What's the difference between these Apple laptops? Intel MacBook Pro 13-inch vs Intel MacBook Air:

 


(Pocket-lint) - Apple has launched a new version of the new M1 processor for the 13-inch MacBook Pro and MacBook Air. The Intel version of the 13-inch MacBook Pro remains, however.

And, though the Intel-based MacBook Air has gone the way of the dodo, for a while, it will still be available to purchase from third parties. However, if you're looking for Apple's new MacBook Air, it'll have to be the M1-based version.

Apple updated the Intel models of both these laptops earlier in 2020, latterly the MacBook Pro, which was upgraded to the new specs to put it in line with the 16-inch MacBook Pro last year.

The cheaper starting price on the MacBook Air will appeal to many, especially because the two models have a lot of similarities.

Intel MacBook Pro 13-inch vs Intel MacBook Air: Design and build

  • All models have Touch ID
  • All 13-inch MacBook Pro models have the Touch Bar
  • New style keyboard - dubbed the Magic Keyboard across all models
In silver and space grey, the 13-inch MacBook Pro is available, while the Air is also available in gold. It's a little bit more like rose gold than it used to be.

The MacBook Pro is 13-inch and measures 304.1 x 212.4 x 15.6mm and weights 1.4kg. It is significantly thicker and heavier than the older mid-2019 edition, which was 14.9 mm/1.37 kg thick.

The 13-inch MacBook Air measures 304.1 x 212.4 x 16.1mm and weighs 1.29kg (4.1mm at the thinnest edge). You'll notice that both of these laptops have dimensions of the same width and depth. These days, they are also actually pretty similar in terms of weight.

After mass criticism of Apple's previous Butterfly design, the keyboard has been entirely redesigned on both versions. In all portable Macs, the older keyboard design remains the target of an ongoing recall programme.

For more convenient typing, the so-called Magic Keyboard is built to be much more robust and to travel better. The Physical Escape Key has returned as well. For fingerprint login and Apple Pay authentication, all Macs now have Touch ID.

On the two lower-end 13-inch versions, you can get two USB-C/Thunderbolt 3 ports, and four on the top-end pair of models. Yep, the 13-inch MacBook Pro has four regular versions. There are two USB-C Thunderbolt ports on the MacBook Air for all versions. Dual 4K displays can be powered by both laptops and have 3.5mm headphone jacks.

The 13-inch MacBook Pro now has the full range of the Touch Bar; it used to be only on selected models. It is, however, a crucial distinction nowadays between the Air and Pro. It is a concession for consumers who want a contact experience that is more tactile. But with the iPad Pro being increasingly touted as a laptop alternative, it seems that rather than Mac, full touchscreens will stay in the iPad domain.

Intel MacBook Pro 13-inch vs Intel MacBook Air: Display

  • All MacBooks now offer a True Tone display
  • 13-inch size and resolutions remain the same 
In both versions, the same display is basically used here - a resolution of 2,560 x 1,600 pixels (227ppi) is available, the same as the older 13-inch MacBook Pros and MacBook Airs.

All MacBook Pro displays boast True Tone, while the large P3 colour range is also supported by the Pro. True Tone is a technique first used on the iPad Pro that changes the monitor to match the colour temperature of the room lighting.

There is no upgrade to the FaceTime camera on either model above the display: it is still just 720p HD rather than Full HD capable.

Intel MacBook Pro 13-inch vs Intel MacBook Air: Processor, graphics and storage

  • 10th generation Intel Core processors for 13-inch MacBook Pro
  • 8th generation processor MacBook Pro models now replaced by Apple M1 models
  • 10th generation Intel Core processors for the MacBook Air
With the Apple M1 processor, the bottom two MacBook Pros replace the 8th generation Intel Core chips on the bottom two models - but you can probably still pick up the 8th generation models from third-party resellers. The two now available Intel models have 10th generation chips and sit above the two M1 models.

The Core i5 quad-core chips of the 10th gen are clocked at 2.0Ghz. With maximum Turbo Boost speeds of 4.1Ghz, you can also configure up to 10th generation Core i7 at 2.3GHz.

Unfortunately, unlike the 16-inch Pro, there is no discrete graphics option on the 13-inch MacBook Pro, but Intel's Iris Plus graphics chips are much more impressive than the old, minimal integrated graphics.

Intel MacBook Air has 10th generation Intel Core processors around the board, now retired, but that also means Intel Iris Plus Graphics. The entry-level model is a dual-core Core i3 (1.1GHz), but you normally look at the Core i5. On a 1.2GHz quad-core Core i7, you can max things out.

The 13-inch MacBook Pro can have up to 32 GB of memory, but the higher-end versions are standard with 8 GB of 2133 MHz LPDDR3 memory and 16 GB of 3733 MHz LPDDR4X. The memory caps out at 4 TB but begins with at least 256 GB. Adding more internal storage at the time of purchase greatly increases the cost.

The Air now also has a normal minimum of 256GB of capacity with a maximum of 2TB. And there's a minimum of 8GB of room, too.

The Intel MacBook Pro lineup all has its own T2 chip from Apple. This is a protection chip that manages Touch ID and some other capabilities. The Intel MacBook Air is not inside it.

Both of these Macs run the current version of their Mac operating system from Apple - macOS 10.15 Catalina upgradeable to macOS 11 Big Sur - if you have a new model it may already have Big Sur.

Intel MacBook Pro 13-inch vs Intel MacBook Air: Price 


For the outgoing 8th generation Intel Core edition and $1,799/£1,799 for the still usable 10th generation Core i5 models, the 13-inch Intel MacBook Pro begins at $1,299/£1,299. Starting at $999/£999, the MacBook Air. As normal, the processor, memory and storage can be fine-tuned, but as always, the larger SSD storage choices are very costly.

Conclusions


The 13-inch MacBook Pro will be the default choice for many users, as with the newer M1 models, but the question now should be... why? There are some additional features, such as P3 colour space support, Touch Bar, and four Thunderbolt ports on the more expensive 13-inch MacBook Pro versions.

But to plump for it over the MacBook Air, you would really have to be a Pro fan - or need the extra power and storage that you can upgrade the Pro to. If you just want the Intel edition, rather than the more costly Pro, pick up a bargain on the outgoing Intel-based MacBook Air.



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