MacBook Air vs. MacBook Pro 13 (non-Touch Bar)

With the MacBook Air rumored to be on its last legs, would it still be a good buy? Let’s look at how it stacks up to the low-end MacBook Pro and see if you should get in on what could be the very last MacBook Air — before it vanishes into the ether for all time.

The relevant question then is, how exactly do these two Macs compare, and which should get your hard-earned money? Read on to find out.

MacBook Air 13-inch

MacBook Pro 13-inch

Dimensions
 12.8 x 8.94 x 0.11 – 0.68 (in)
11.97 x 8.36 x 0.59 (in)

Weight
 2.96 pounds
3.02 pounds

Processor
 5th Generation Intel Core i5 or i7
7th Generation Intel Core i3, i5, or i7

RAM
 8GB LPDDR3 1600MHz
8GB LPDDR3 1866MHz

Display
 13.3-inch LED-backlit display
13.3-inch LED-backlit Retina display

Resolution
 1,400 x 900
2,560 x 1,600

Storage
 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, PCIe SSD
256GB, 512GB, 1TB PCIe SSD

Networking
 802.11ac, Bluetooth 4.0
802.11ac, Bluetooth 4.2

Ports
 2 x USB 3, 1 x Thunderbolt 2, SDXC card slot
2 x USB-C with Thunderbolt 3

Webcam
 720p FaceTime HD
720p FaceTime HD

Operating System
 MacOS High Sierra
MacOS High Sierra

Battery
 54 watt-hours, up to 12 hours
54.5 watt-hours, up to 10 hours

Price
$1,000
$1,300+

Availability
Available now
Available now

DT review
4 out of 5 stars
3 out of 5 stars

The new thin versus the old thin

There was a time when the MacBook Air was the Apple product that most deserved its name. Compared to other models in the line, and for a time most Windows notebooks as well, the MacBook Air really was the most air-like. At least, it was the lightest model to go along with being the thinnest, and that let the MacBook Air carve out a special place in Apple’s MacOS lineup.

Enter the new MacBook Pro. The latest model is also seriously thin and light, almost equal to the MacBook Air. In fact, while the MacBook Air has its wedge-shaped taper down to 0.11 inch, it’s still thicker at its thicker point than the new MacBook Pro, at 0.68 inch versus 0.59 inch. The new MacBook Pro is also 3.02 pounds, pretty much a rounding error compared to the MacBook Air’s 2.96 pounds.

In the end, it would be hard to justify the MacBook Air over the new MacBook Pro in terms of thickness and weight alone, and given everything else that’s better on the MacBook Pro, we have to give it the nod here.

Winner: MacBook Pro

Retina display for the win

The MacBook Air never received a Retina display, meaning it’s stuck with its old-school 1,440 by 900 resolution compared to the MacBook Pro’s 2,560 by 1,600 resolution. That’s 128 pixels per inch compared to 227 pixels per inch. In addition, the MacBook Air’s display maxes out at 300 nits of brightness and it’s limited to the standard sRGB color gamut. The new MacBook Pro, on the other hand, offers 500 nits of brightness and a wider P3 color gamut.

Digital Trends

What all that translates into is that the MacBook Air’s display is going to look pixelated and dated compared to the MacBook Pro. Both are LED-backlit screens, but the MacBook Pro is going to be brighter in terms of both the amount of light it produces to combat ambient lighting and the splashes of color you’ll enjoy. Both screens are identically sized, but the MacBook Air has much larger and more unsightly bezels than the new MacBook Pro.

The bottom line is that the MacBook Air’s display is antiquated, and seriously lower in quality. There’s no contest, really.

Winner: MacBook Pro

Generations matter when it comes to performance

The MacBook Air uses fifth-generation Broadwell Intel Core i5 and i7 processors rated at 1.6GHz and 2.2GHz, respectively. The new MacBook Pro, on the other hand, offers up 7th-gen Kaby Lake processors running at 2.3GHz for the Core i5 and 2.5Ghz for the Core i7. Graphics are provided by Intel HD Graphics 6000 in the MacBook Air versus Intel Iris Graphics 640 or 650 in the new MacBook Pro.

Simply put, the MacBook Air is seriously outgunned. While it’s a decent enough performer on its own, and would likely continue working well for most mainstream Mac users, the MacBook Air simply won’t be able to compete with the new MacBook Pro. Maximum RAM is the same on both models at 8GB, but the MacBook Pro offers a 1TB SSD versus the MacBook Air’s limit of 512GB.

The only area where the MacBook Air exceeds the new MacBook Pro is battery life. The MacBook Air has a 54-watt battery versus the roughly equivalent 54.5-watt battery in the new MacBook Pro, but the latter’s more power-efficient Skylake processor doesn’t overcome its power-gulping Retina display. Thus, the MacBook Air is rated at up to 12 hours of battery life versus the new MacBook Pro’s 10 hours.

Here, once more, the new MacBook Pro is leaps and bounds ahead. Unless you need more battery life, that is, in which case the MacBook Air is the better of the two.

Winner: MacBook Pro

How’s the keyboard and touchpad?

The new MacBook Pro has received an even larger version of the Force Touch trackpad technology introduced in previous generations. Whether that’s a good thing or a bad thing compared to the MacBook Air’s standard mechanical multi-touch trackpad is purely subjective, and it’s likely worth a visit to an Apple Store to try them both out side by side.

Malarie Gokey/Digital Trends

The MacBook Air also retains the old style of Apple’s island keyboard with chicklet keys, which remains a favorite for many people. The new MacBook Pro has a second-generation version of the MacBook’s keyboard, offering the same mechanical feel but with more apparent key travel. Again, which is better will likely come down to each user’s preference.

The MacBook Pro’s keyboard is a bit polarizing. Some people love how clicky and tactile it is, some people hate how short the key travel is. Here, there’s no right answer, so it’s really up to your preferences. The MacBook Air features an earlier, less tactile version of the MacBook Pro’s keyboard, but the differences are very subtle.

Winner: It’s up to you

Which is more connected?

The MacBook Air is probably one of the last Apple machines that will offer the old-style USB-A ports, and it’s limited to a single Thunderbolt 2 port. The new MacBook Air, on the other hand, eschews the thicker USB connector in favor of the increasingly in-vogue USB-C ports. The MacBook Pro also offers the newer and faster Thunderbolt 3 connection.

In terms of wireless, both have 802.11ac Wi-Fi. The MacBook Air has Bluetooth 4.0 versus the Bluetooth 4.2 offered by the new MacBook Pro. The MacBook Air does include an SDXC card slot, whereas the new MacBook Pro has none, and so that’s a plus in the MacBook Air’s column.

Overall, which is better connected comes down to your willingness to use dongles to support all of your old USB devices and cables or whether you’re ready to move ahead to USB-C. Also, if you just have to have an SD card slot without using an external adapter, then the MacBook Air is your choice.

We have to give a nod to the future here, however, and anoint the more flexible MacBook Pro as the better option going forward.

Winner: MacBook Pro

But the MacBook Air costs less!

Yes, that’s right — the MacBook Air costs significantly less than the new MacBook Pro, even the version we’re comparing with here that doesn’t include the new Touch ID support and OLED Touch Bar. The MacBook Air starts out at $1,000, $300 less than the entry-level MacBook Pro, which comes in at $1,300.

Now, look back over the specs and analysis above. Look at what you get for just an extra $300. A quicker processor, a much better display, a newer overall design. If you’re on a budget and want a simple, well-performing, thin and light notebook to carry around for basic computing tasks? Then you’d probably be better off buying a Dell XPS 13, but if you want to buy into MacOS, the 13-inch MacBook Pro offers the most bang for your buck.

Winner: MacBook Pro

Final answer? The new Macbook Pro

When we tally up the score using our unscientific methodology, we have to say that the MacBook Air has enjoyed its time in the sun. It was the first truly thin and light PC on the market and arguably cemented thickness and weight as important metrics when selecting a new notebook. It was a trailblazer, it forged new paths, it was ahead of its time. Pick the platitude. Today, though, it’s just old news, and we’re surprised that Apple hasn’t done away with it completely — but it’s probably on its way out.

The new MacBook Pro is a svelte, futuristic-looking notebook with almost up-to-date components and it maintains that excellent Retina display. It has the new, larger Force Touch trackpad, and a second-gen butterfly mechanical keyboard, so it’s likely to provide an excellent experience in terms of interacting with the machine. And its connectivity options are equally new and future-proof.

In the end, we’re sad to be the ones to say it, but the MacBook Air is no longer a viable choice. Unless you’re really strapped for cash, then you should pick up a new MacBook Pro and let the MacBook Air sidle off into the sunset. The MacBook Pro is the new thin and light MacOS device of choice.

Buy from Apple:

MacBook 13-inch Air MacBook Pro 13-inch

Updated 1/25/18 to reflect the latest hardware. 

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