We made a comparison between these two newest Apple models with M1 chip.
Apple announced its newest M1 chip devices, MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, and Mac Mini, in late November 2020 at a digital event. The company has decided to move from Intel chips to build its own Apple Silicon chips, which are Arm-based, very similar to the A series of chips used in the iPhone 12 lineup.
MacBook Air vs Macbook Pro Late 2020: Design
These two new Apple models, MacBook Air and MacBook Pro, have the same design as earlier versions and feature the M1 processor. They both share Apple-designed aluminum shells and are available in the same colors, such as Silver and Space Grey. The only exception is the MacBook Air 2020, which is another color shade: gold.
Moreover, they both measure the same, 8.36 inches x 11.97 inches, and both are lightweight devices. For instance, the MacBook Pro 13 weighs 3 pounds, and the MacBook Air 2.8 weighs pounds, which makes the MacBook Air lighter than the Pro model.
The Battle of Displays
There is not much difference in the display. Both MacBook Air 13 inches and MacBook Air feature a 13.3-inch retina display, which is colorful and sharply saturated, except for the brightness level. The brightness of the Pro version can reach 500 nits, while the brightness of the Air model can reach 400 nits. In addition, these two models have a similar resolution of 277 PPI.
MacBook Air vs Macbook Pro Late 2020: Keyboard and Ports
As we stated earlier, the main design of the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro remains the same. However, Apple removed the sticky keys from the butterfly keyboard and improved the new keyboard launched last year. We are talking about the Magic keyboard, which is included in the Apple 2020 MacBook Air and Pro’s version. Both feature backlighting with a light sensor and a pair of vertical speakers.
On one hand, the MacBook Pro has a Touch ID sensor centered below the keyboard, enabling authentication and unlocking the device, for example. The Touch Bar is also very useful for apps like Adobe Creative Suite and Final Cut, allowing you to use touch gestures to switch tool selections.
On the other hand, the main difference between these two models’ keyboards is the function keys. The MacBook Pro features the Touch Bar, which is an OLED screen above the row of numbers, while the MacBook Air has the standard function keys set that includes, for the first time, special keys such as Dictation (F5), Do not Disturb (F6) and Spotlight (F4).
Regarding ports, both models come with a pair of USB-C and Thunderbolt 3 ports, as well as a headphone jack. They also both support the new USB 4, which speeds up data transfer between devices. However, the base model of MacBook Pro 13 inches with M1 comes only with two USB-C ports, while its pricer version, which costs $1,799 with Intel process, has four ports.
Processor, Graphics, and Storage
The latest lineup sports Apple’s M1 chip, which the manufacturer states outperforms Intel Core CPUs. The M1 processor uses a 5-nanometer production process like the A14 Bionic chip from the iPhone 12 Pro Max, which has eight CPU cores.
Also, the M1 graphics can power an external monitor with a 6K resolution. It has a powerful storage controller for traffic data. However, the MacBook Pro also has an Intel version, which is less expensive than the model with an M1 processor.
The storage sizes for both the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro are 256GB/ 512GB, respectively, with upgrades of 1TB and 2TB. For the memory, the Pro version comes with 8GB unified memory, which can be configured to 16GB, and the Air 2020 version has 8GB unified PDDR4X-4266 MHz SDRAM.
Battery Life
The battery life of the Air model can last up to 15 hours for browsing the Internet and up to 18 hours for watching a series or movie. The Pro model, however, performs better, with 17 hours for browsing the Internet and 20 hours for watching a movie.
MacBook Air vs Macbook Pro Late 2020: Pricing
The prices for MacBook Air 2020 start at $999 for the base model, which features an M1 chip, an 8-core CPU and a 7-core GPU, 8GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage. The higher-priced model, which features an M1 chip, an 8-core CPU and an 8-core GPU, 8GB of RAM, and 512GB storage, is $1,249.
The MacBook Pro’s base model, which features an M1 System on a Chip (SoC),8GB RAM, and 256 storage, starts at $1,299. A MacBook Pro 512GB costs $1,499. Duly note that you can upgrade to 16GB of RAM for $200 and for $400 for each storage with Apple.
Do you already know which new Apple laptop model to purchase?
Apple’s new technology, the M1 chip, appears to significantly improve Mac performance. Going back to the MacBook Air vs MacBook Pro debate, should you buy a MacBook Air or a MacBook Pro 13? That will depend on what you are looking for in a laptop.
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