MacBook Air 15 vs MacBook Pro 14 - Which One to Get?

MacBook Air 15 vs MacBook Pro 14 - Performance, Design, Display, Battery, Speakers & Everything Else!

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[ZONEofTECH]

Here you go! The full comparison between the new 15" MacBook Air and the 14" MacBook Pro! If you spec them the same, they cost the same. So which one would you get?

[curiouskitkat]

I think you should have compared the 16GB/512GB Air to the Pro, since this is what most people are actually choosing between.

[SamSamShine]

IMO this test is a bit biased since the 16/512 MBA has better performances than the 8/256 MBA used in this video.

[garethhanna]

In a nutshell, the Air 15 is the best choice for the 98% of us who don't edit video.

[therealnicksmith]

Air unless you professionally create content. Case closed

[bibopickstone]

This is an unfair comparison, two base models have very different ram and SSD features, and the price is 700 different. I’d like to see Air 16g+512 SSD vs Pro base model, which is only $300 difference (or even less if buy pro on Amazon). Will the performance still be so significantly different?

[JimBoomer]

You started out talking about the upgraded 15 Air vs. the refurbished 14 Pro. SUPER exciting comparison I have been waiting for someone to cover since they match in price. Yet you compared the performance of a base 15 Air to the 14 Pro. Not all that relevant to your intro/outro talking points...Would love to see you do this test properly with matched RAM and storage specs :)

[GarryBurgess]

I absolutely choose the the AIR for the reason that it's super light weight, the reason I'm using a laptop in the first place, and the bigger screen. Using the air pods still gives you high resolution with the AIR. If I really needed high performance on a consistent basis, I'd go with the 16" MacBook Pro. Secondly. the MacBook Pro in your example is refurbished, which is not easily available in Canada.

[extremelucky]

I got the base model 15-inch Air, ended up returning it and buying a refurbished 14-inch M2 Pro and couldn't be happier. Easy to connect to my monitor with the HDMI port, and can handle absolutely anything I throw at it. Not to mention the amazing screen and speakers. With the base Air when I pushed the limits, it struggled at times.The ProMotion makes it easier on my eyes when I scroll

[choudharyajay]

Not a fair comparison. Everyone comparing base models of air and pro. Compare base model 14pro with 15 air 16gb ram 512 storage.

[IggyYlo]

I’ve owned my 2012 MBP with upgraded RAM and SSD storage for the last 12 years, and the times have finally caught up to it (no more software and app updates). I might be biased, but I think going for the 14” Pro and maybe upgrading the RAM and storage a little bit would go a very long way as far as future-proofing your purchase, which is what I’m thinking of doing vs getting the 15” Air. Only time will tell, though.

[hescominsoon]

the air is prfect for those not doing multimedia..like myself using it for office docs, remote access of other machines, and spending msot times with static text. the air is not meant for multimedia and is a great office, remote access, chat communications(voip included). the air is not meant for the media tasks and is why it doesnt have the pro label and the reduced hardware capabilities. the hardware specs actually bear this out without needing to do tests in a way the air was never designed for.

[OnderHassan]

Based on iJustine's review. The M2 chip in the Air has blurred the line even more with the Pro. You will only ever notice a real difference if you're doing intense video editing and graphics processing and want to speed up productivity. But for the general user, having those pro specs is overkill. Based on that alone, I think the 15" Air is the perfect laptop for the majority of consumers.

[gerald]

I would choose the Pro. The smaller footprint makes up for the weight and thickness differences - especially when traveling.

[Darthwriter]

Once again, very detailed comparison. Proves that if you're gonna do professional things on your MacBook, get the Pro and not the Air. For what I do, the Air is perfect so that's what I got. I did own an M1 14" Pro and I do sometimes miss that gorgeous screen, but, for the money, the base model 15 is totally fine. Also, I like the text and windows to be a little bigger (especially since I've aged into my 50's) so the new 15 is better for that as well. Thanks for the vid!

[mbvx]

I went 15"air. I love the screen size, get a bump in the GPU vs the 13", better sound, better power supply... love it.
Comparing these two machines is kind of dumb. You either need a PRO machine, or you don't. f you don't, get the air.. if you do, get the pro, it's far more powerful. But you can get the air with 16GB and 512GB NVME for $300 less if you just want better specs for future proofing. The air is not a heavy lifting Photo/video editing machine. The pro is.

[marcusoutdoors]

Both fantastic machines and in reality will deliver great performance. In reality even the Air would be good enough for most photographers/ videographers. But clearly the pro is pro for demanding users. The test seemed a little flawed using a lower specification machine in the tests, but otherwise made a convincing argument for either machine depending on your use case.

[andreasdk]

Interesting. But it is two very differented speced computers. 512 GB of SSD storage will make a lot of difference when testing due to the way Apple sets this up. And 8 GB of extra ram will also make a difference. Why not test apples with...ehm...apples? 😁 PS: What is the difference in noise? Air is silent, but is Pro 14 noisy?

[endidjeh]

When doing a comparison next time, I’ll give you one pro tip.
You should fix the one on the left and the other one on right rather than moving around.
At glance, audience may be confused and can be misinformed.

[anthony]

Nice, but the Air is meant for people whom want the 15 inch screen real estate. If you do not need that you can drop down to M2 13 and if you need to larger or SSD or Ram (the 13 is now 1099). Screen size is screen size. Most people who only doing non pro tasks will have no issue with the base M2 13 or M2 15. Everyone's needs are unique.