Air or “Budget” Pro?
The MacBook Air & MacBook Pro 13.3” were both refreshed by Apple in 2020.
On Monday, Apple announced a refresh to the Apple 13.3" MacBook Pro. The upgrade introduced the new Magic Keyboard to both the 2 & 4 Thunderbolt 3 models. In comparison, the 4 Thunderbolt 3 model also received new 10th-generation Intel processors, updated graphics, faster RAM (with up to 32GB of memory), and more storage options (up to 4TB SSD).
I've been struggling to define the intended use case scenario that would have someone choose the 2 Thunderbolt 3 model (we'll call it the 2TB MacBook Pro) over the MacBook Air.
When Apple released the MacBook Air on March 18, 2020, it featured updated 10th-generation intel processors (the 2TB MacBook Pro has Intel's 8th-gen processor architecture), updated Iris Plus graphics (which feature on the new 4 Thunderbolt 3 model and are powerful enough to run Apple's $5,000 Pro Display XDR), and faster memory (3,733 MHz LPDDDR4X vs. The 2TB's 2,133MHz LPDDR3). Additionally, the Air is lighter, thinner, and provides 10-20% better battery life over the 2TB MacBook Pro.
Two areas where the 2TB MacBook Pro may be preferable over the MacBook Air is in sustained performance & the inclusion of the Touch Bar. Despite the older chips in the 2TB model, the lower wattage of the MacBook Airs processors means that performance limitations, especially across lengthy processor-intensive tasks, might be felt if you are regularly working with video/photo-editing, compiling code, etc.)
If performance in a 13" portable was a primary determining criterion in selecting across Apple's laptops, spending the extra $300 to leap from the 2TB to the 4TB MacBook Pro upgrades you to a better/faster processor, double the RAM/faster Memory (8GB to 16; 2133MHz to 3733MHz), improved integrated graphics, and two additional Thunderbolt 3 ports. Unless you fit that small overlap of people whose budget, desire for a Touch Bar, & needing slightly improved performance over a sustained period, you stand to save up to $500 by moving into the MacBook Air line while gaining in graphics, memory, battery life, and portability.
In Summary: 2 Thunderbolt Port MacBook Air, I don't get you!
My Preferred MacBook Air Config:
Based one my usage case (writing, browsing, basic graphic design & photo editing) I would prioritize RAM, then storage, then processor speed in this instance.
Base Price: $1,299 MacBook Air (1.1GHz 10th-Gen processor, 8GB RAM, 512 GB SSD)
Memory Upgrade: 16 GB 3733MHz LPDDR4X memory (+$200)
Storage Upgrade: 1TB SSD (+$200)
Processor Upgrade: Intel 10th-gen 1.2 GHz quad-core i7, Turbo Boost up to 3.8 GHz (+$150)
Total: $1,849
External Links:
Rene Richie’s Comparison on YouTube: MacBook Air vs MacBook Pro - 13-inch FIGHT!
