If you’re looking to buy a new MacBook, there are now just two models to choose from. The MacBook Pro was updated in 2019 and the iconic MacBook Air has a new version for 2020.
In this article we’re comparing the two, focusing largely on the 13in models (since this is the common size offered by both the Pro and Air). Although the form factor might be similar, there are still various decisions to make when considering a purchase.
Would you rather a lighter, more portable laptop? How much power do you need? How much are you happy to spend?
We’re going to break down the differences and similarities between the two laptops step by step to help you decide which is right for you. Should you want something a little larger, then Apple has introduced a new 16in MacBook Pro in 2019 with plenty of upgrades under the hood and prices to match, and we’ll add comparisons to this model’s pricing, specs, features and dimensions where relevant to help you make an informed buying decision.
Price
Price is one area where there’s a stark difference between the MacBook Air and the 13in MacBook Pro, the latter of which is much more expensive. Especially now the Air starts at under a grand.
MacBook Air prices
Like the 2019 model, the MacBook Air 2020 is available in two default configurations.
The base 1.1GHz Dual-core 10th-gen Intel Core i3 model comes with 8GB of RAM and 256GB SSD storage for £999/$999. That’s £100/$100 cheaper than its predecessor.
While the higher-spec option upgrades you to Core i5 processor and a larger 512GB SDD with a £1,299/$1,299 price tag.
MacBook Pro prices
Apple has updated the MacBook Pro so that every single model now has the Touch Bar. This makes things less complicated than it used to be, even if the Touch Bar isn’t the greatest laptop innovation.
The 13in MacBook Pro starts at £1,299/$1,299 and then moves to £1,499/$1,499, £1,799/$1,799 and £1,999/$1,999 depending on what specs you want. The latter two being the model that was already updated earlier in 2019.
This is interesting as now the dearest Air and cheapest Pro models cost the same.
If you’re tempted with a larger screen and more power then the MacBook Pro 16in is available in two configurations. The 2.6GHz 6-core 9th-gen Intel i7 model which will set you back £2,399/$2,399 or the 2.3GHz 8-core 9th-gen Intel i9 variant that doubles the storage to 1TB SSD and costs £2,799/$2,799.
Options to consider
For £999/$999 you get the following 13in MacBook Air:
- 1.1GHz dual-core 10th-generation Intel Core i3 processor
- 256GB SSD
- 8GB 3733MHz RAM
- Intel Iris Plus Graphics
- Magic Keyboard
- Touch ID
- Two Thunderbolt 3 (USB‑C) ports
- 720p FaceTime HD camera
For £1,299/$1,299 you get the following 13in MacBook Pro:
- 1.4GHz quad-core 8th-generation Intel Core i5 processor
- 128GB SSD
- 8GB 2133MHz RAM
- Intel Iris Plus Graphics 645
- Two Thunderbolt 3 (USB‑C) ports
- 720p FaceTime HD camera
- Touch Bar & Touch ID
For £2,399/$2,399 you get the following 16in MacBook Pro:
- 2.6GHz six-core 9th-generation Intel Core i7 processor
- 512GB SSD
- 16GB 2666MHz RAM
- AMD Radeon Pro 5300M with 4GB RAM
- Four Thunderbolt 3 (USB‑C) ports
- 720p FaceTime HD camera
- Touch Bar & Touch ID
We’ll look at how the MacBooks compare in detail below but some key differences to point out here include that the Air now has double the amount of storage compared to the Pro of the same size, uses 10th-gen processors and has a Magic Keyboard.
If you aren’t on such a tight budget, there are a lot of build-to-order options to consider for all MacBooks. Each can be customised with a higher-spec processors, more memory, more storage and so on. Of course the MacBook Pro 16in is a step up again with six and eight-core processors and even stronger graphics performance.
Before you decide on the MacBook Air because you’re looking for a cheap Mac, be sure to read our best MacBook deals roundup to see if there are any current bargains to be had.
Also, check the Apple Refurbished Store to see if you could pick up a discounted Mac with better specs than the MacBook Air offers.
Design & Build
When it launched in 2008 the MacBook Air was the lightest laptop available. Over the years that followed, the weight of the MacBook Pro has also declined, so the difference is a lot less than it was. That said, the 2020 MacBook Air still weighs less than Pro; at 1.29kg compared to 1.37kg (and 2kg for the 16in).
As for size, the 2019 MacBook Air is 30.41cm x 21.24cm, and 16.1mm thin, tapering to 4.1mm at its narrowest point. The 13in MacBook Pro is 30.41cm x 21.24cm so it has the same footprint but is a little thicker overall at 14.9mm as it doesn’t taper. For comparison, the MacBook Pro 16in is 35.79cm x 24.59cm with a thickness of 16.2mm and a 2kg weight.
- MacBook Air: 304.1 x 212.4 x 16.1/4.1mm; 1.29kg
- MacBook Pro 13in: 304.1 x 212.4 x 14.9mm; 1.37kg
- MacBook Pro 16in: 357.9 x 245.9 x 16.2mm; 2kg
Both styles of laptop come with Touch ID and things like the Force Touch trackpad, but the Touch Bar on the Pro is really the major design difference between the two. Whether or not you’ll find it useful comes down to a combination of personal preference and what software you use.
Note that the MacBook Air is the only one to come in a Gold colour option, but more importantly now comes with Apple’s new Magic Keyboard. This was first seen on the 16in MacBook Pro so you’ll miss out if you get the smaller Pro. The Magic Keyboard has a scissor-switch design that replaces the problematic butterfly mechanism.
The 2020 Air also has a few other tweaks such as wider stereo sound with Dolby Atmos support, directional beamforming on the microphones and
If you’re new to it, the Touch Bar is a multi-touch strip replacing the F keys that can provide different contextual controls depending on the application open – though it doesn’t yet have universal support. We don’t really think that the feature itself is worth buying the Pro for. Read about what you can do with the Touch Bar.
Processor and RAM
The MacBook Air now runs on 10th-gen Intel processors but that does mean it’s more powerful than the 8th and 9th-gen chips in the Pro models.
Starting at a dual-core 1.1GHz Core i3, it’s clear that this kind of chip is designed to get stuff done but also to maximise battery life by not consuming too much power. You can then jump to a quad-core i5 but it remains at a base clock speed of 1.1GHz.
Still, Apple says you can get up to two times the performance compared to the 2019 model. The Air is also more customisable now with up to Core i7 if you want extra power.
The 13in MacBook Pro is starting to look somewhat dated with 8th-generation Intel Core i5 processors. These are quad-core and start at 1.4GHz and can Turbo Boost to 3.9GHz. Moving to the two more expensive 13in Pro models, you get a 2.4GHz quad-core Intel Core i5, with Turbo Boost up to 4.1GHz.
Looking at the Air vs 13in Pro – particularly the Core i5 models with matching prices – we’d recommend avoiding the Pro for now as it’s a long way behind on internal specs and Apple is likely to update it soon.
For the truly power-hungry the MacBook Pro 16in offers 9th-gen Intel processors with either six or eight-cores and AMD Radeon graphics cards. We’ll talk more about graphics below.
All the 13in MacBooks come with 8GB of RAM as standard but the Air has overtaken the Pro with LPDDR4X at 3733MHz vs 2133MHz which is LPDDR3. Each can be upgraded to 16GB.
The larger 16in Pro starts with 16GB as standard, but this can be configured up to a maximum of 64GB.
Storage
Despite being cheaper than before, the MacBook Air 2020 has 256GB as standard. That’s double what Apple previously offered and therefore double what the MacBook Pro offers. Great news if you want space but don’t need the power of the Pro.
So the cheapest MacBook Pro comes with just 128GB which doesn’t look great but it, along with the Air, can be upgraded up to 2TB.
Over on the 16in MacBook Pro, storage starts at 512GB and can be upgraded all the way up to 4- and even 8TB.
Battery life
Where processor speed is clearly in the MacBook Pro’s favour, another potentially critical feature is battery life, and this time it’s the MacBook Air that wins – though not by much.
The company claims that the Air can handle 11 hours of wireless web browsing and 12 hours of video playback – essentially a full day. That’s compared to 10 hours of each from the 13in Pro and 11 hours for the 16in Pro; less, but not by a huge amount.
Screens
The display was previously an area where the Air and Pro were quite different, but Apple has brought them much closer these days. Apple upgraded the Air to a Retina Display with True Tone technology in 2019.
They both have 13.3in LED-backlit displays with IPS technology at a resolution of 2560×1600 making them 227ppi. The only difference is that the Pro boasts a 500nit brightness level and wide colour (P3), with the Air on 400nits and sRGB.
The 16in Pro features the same technology as the 13in Pro, but the larger area means it can display resolutions of 3072×1920 with a PPI of 226 again at 500nits.
As usual, Apple does not offer touch screens.
Graphics & Gaming
Unlike the higher-spec 16in models, the 13in MacBook Pro follows the Air in exclusively using integrated Intel graphics – though they’re not identical.
The first two Pro models use Intel Iris Plus Graphics 645 then step up to 655 for the more expensive models. In contrast, the MacBook Air uses the regular grade Iris Plus Graphics, but it’s a whopping 80% faster than the previous generation.
If you need some extra grunt then you can plug in an eGPU via Thunderbolt on either laptop – or you can opt for the 16in MacBook Pro which has Intel UHD Graphics 630 and AMD Radeon Pro discrete graphics cards.
Read about how to use an eGPU with your Mac.
Ports & Peripherals
Laptops used to come with a range of ports but Apple has gradually moved to a very simple approach using USB-C (which supports Thunderbolt 3 and DisplayPort) on MacBooks. Things like full-size USB (Type A) and even SD card slots are long gone.
The cheapest two MacBook Pro models have exactly the same setup at the 2020 Air so you get two USB-C ports along with a headphone jack. Bear in mind that one will be needed for charging.
The two most expensive 13in MacBook Pro models come with four USB-C ports instead of two, which might come in useful depending on what you need the laptop for. This matches all the 16in Pro models.
It’s worth remembering that there are plenty of USB-C adapters and accessories on the market to expand the ports, allowing you to use HDMI, VGA, USB 3.0 and more.
Verdict
With the new MacBook Air for 2020, Apple’s laptop range is particularly tricky to compare.
It’s quite clear that the 16in MacBook Pro is the option for those that need lots of power, including a dedicated graphics card, and features like four USB-C ports.
However, it’s a little harder to pick between the Air and the 13in MacBook Pro. Our advice is to stick with the MacBook Air, at least until Apple updates the 13in Pro.
The new Air has 10th-gen Intel chips, the Magic Keyboard, double the amount of storage, faster memory and slightly longer battery life. It’s also thinner and lighter, of course.
In comparison, the 13in Pro is looking out of date, even if it does have a slightly better screen than the Air
Via MACWORLD