The MacBook Air also boasts a brightness of 500 nits.
The Pro’s screen has a similar size to the Air’s at 13.3 inches. It has a resolution of 2560×1660 and brightness of 500 nits. Both laptops support wide colour (P3) and True Tone technology.
MacBook Pro vs MacBook Air: Connectivity
Both Apple laptops are great for connecting multiple devices. Both the MacBook Pro (and the MacBook Air) have two Thunderbolt 4/USB C ports, and a 3.5mm headset jack. MagSafe charging is also available on the Air, but it charges through one of the two USB-C ports.
Thunderbolt 4 is a great feature that allows you to connect high-speed hubs, screens, and other devices. However, it will be a challenge to connect multiple devices at once without having to use battery power. You’ll need to buy one of the best USBC hubs.
MacBook Pro vs MacBook Air: Pricing
The MacBook Air costs $100 less than the Pro
The MacBook Air (M2,2022) starts at $1199 / PS1,249 and comes with an M2 chip that has an 8-core CPU, 8 core GPU, and 8GB memory.
The MacBook Pro 13″ (M2, 2022), starts at $1,299/PS1,299 and comes with an 8 core CPU and 10-core GPU M2 chips, 8GB of unified storage, and 256GB SSD storage.
MacBook Pro vs MacBook Air: Conclusion
It all comes down to the power that you require. Although the MacBook Air can run Adobe apps and other design software, it is not designed to handle large and complex tasks. It’s definitely worth the extra $100 if you use your MacBook Pro to edit 8K video or 3D software.
However, if you don’t use a lot of creative software, then you won’t need the extra cores and you won’t notice any difference between the two laptops.
While there is some gray area between the two positions, the main point of the MacBook Pro is that it will provide you with better performance. The important thing is to make sure that you have enough headroom over the next few years. If you aren’t sure if your work will change, don’t buy a MacBook Air right away.
