Apple MacBook Air 15 vs MacBook Pro 16

We compare the 2023 variants of the M2 16 inch MacBook Pro vs 15 inch MacBook Air

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The 15 inch MacBook Air vs 16 inch MacBook Pro – which is better? Or, more accurately, which is the better option for your needs? Following the 15 inch MacBook Air release, we got our hands on this new device so have been able to compare it to the MacBook Pro (M2 variant), and discuss what these details mean below to help you device between them.

The new MacBook Pro M3 series has of course recently been launched, but these are considerably more expensive and powerful than both the laptops on this page so don’t work as well for a comparison. If you want to know the differences between them, basically, whatever applies to the M2 option we’re comparing below – just exaggerate further and this will give you a good idea of the M3 MacBook Pro. Also, make sure you check out our Black Friday MacBook Air deals and Black Friday MacBook Pro deals hubs for some great savings this November.

MacBook Air 15 vs MacBook Pro 16 M2 specs comparison

	Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023)	Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023)
screen size & resolution	15.3-inch 16:10 (2880 x 1864, 224ppi)	16.2-inch (3456 x 2234, 254ppi)
display	60Hz, Liquid Retina IPS (500nits)	60Hz/120Hz ProMotion, Liquid Retina XDR (500nits SDR / 1000nits XDR / 1600nits HDR content)
touchscreen?	no	no
chipset	Apple M2 (8-core CPU, 10-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine)	Apple M2 Pro (12-core CPU, 19-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine) / M2 Max (12-core CPU, 38-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine)
RAM	8GB / 16GB / 24GB unified memory	16GB / 32GB / 64GB (M2 Max only) / 128GB (M2 Max only)
storage	256GB/512GB/1TB/2TB SSD	512GB/1TB/2TB/4TB/8TB SSD
I/O ports	2x USB-C (Thunderbolt 4), 1x 3.5mm headphone jack	3x USB-C (Thunderbolt 4), 1x 3.5mm headphone jack, 1x HDMI, 1x SDXC card slot
battery	66.5 watt-hour	100 watt-hour
charger	MagSafe 3 charging port: either 35W Dual USB-C Port Compact Power Adapter or 70W USB-C Power Adapter	MagSafe 3 charging port
weight	3.3lbs	4.7lbs (M2 Pro) / 4.8lbs (M2 Max)
dimensions	0.45″ x 13.4″ x 9.35″	0.66″ x 14.01″ x 9.77″
colors	silver, space gray, starlight, midnight	silver, space gray
misc	1080p webcam, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3	1080p webcam, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3

MacBook Air 15 vs MacBook Pro 16 M2 display

Although both laptops come with Liquid Retina displays, the 2023 MacBook Pro 16 comes with the XDR variant that is capable of much higher peak brightness, particularly when viewing HDR content. It also has ProMotion tech that effectively boosts the maximum refresh rate to 120Hz.

In terms of resolution, the MacBook Pro also has a higher pixel per inch (ppi count) than the 15-inch MacBook Air.

MacBook Air 15 vs MacBook Pro 16 M2 chipset

The Apple M2 Pro and M2 Max chipsets in the latest MacBook Pro 16 are substantially more powerful than the regular Apple M2 chip in the 15 inch MacBook Air (even if it is more powerful than that in the 13 inch MacBook Air), however this level of power is beyond what you’d need for casual general use.

The M2 Pro is best for those with moderately demanding editing workloads (be they photo/video/audio) whereas the M2 Max is only for really strenuous workloads, or many running simultaneously, heavy CAD rendering or the like.

The M2 chip in the MacBook Air is certainly adequate for general use and light creative workloads however.

MacBook Air 15 vs MacBook Pro 16 M2 battery life

The MacBook Air 15 inch model comes with a smaller 66.5 watt-hour battery than the larger 100 watt-hour one in the MacBook Pro, but it has a less powerful (and therefore less power-hungry) chipset.

We’ll have to wait for third party testing to know how the 15 inch MacBook Air battery life performs in different real-world scenarios, but based on the specs provided by Apple, it’s claimed that both laptops should be able to manage ‘up to 15 hours wireless web browsing’, although the MacBook Pro can apparently manage up to 22 hours of Apple TV app movie playback, whereas the Air can only manage 18.

MacBook Air 15 vs MacBook Pro 16 M2 price

The 15 inch MacBook Air price starts at $1,299 for the lowest storage and RAM loadout, with upgrades in either of these areas costing more.

The MacBook Pro 16 (M2) price begins at $2,299 for the M2 Pro version, and $3,199 for the M2 Max.

Final Word

So, to sum up, the 15 inch MacBook Air vs 16 inch MacBook Pro – which should you pick? Well the two devices are ultimately aimed at different users, with different needs and different budgets. The lighter, thinner, and much more affordable MacBook Air is a much better choice for the average general user, looking for a quality machine for the office, studying, or light creative use.

The MacBook Pro however (as the name suggests) is more geared towards creative professionals doing more demanding tasks, with a need for greater processing power, storage, RAM, and an HDR capable screen, for whom the steep asking price is worth the money.

You may want to also consider some Windows laptops on our best MacBook Pro alternatives guide.