MacBook Air vs MacBook Pro: M1 Edition

So similar, yet so different?

Aamer Seth
3 min readApr 1, 2021
Photo by Marten Bjork on Unsplash

The 2020 lineup of MacBooks is a little bit confusing, but without a doubt powerful. With the introduction of the M1 chip and having them available in the MacBook Air and the MacBook Pro, you are getting a fantastic, powerful, capable machine. They both run the same Processor and have the same RAM (unless upgraded on the Apple site) and come in the same storage options.

The M1 version of the MacBook Air and the MacBook Pro are similar in a lot of ways, which begs the question: Why should anyone spend the extra money on the MacBook Pro when they can get similar power in the MacBook Air?

The biggest visual difference between the MacBook Air and Pro is the fact that the MacBook Pro has a Touch Bar, which the Air is missing. The Touch Bar has been a great addition to the Mac since it first came out back in 2016, and I love mine. I believe that it adds a lot of conveniences and extra usage to the device. I wish Apple would release an external magic keyboard that includes the Touch Bar.

Smaller differences between the Air and the Pro is the display is slightly brighter on the Pro with 500 nits of brightness compared to 400 on the Air (but still at the same resolution). For Zoom calls that we are on every day, the MacBook Pro has a better microphone system…

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Aamer Seth

A young University student very curious about many things and here to share his thinking. Interested in Photography, Technology and sharing stories.