MacBook Air vs Pro: Which Mac laptop is right for you?
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Apple currently sells two laptop lines: the MacBook Pro and MacBook Air. The MacBook Pro comes with a 14-inch or 16-inch display and the MacBook Air has either a 13.6-inch or a 15-inch display. And among those models are an even wider range of specs.
In this article, we are concerned with the Mac laptops best suited to average use: home, student, and office work. There are 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro models powered by M4 Pro or M4 Max chips that are better suited to pro users and have much higher prices, and they aren’t included here. But if you are thinking your needs might extend a little further on the pro side, you may be interested to read Which MacBook Pro or our guide to all of Apple’s laptops.
We’ll be considering the following similarly specced Mac laptops:
- 13.6-inch MacBook Air, M2 (launched July 2022)
- 13.6-inch MacBook Air, M3 (launched March 2024)
- 14-inch MacBook Pro, M4 (launched October 2024)
- 15-inch MacBook Air, M3 (launched March 2024)
For advice about the best MacBook, we also have a buying guide, see: Best MacBook: Which Mac laptop is best? We also offer advice about how much storage, RAM and cores in How much MacBook do you really need?
Off to university? Read our guide to the best MacBook for students.
MacBook Air vs MacBook Pro compared
Here are the four Mac laptops that have our attention. We will compare design, specs, displays, price and other features below.
1. Apple 13-inch MacBook Air (M2, 2022)
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Read our full
Apple 13-inch MacBook Air (M2, 2022) review
2. Apple 13-inch MacBook Air (M3, 2024)
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