With the introduction of the Apple Silicon chip, the performance of the MacBook Air has increased significantly. So which is the right choice between MacBook Pro and MacBook Air? Join us now to find out.
1. Comparison of current options
In this section, we list the specific MacBook Pro and Air product lines.
MacBook Pro:
- MacBook Pro 13-inch M1
- MacBook Pro 14-inch M1 Pro/Max
- MacBook Pro 16-inch M1 Pro/Max
- MacBook Pro 13-inch M2 (2022)
Mac Air:
- MacBook Air M1
- MacBook Air M2 (2022)
If you put it on the scale and make you think about not knowing which MacBook series to choose, there will be the following lines:
- MacBook Pro 13-inch M1
- MacBook Pro 13-inch M2 (2022)
- MacBook Air M1
- MacBook Air M2 (2022)
Why these lines? Because they support the Pro and Air series well in terms of performance, price (16GB RAM version of the MacBook Air), and many jobs.
As for the 14-inch and 16-inch Pro lines, these are high-configuration dedicated machines for specific jobs, and the prices are relatively expensive, so it is difficult to classify them into the products under consideration.
2. Selection criteria
Once we have identified the version we are considering, we move into the selection criteria to select the most suitable product.
2.1 About the budget
At present (2022), the price of the above MacBook models is around 30 million depending on the configuration version. In fact, however, there will be cheaper models like the MacBook Air M1 16GB or the MacBook Pro M1 8GB (both like new) for just 25 million.
So when thinking about your budget, take a closer look at the price of each configuration before moving on to evaluating configurations (or skip this part if you have deep pockets).
Some suggested product prices:
- MacBook Pro M1 8GB - 16GB RAM: Prices from 27 million to 34 million VND
- MacBook Air M1 16GB RAM: Starting at VND 25 million
- MacBook Pro M2 8GB RAM: Starting from VND 31 million
- MacBook Air M2 8GB memory: starting from 33 million VND
As you can see, the popularity of the MacBook Air M2 (design changes, multiple upgrades) makes it even more expensive than the MacBook Pro M2 (only chip replacement, no design changes).
2.2 About work needs
Next is the requirement of daily use. If it is an office environment and Internet access has high requirements for machine configuration, then choosing MacBook Air M1 16GB RAM will be a good choice no matter the price or the received configuration.
If your work requires a little configuration and constant high-intensity work, the MacBook Pro line is more stable (with cooling system).
Therefore, when choosing, you also need to consider what your current job is. Some considerations you need to keep in mind are:
Doing 3D on something like AutoCad MacBook will be very limited, so consider a Windows machine
- MacBook for 2D graphics, 3D video, content creation, encoding, ..
- MacBook is not good for gaming
- MacBook Pro has a fan, MacBook Air does not
2.3 MacBook Air is suitable for people who exercise regularly
If you are a person who is always on the move (for work) or a digital nomad, then the MacBook Air will be more suitable because of the portability and thinness it brings.
The MacBook Air only weighs about 1.29kg, compared to 1.4kg for the Pro series.
The MacBook Air also has slightly better battery life than the MacBook Pro line. So that's also a factor to consider (although less important since both lines have very good battery life).
The 2.4 Pro has a better display
The displays on both the MacBook Pro M1 and M2 offer a better display than the MacBook Air M1. For the MacBook Air M2 series, the screen is also close to that of the Pro series.
2.5 Sound system
Audio system on MacBook Pro for a better experience. The external speaker systems of the MacBook Pro series all support Dolby Atmos, and the Air only supports it in the headphones.
The MacBook Pro speakers also have a wider frequency band than the MacBook Air.
Aside from the issues mentioned above, factors such as the keyboard, connectivity ports, and battery capacity haven't changed much.
Hope the basic reference information above can help you get a general overview of the suitable MacBook series. From there, drill down to specific information about each product and its configuration to choose the right product.
