15" MacBook Air vs 14" Pro Comparison - BIG Difference!
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- Опубліковано 9 чер 2024
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By the time you upgrade the RAM and SSD on the 15" M2 MacBook Air, the price is an eye-watering $400 USD more than the base model. So, why not just go for the 14" MacBook Pro instead? Let's talk about some of the differences, and find out which one you should choose.
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⮕ 15" M2 MacBook Air: geni.us/m2macbookair15
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00:00 Introduction
00:46 Performance
03:38 Sponsor
04:43 Screen Size
05:23 Screen Technology
07:18 Portability
07:45 Features
08:46 Battery
10:01 Which One Should You Buy
#mac #macbook #createdtech
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This dilemma exist only because Apple charges a CRAZY amount for upgrades. At that price, the M2 15" should come with 16/512. That would sell like insane. But Apple is so greedy.
bought an m2 air 15 inch sent it back within 2 days for the m3 pro 18gb 1tb simply because the price difference v performance upgrades
What's the m3 pro screen size you got?
@@RTSBone 14, was abit of a shock compared to my old 17 inch windows laptop but it’s absolutely the best feeling laptop, and perfect for travelling
good to hear... I'm still inclined to get the m2 air 15 for the extra screen and portability... I guess it depends on the level of peformance you need..@@Supreme-ti2fk
@Supreme-ti2fk how's it for games like honkai star rail
For me, it's the screen. 14 feels too small. So the 15" is the obvious choice. I could do the 16 MBP but it's just too heavy.
same :(
Your videos are amazing and you deserve way more views! Thanks for this comparison
Yeah, in regions like the US. The m1 14" is much better than the 15" to me. The 15" is great, but it feels like a trap to a professional like me that doesn't require the power but would appreciate the ram, storage, dual monitor support, ports, and mini led + pro motion. M1 14" being $1599 at bestbuy and the 15" being 1699 with the ram + storage upgrades.
Correct. I got a MBP 14 M1 Pro 10c 16GB / 1TB for 1500 USD from Apple on sale. It is really crazy good. For the average MBA user, it makes sense to top up a little bit more, M1 in general is already more than the average user needs, let alone the M1 pro
In my region of the us the base pro has a slower ssd speed so you must upgrade to 1tb. At that point its $600 more than speckd out m2 air 15" assuming you want a normal pro m2 with the standard 12core cpu and not the binned 10 core. You go up to 2,299 before upgrading anything. Even when using my education discount the price comes out the same either way
Or get a Mac Mini with the specs you need and a big monitor plus a MacBook Air base model for sofa and travel use. This setup has been great for me. I love the 13” M2 Air base model for on the go office work.
Isn't 13 inch a little small for work?
yes it is@@RTSBone
Great video! Well thought out and presented.
I was faced with the same dilemma when I was trying to choose between the M1 MBP 14 and the M2 MBA 13. I finally opted for the base model Air because I simply didn't need that much power in a travel device, I have a desktop Mac for resource intensive tasks.
DO NOT BUY a computer with _unified_ (soldered) storage and RAM. it cuts their lifespan in HALF and makes them nearly impossible to recover data from. As long as people keep buying them Apple will keep making them.
Out of all the same models comparisons this is by far the best one i needed
Thank you
I got the certified refurb M2 !4" Macbook pro from Apple and it was $70.00 cheaper than the same speced M2 15" Air. Super happy with the Macbook pro
I currently use an Intel I9 MBP (2019 32GB/1TB) for Xcode, and Final Cut Pro. I had planned to upgrade to the M2 Pro Max. My wife got an M2 Air 13" (16G/512). For shits and giggles, I ran my usual workflow on it. In every single task, it blew my i9 MBP out of the water, it wasn't even close. Makes me wonder how much computer I need at this point with Mac Silicon?
A sensible review. Great video production. Well done. 😀
(Plus, your voice is easy to listen to).
Nice, this confirms what I figured out for my use case.
I really needed this comparision
Been using the 8gb RAM macbooks during my college and first few years of work. Worked great for me, casual to normal workload.
I was about to buy 15" MBA 16/512 for 50k CZK included 21% VAT, but there was non typical sale for 14" MBP M1, so it is third day with Macbook Pro with M1 Pro. It was for just 40k CZ VAT included, no brainer. In US prices somewhat under 1400 USD without tax.
As somebody who switched from a 14” M1 Pro MBP to the 13” M2 MBA, I’d like to point out that the 14” has very sharp edges that dig into my wrist while typing & makes it very difficult to type for long times. It’s bulky as well. It’s a great laptop otherwise but the sharp edges were really bad for me. I didn’t realise this when I bought it. No problem with the M2 air. Also, I use a pro iPhone always and I absolutely love Pro Motion. However, I did not mind the lower refresh rate on the Air. It didn’t matter so much to me on laptops.
I noticed this too on my work machine M1 Pro as compared to my 2015 MBP
Wait for a sale. I just got the 15 inch Air M2 with 16GB and 512GB for $1449 at Best Buy. You're getting one upgrade for free and the other upgrade 25% off. Can't be beaten!
Sounds good. When do sales occur?
I got completely sucked down the rabbit hole debate when the M1 arrived. Would the base MBP 13" be enough. Your videos at the time were very helpful. Now... years later I haven't regretted buying a base line M1 MacBook Pro 13". The only time I had RAM issues were with a non apple silicone optimized app that I don't really use much anyways. (RAM bleed...) 8GB is enough for most people and can't be compared with standard RAM-blocks in x86 machines. I would feel safe to buy an 8GB machine again but my M1 is still super fast. You don't feel left behind like you did in the Intel days just a single generation later...
Personally I think is a bad decision as a consumer. 8gb of RAM on >$1000 computer does not make any sense and Apple is getting away with that with this kind of claims.
Every time you top your RAM the computer starts swapping, wearing down the SSD lifespan (which isn't replasable) which is even lower for the base 256gb model that usually comes with 8gb.
You are going to save $250 aprox if you keep the base model. But with that decision you are not future proofing the lifespan of the computer in terms of specs.
Probably most of the current apple silicon lineup will end as paperweight over the next 10 years because you can't change an expected failure component. At least take the decision will protect you more from this expected product output.
@@hackollective2676 I think price for the air base is okay, but it is NOT OK when apple charge 200$ for a stick on ram and 200$ for 250ssd. which is 5 times more than windows upgrade laptop. This is absolute crime
Bearing in mind the performance difference in favour of the 14-inch, what would happen if low power mode were selected? Would the performance of the 14-in be closer to that of the 15-in Air or would the air be ahead?
I have the unbinned model, but I’ve run tests between the M1 13” and the M2 Pro 14”. With low power mode, the 14” still absolutely smokes the base M1 even without low power mode, but this is only on multi core scores. Single threaded performance does take enough of a bit for me to generally leave low power mode disabled.
Battery life is better than a lot of reviewers make it out to be on the 14” though. I’m still very easily able to make it through an entire workday with battery to spare, so I definitely wouldn’t say it should be a major factor in terms of purchase decisions for most average users.
needed this video, keep it up
would you still recommend the pro if one is looking for a single upgrade on the air?
Thank you this video was fantastic. And I agree that the 14inch pro is better in most ways. Though I have 2 concerns are holding me back getting the pro. First is the dust and where the air vents are placed. Normally at night I have my laptop in bed, I am worried about blocking the pros air vents and the pro sucking in all that dust. Second I went into apple store, and put the 14inch and 15 inch next to each other. The 15inch felt alot more comfortable especially when resting my wrists on laptop. The bigger track pad on air made it easier for me to move around, and the air just felt much nicer in my hands. Ahhhhh decisions decisions lol
I just bought the base model MBA 15" for $999. I love it
I have the M1, will wait for the M3.
I'm confused by what you refer to as 'memory bandwidth'.
Please correct me if I'm wrong, but is this based solely on the SSD chip I/O? My understanding is that now Apple is using single chips on all 256 and 512 models, and wouldn't that mean they are all the same, and that the 15 and the 14, even if the 15 has either a 256 or a 512, would be identical?
It was reported last year about single-chip 256's being slower, but now the 512's also are single-chip. It seems the 1TB would then be necessary to double the bandwidth, since it does have two chips.
This is most smartest comparison I've looking for
I am within the return window of my base model 15-in MBA and am considering returning it for a 13-in M2 with 16 GB of RAM for essentially the same price with education pricing. Extra screen real estate is nice but the RAM seems like it would get me farther in terms of longevity.
When the 15 inch released, I snatched the 13 inch using the educational discount w/ base specs. Owning it for around 2 weeks, it's been extremely good and super portable and small enough for me than my last laptop that was 15 inches and pretty heavy.
I went with the 15inch MBA with 16gb of ram. Just wanted the bigger display.
@@zerokool-2058 That would definitely be the best of both worlds, that's a great choice. I think you can justify one spec upgrade for the 15-inch, but not two upgrades.
@@Michelangelo94 I disagree. It depends what you're looking for. In Canada, the MBA 15 with 16/512 is 300$ less than the 14 M2 pro with 16/512 at the educational price. That's a lot of money if you don't need this performance and doesn't care of the Pro Motion display. That's my case. I prefer by far the 15,3 in screen. And with 16/512 specs, I will be fine for a long run. I known that the 14 in MBP is a better machine, but the MBA is just perfect for my needs, although the price of the 2 options was insane. Best regards :)
@@richarddumas828 The form factor of the 15-inch Air is awesome, and better than the 14-inch MBP. I don't blame you for wanting that. But the refurbished M1 Pro MBP (2021) is the device you should compare to your Air, not the M2 Pro. The M1 Pro is probably the exact same price, or very close to it. Good computer regardless though!
Would a base m2 13” MBA would be enough for me? I’m a student so office apps like Word and Excel are usually the only work apps that I’d use maybe some light video editing, and I’m planing on keeping it for at least 5-6 years
Yes MBA 13“ is absolutly enough for a student. But if you choose 13“ i would rather buy the MBA M1 Not M2 bc it‘s much cheaper and you wont feel a big difference in performance.
14 mac pro i have max 6 hour battery life with zoom call is it realistic ?
Apples sneaky product description for the MacBook Air says Thunderbolt / USB 4, the Thunderbolt in question is still only Thunderbolt 3. 8:10
I considered also to buy a new 15" MacBook Air, but I got a brand new Base Model 16" MacBook Pro M1 Pro this week for 1249.-$ with 2 years warranty instead.
Where did you get such deal ?!
Both are good but it comes down to what you prefer to use as you’re go to laptop 💻
Best choices are Base model 15” or Base model 14” Pro
How long does the batterie last you on MacBook Air 15 ?
Hi, I have a question. I want to ask, I am planning to buy a macbook pro 14" with M2 pro and I don't know if I should choose the version with 10 cpu and 16 gpu or 12 cpu and 19 gpu. I am afraid that the higher configuration of 14 will not mature the battery too quickly and that the computer will not overheat. Is there any big difference between these versions that is worth paying extra for? 4K videos and I also like to work with 3d.Thanks for your reply.
It's worth the upgrade if you're doing a lot of 4K video editing and 3D work. No it won't impact thermals or battery significantly.
And one more question. I should rather invest in more cores for the m2 pro, or in 32 gb of ram. Thank you for answer.
M3 15 macbook air will crush the M2 14" macbook pro next year. Every year you'll end up buying the latest chip, till the M4 arrives and certain tasks will become realtime, like 4k video render etc.
I looked at that base model 14-in MacBook Pro and found I could buy an Apple Refurbished one for AU$80 LESS than the cost of the upgraded 15-in MacBook Air.
If the 15" Air just had an LED display, even without XDR and ProMotion technology, I could still justify the $1700 price.
is it worth getting the m2 air 15 for $1600 or should i go for the m2 pro 14 for $1800 both having same specs: 16gb ram and 512gb ssd? thanks in advance:)
you walk in to apple store to try out. I have same problem like you. Not sure which to choose. I like the XDR display on pro14 and the deep black screen really cool on HDR. But after visit to apple store, the laptop should have good portability and lightweight.. and also the 15in screen really useful for mid-age uncle like me. The pro14 feel heavy that make me feel difficult to move around.
I would recommend buying a second hand M1 macbook air. It fits the needs of probably 95% of people. Excellent computer.
Nice wallpapers
What has a better screen
Would you say that semi regular gaming (especially strategy games like ck3) classifies as more intensive tasks or am I fine with the base model air?
dont buy macbooks for gaming
@@pirothebest1999 I don’t want to buy it for gaming, I’m a student and I want to switch to apple anyways and I like to play on top of my regular work every once in a while. Playing ck3 isn’t my reason to buy, the question is if I could do it on the lower level MacBooks or if I should opt for the pro, get the extra longevity + better gaming performance.
Not sure about gaming but I do some heavy coding on the base M2 air and it handles it just fine
Which wallpaper are you using?
I would rather get a refurbished/ even a new M1 Pro MacBook Pro for that price range, without paying the extra 300 bucks. But, yeah your videos have come a long way. Started watching you when you first started releasing content on M1 MacBook Air, their real-life performance, pls do bring back those formats soon. Cheers 👌
How bad is the dust problem caused by the fans? I friend of mine wants to replace her MacBook Air from 2013 and she will buy a new notebook that she will probably use for another ten years. If you have a notebook with fans, you have to clean it at least once a year and for MacBooks you need those strange screwdrivers. As we will probably see new MacBook Airs in October, but not new MacBook Pros, I would recommend to her buying the 15 inch MacBook Air with the M3 chip and probably 24 hours or so of battery life. The 15 inch MacBook Air is even lighter than the 13 inch MacBook Air from 2013.
The refurbished MBP is actually the same price tho
you can get the m2 macbook pro refurbished... better pricing
It's 1.4" difference not 1" right? 15.3" vs 14.2'. Im testing both at the moment. I think the 15.3" favours but value for money probably 14.2. I got 2 weeks to decide.
Its not 15.6 inches
1.1 inch difference
So which one did u choose after the 2 weeks period?
@@DipSet85 yes. For some reason I thought 15.6
@@tijah857 I kept 15. The screen size above all was a key factor for me. I’m happy.
@@seebore4606 was the screen size that big of a difference, I am really stuck between the macbook pro 14.2 and the Air 15.3
I got a base 15. The 8gb ram is underrated, and does well in imo.. great for any general computing tasks. I dont render or export everyday. The screen size difference is real b/w 15 or 14 pro and is more immersive on Air. I find 15 keyboard palmrest much more comforting too to type.
How good is the 8gb? Do you ever feel its getting close to max more often then not?
@@DipSet85I would advise 16GB and ignore anyone saying otherwise if you plan to use your laptop for quite some time or do anything past extremely basic tasks like a cat video and/or an email.
The other huge benefit is you can run windows on a Mac too if ever needed with 16GB, but 8GB would suck for that and some things require windows. Applications also become more and ore RAM hungry over time and what this guy doesn't know is less RAM tends to also wear out your SSD.
Your laptop will run out of memory more often with only 8GB and wear out your SSD which isn't a great substitute for RAM. Once your SSD wears out your laptop will no longer work. This is even more important since lower sized SSD's also have lower endurance ratings like the ones the base model air comes with.
@@kerrydaniels8460 yeah decided to go with a 16 inch pro 16gb. Thanks
Is the air 15 inch good for network engineering students?
This! I’m doing CS.. need to know which will be best
You basically have the price wrong considering you have been able to get the pro $1750 for quite some time now. You weren't able to get the air with those specs on sale much at all. So it ends up being like 50 bucks difference for a ton lesson the air side.
Im in an actual struggle. I want to try out macs and don't really care about performance, so M3 14in... But don't want to miss my two external monitors, so Apple forces me to chose the M3 Pro over the M3. But the M3 Pro 14in has worse battery life compared to the M3 14in ._.
WAIT in usa MacBooks costs so little??? wow in italy base MBP 14" is 2.4k euro
My opinion is, if you are doing high end work, like lots of video editing, photo editing, or coding, you should have a high power desktop. I used a Dell desktop with Windows 7 pro with 2T hard drive, when I had a website, and building my own webpages. For portability, the 13.6 M2 MacBook Air is the best. I upgraded to 16 gigs of ram memory, and 512 SSD storage, but I kept the 8core GPU. A lot of videos on here said there wasn't a big difference between 8 and 10 core GPU. The 14 inch pro is heavy, unless you are going to use it on a desk. For students, and teachers, lugging a laptop back and forth to school, the 13.6 Air is lightweight. After the Mac class at Soho Apple Store, I put my 13.6 Air in crossbody laptop briefcase, and was able to walk around NYC with no strain on my shoulders. I checked out the 15 inch Air in the store, but was really not that impressed. Same screen resolution as 13.6 Air. Also I had them play Beach Boys "Wouldn't It Be Nice" to check sound. To me it was louder, but, not much better.
coding really doesnt take that much power. I code on my surfaco pro 7 with 8gbram, 128gb storage just fine.
No brainer. Of course, a 15” screen is a big difference than a 14” one.
Why does everyone compare the Air with the Macbook Pro M3 Pro chip and not the base M3 chip? I need an answer if i should get the Air or the base pro. The price of the macbook with the M3 Pro chip here is about 2700 euros.
I'm comparing the M2 Pro in this video, and this video was posted months before the M3 was even announced...
If you spec out the 15" Air to the same as the 14" Pro, there is only a $300 difference. The 14" is the sweet spot for me and the Pro is more powerful with the added ports. The display on the 14" Pro is stunning with the Promotion
One very important aspect of the Macbook Air is the sluggishness you get after a few years. This doesnt happen with the Pro models. I think it is sad that Apple wont release a 15 inch Macbook Pro. 14 inch is too little and 16 inch is to big. My Macbook Pro from late 2013 is still hanging in there, but I cant update my OS any longer. And that means I cant download the latest Adobe programs.
The MacBook Pro comes with in a 8gb memory version for $1,599. I believe you said they both come with 16gb of memory. I think that’s a big deal.
M2 15 is the best laptop on the market in terms of size, performance and weight
Just buy a MB air base model and start saving money for a powerful mini. That will be the best setup
m1 MacBook Pro 14 inch is 1459 on apples refurbished site
Save your money. I have a m1 MacBook Pro base model from 2021 and I have it hooked up to three Asus monitors. Never had an issue. The base model handles everything I throw at it.
Ad blocker required video / channel
text is actually bigger on 14" since same setting is not same scaling. 14" has more pixels total and that mean it can show even more screen thant 15" but it is smaller..
is the pro's ssd slower?
m2 pro is crazy, and guys be serious, the 120hz display is out of mind, but also the ''old'' M1 Pro is better than the classic m2
I am sorry, but the 15” MacBook Air can do video editing, photos etc. When the M1 came out it was the greatest thing next to sliced bread. If you get the 16/512 15” MacBook Air, you will be happy.
*watch **5:48** to **5:52**, Do you really think 14 is better? Look at the flower petal colors on the 15, The 14 looks so bright and colors are washed out in almost every video*
You miss the biggest point of the Air, weight.
Actually I dedicate a whole section to physical differences, including weight...
But 14inch Pro in multicores or multi tasking is better than any macbook air and also resolution or display and surround sound of 14 and 16inch is so much better than Macbook Air. Sound system bc it has speaker grills nad microphone and display is so gorgeous on the 14 and 16 inch which are same things.
I don’t even use computer speakers. I think it’s criminal to use one as an audiophile. There are AirPods
Very simple, if you are not been biased/trapped with 15" display of Air, and if you need 16gb RAM, 512gb ssd then + ports & better processor then 14" Pro is the better choice at extended version of 15" Air (16gb RAM & 512gb ssd)...
People crying about “spending more for smaller screen, no thanks 🤬💅🏿” will never know what credit solvency feels like 😂
How’s your Chrysler 200 running? 🤣
Air is much better in portability. Better battery life + lighter is very important. Saying that pro is better in almost all categories is not true. 99% dont need pro cpu. My choise is 15 air 16gb 512/1Tb machine.
If you’re not a pro user. You don’t need a pro Mac.
Now you could just want one. That’s different then need.
MBA15 inch is good for pretty much anyone. Unless you need some pro usage.
Damn too late
Video editing and Programming: MBP 16
Normal people : MBA 15
The 14 in comaprison is too small.
Am I the only one who thinks it’s ironic the Air *doesn’t* have a fan?
14’ simply too small of a screen
i am more than happy with my m1 air. why buy a laptop with a notch, disgusting
👍🏻
Also in my opinion apple laptops are just better than windows laptops
Agree. Much better battery, performance is fast plugged or unplugged. Good reselling value
Apple is very quickly bridging the gaps between Mac and Windows laptops. The new Mac gaming announcements during WWDC this month was a huge deal IMO, gaming is one of the last bastions of major difference between the two platforms, and it's looking like in the next 1-2 years we will see a huge improvement to Mac gaming.
Windows laptops are still better in a few areas, namely upgrade-ability, app compatibility, and niche tech like CUDA for 3D rendering etc. But damn, I am surprised at how quickly Apple silicon is changing the status quo.
@@CreatedTech Yes
i bought top of the line XPS 15 a couple of years ago instead of a Macbook big mistake the dedicated GPU of the laptop burnt but laptop still works and the quality of the laptop is trash it was 2k plus now it worths less than 200$ so yes apple laptops/products quality are top notch every one of them could last 5 plus years easy without any issues
First
1st
2st
$300 more for a SMALLER display? No thanks.
Same price or less for an M1 MBP though? Now that’s a decision!
300$ more for a better screen, speakers, and performance from the CPU and GPU? Hmmm yeah
Quality of the screen is also important
Pro is for professionals who need the extra power. You don’t need it unless you need it for your work
$300 more for the ability to plug a more portable device into 3 external monitors? Yes please
Dislike for the scammy thumbnail
DO NOT buy any laptop with soldered memory and drive. You'll end up in a data loss NIGHTMARE and having to replace your laptop in 3 years. THERE'S A REASON why AppleCare+ cannot be extended more than 3 years.