MacBook Air Vs MacBook Pro for Programming 2022

If you are reading this, we assume you are looking for a comparison between MacBook Air Vs MacBook Pro For Programming. Apple is known to manufacture super-advanced and powerful Laptops which usually are known by the name of MacBooks. It also has an online store for buying hardware and software and an iTunes store where you can download any music of your taste or download any game or watch movies. However, the corporation’s top-line products are the Mac series of personal computers and related accessories. MacBooks are game-changers in terms of a powerful board and efficient working.

MacBook Air Vs MacBook Pro for Programming

Many of us buy laptops for the sole purpose of developing apps and programming software. This can be part of a job or for training and practice. If you have an excellent idea for a Mac app but do not know which Mac would be ideal, you can consider several things before you make a choice. Below, we will compare two MacBooks to find out which coding and programming will be the best choice. Macs provide substantial support both for professional app developers and a newbie in the field. When it comes to coding, we cannot restrict ourselves to a laptop that does not suffice our requirements. For better processing, two primary needs include a good processor and plenty of RAM. If you are developing games, you may require a graphic card.

MacBook Air Vs MacBook Pro for Programming Comparison and Buying Guide

Features
Apple MacBook Air (13-inch Retina Display, 8GB RAM,...
Apple 2019 MacBook Pro (16-inch, 16GB RAM, 512GB...
Image
Apple MacBook Air (13-inch Retina Display, 8GB RAM,...
Apple 2019 MacBook Pro (16-inch, 16GB RAM, 512GB...
Screen Size
13.3 inches (2560 x 1600)
13.3 inches (2560 x 1600)
Battery Life
Up to 19 hours of video playback (M1 claimed)
Up to 21 hours of video playback (M1 claimed)
Processor
Apple M1 (8-core CPU, 16 core neural engine)
Apple M1 (8-core CPU, 16 core neural engine) Intel 10th Gen Core i5 and i7
Graphics
Integrated 7-core M1 GPU
Intel Iris Plus Graphics
Memory
8GB, 16GB
8GB, 16GB, 32GB
Storage
256GB up to 2TB
256GB up to 4TB
Audio
Stereo speakers, Dolby Atmos support
Stereo speakers, Dolby Atmos support,3-mic array
Weight
1.27 Kilograms
1.36 Kilograms
Dimensions
12 x 8.4 x 0.6 inches
12 x 8.4 x 0.6 inches
Features
Apple MacBook Air (13-inch Retina Display, 8GB RAM,...
Image
Apple MacBook Air (13-inch Retina Display, 8GB RAM,...
Screen Size
13.3 inches (2560 x 1600)
Battery Life
Up to 19 hours of video playback (M1 claimed)
Processor
Apple M1 (8-core CPU, 16 core neural engine)
Graphics
Integrated 7-core M1 GPU
Memory
8GB, 16GB
Storage
256GB up to 2TB
Audio
Stereo speakers, Dolby Atmos support
Weight
1.27 Kilograms
Dimensions
12 x 8.4 x 0.6 inches
Price
Features
Apple 2019 MacBook Pro (16-inch, 16GB RAM, 512GB...
Image
Apple 2019 MacBook Pro (16-inch, 16GB RAM, 512GB...
Screen Size
13.3 inches (2560 x 1600)
Battery Life
Up to 21 hours of video playback (M1 claimed)
Processor
Apple M1 (8-core CPU, 16 core neural engine) Intel 10th Gen Core i5 and i7
Graphics
Intel Iris Plus Graphics
Memory
8GB, 16GB, 32GB
Storage
256GB up to 4TB
Audio
Stereo speakers, Dolby Atmos support,3-mic array
Weight
1.36 Kilograms
Dimensions
12 x 8.4 x 0.6 inches
Price

MacBook Air Review

Have you seen the early 2020 MacBook Air? The MacBook Air with M1 looks very similar to it. It has a comfortable wedge-shaped design for the ease of its users. Apple is time and time again criticized for its too-beautiful and not worth it working performance, but with MacBook Air, this is (With M1) not the case.  With this model, we can say that Apple has focused more on performance rather than bringing radical changes in the design.

Now about the dimensions, the MacBook measures about 0.16–0.63 x 11.97 x 8.36 inches with a weight of about 2.8 pounds. The design is similar to the previous three in the family, the MacBook 2020, MacBook 2019, and MacBook 2018. However, one significant change that we see is the absence of fans.

This means that the internals is designed to remain cool even during workload. This is also the primary cause of its noiseless working. With the absence of fans, the device could have been thinner, but this is not the case here. It would have been a shame if MacBook M1 would be without the Magic Keyboard Apple is very famous for.

With the magic keyboard, you can also appreciate the presence of the Touch ID button. The touch ID has one of the best recognitions found in any laptop. The screen is 13.3 inches with a 400-nit LED-backlit display and a Retina display of 2560 x 1600 resolution. It has the ability to automatically adjust colors and displays due to having Apple’s True Tone Technology.

Apple MacBook Air (13-inch Retina Display, 8GB RAM,...
8,786 Reviews
Apple MacBook Air (13-inch Retina Display, 8GB RAM,...
  • Stunning 13.3-inch Retina display with True Tone technology
  • Backlit Magic Keyboard and Touch ID

Performance

When it comes to performance MacBook Air with M1 has surely impressed its users with a quick boost and new operating system. The interface is bright with vibrant colors. You will need a sense of modernism with highly organized panels and icons. The main goal behind this neater version was predominantly to bring ease in usage.

It supports all the software and applications that work fine in macOS and Intel-based MacBooks. It is pretty impressive that you can easily use even old apps on it. It allows you to run every Mac app, and not only that, but you can also run IOS games and apps on it too. The Apple Rosette 2 tool allows various apps to run on the new architecture smoothly. As we know, IOS games and apps are more exciting rich in features. Having them on the MacBook is a great thing. To conclude, MacBook Air with M1 is not just an office machine but is instead highly compatible for gamers. According to the company, this version is three times faster than its ancestors and beats about 98% of the PC and laptops in the market launched last year.

With a powerful chip, you can expect the device to run multiple apps to run simultaneously without causing any delay. This makes multitasking a lot easier. According to a user, he tried to transfer a file of 14GB from an external SSD, and you won’t believe the results. It took less than a minute!

It comes with Neural Engine that is nine times faster than the previous MacBook’s engine. As we already discussed, that MacBook with an M1 chip is fanless. One side of the picture has been discussed above, but it is necessary to examine the other. Being fanless means there will be no external source to cool it down during demanding tasks, affecting its performance a bit.

Verdict

MacBook Air with M1 is a whole package when it comes to performance and gaming. When it comes to being fanless many like it, and others go for Macbook pro instead. According to reports of the various performance tests conducted by users and tech experts worldwide, no significant throttling has been noticed or experienced even while performing heavier tasks. In performance, it comes close to the more expensive MacBook pro. You can easily use it for graphic designing, video editing, gaming, office work. In a nutshell, for most people, Macbook Air with M1 will offer sufficiently high power and performance.

Pros
  • The MacBook Air M1 offers valuable performance in this price cut.
  • It has a minimal design and yet a powerhouse of a performance.
  • It has a long-lasting battery. Instead, it has the most extended battering timing offered in any MacBook before. The battery lasts about 15 to 18 hours.
  • The fanless feature supports silent working.
  • The lightweight makes it highly portable.
  • It supports a wide range of the latest and older apps.
  • It does not lag at all and has a fast working performance.
  • The screen has a great display.
Cons
  • Although MacBook Air is worth the budget, it is still very expensive than many other laptops.
  • The MacBook Air M1 does not have a radically different design than other MacBooks. So if you did not like the previous versions, you might not also like it too much.

Buy now

Apple MacBook Pro Review

The M1 silicon chip makes MacBook Pro (13 inches) an ideal device. Although the dimensions of 0.61 x 11.97 x 8.36 inches are pretty much similar to the previous MacBook, the weight differs a bit from 2.8 pounds in the MacBook Air M1 to 3 pounds in this model. Although you would not appreciate a radical change in design but there is much more to it than the design. According to the developers, as the previous designs were perfect and were loved, there was no point in changing them. That was a little disappointing for the users expecting a revolutionary model.

On opening the device, you see a touch bar. It is a touch-sensitive strip on the upper side of the keyboard containing shortcuts such as the brightness and volume buttons for all those not familiar with the touch bar. Here again, you see the magic keyboard, which is an excellent replacement for the old butterfly Switch keyboard. On the screen, we see the Retina resolution of 2560 x 1600.

The screen no doubt delivers quality but is beaten by competitors such as Dell and HP, which offer resolutions in 13inches variants. If we put the comparison aside, the screen shows the color and a vibrant display. It features P3 wide color gamut, making it perfect for video editors and photographers who often feel the need to have real-life colors.

The device offers two Thunderbolt 3 ports on the left-hand side. On the right, we see an audio jack.

Apple 2019 MacBook Pro (16-inch, 16GB RAM, 512GB...
  • Ninth-generation 6-Core Intel Core i7 Processor
  • Stunning 16-inch Retina Display with True Tone technology

Performance

The M1 chip in the MacBook Pro is the basis of its highly efficient performance. The CPU is faster than many laptops in the market. It delivers high speed for Xcoding and vector performance in affinity photos.  When it was tested with some native Mac apps and some old Intel-based Mac apps, they worked pretty well, and that was impressive. The Mac Big Sur was also remarkable when we launched several heavy apps together and then switched between them. The result was assuring the apps did not take long to launch, and switching between them was also hassle-free.

We know that Apple in MacBook pro has shifted to a new architecture that created many problems in windows, but what made it successful in Macs was the Rosette tool two that Apple has added along with the ARM. While ARM may restrict the usage of many apps, Rosette saves us a lot of trouble. We can use older heavier apps easily.

As discussed above, when we talked about the MacBook Air M1, it was fanless and silent. The MacBook Pro has got fans and may not be very quiet in performance. But the availability of fans makes it possible to perform demanding tasks and use heavier applications without worrying about the system heating up. Therefore if you are a professional editor or designer, it is a better option to have. It helps you render 3D animations and HD videos much faster.

In a nutshell, the MacBook Pro delivers powerful performance. The mighty M1 chip Is even capable of beating the intel 11th gen chips. In various benchmark tests, MacBook pro outperformed devices having even graphic cards, and that is commendable. While working with Apple’s video editing software, the final cut pro editing a video with 8k resolution was not very difficult. We were able to add effects preview, render and edit it with a lot of ease.

Verdict

As long as you are looking for a device that delivers high performance yet is attractive, the MacBook pro 13 inches is a perfect choice for you. The magic keyboard makes typing more reliable and fast. The high-resolution retina display makes the whole working experience more exciting and enjoyable if a more significant size does not bother you. There are not many better options than MacBook Pro 13 inches in the market.

With fast Touch Id, your data is always safe and secure in the device.

Pros
  • MacBook Pro 13 inches has an elegant high-resolution Retina display to support high-resolution videos and pictures.
  • The device features a powerful sound system/speakers.
  • The most promising feature of the machine is its lightweight and minimal design.
  • In addition to excellent working performance, it is attractive and classy, and a modern device.
  • It has a long battery life of about 17 to 20 hours with intense working for prolonged hours.
  • It has ample storage with a 4TB SSD.
  • The magic keyboard is way better than the butterfly switch keyboard.
Cons
  • Although there are not many shortcomings in the model, certain are worth mentioning. For example, the webcam is only 720P. This disappoints most of the users who at least expect it to be 1080P.
  • To buy MacBook Pro 13 inches, you should have a flexible budget because it is undoubtedly expensive.

Buy now

Conclusion

Thank you for making it to this far!

It is observed that for most folks, the MacBook Air with M1 is the best pick thanks to the latest M1 chip from apple, super-fast computing skills, stellar performance and it is capable of running certain iOS apps due to the new silicon. It is lightweight, super portable and one of the most affordable MacBooks for average people. Overall, the device has everything one might expect for the price.

ON the contrary, if you need something powerful for photos and video editing, you should go for MacBook Pro with M1 because it starts with an 8 Core powerful GPU whereas the MacBook Air comes with 7 Core GPU. Ultimately, it gets down to one’s personal choice and professional requirements to choose the best-fit Laptop. Let us know which one is your MacBook: Pro or Air?

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