At WWDC 22, Apple unveiled the new M2 MacBook Air. The company unveiled its most popular consumer MacBook, which features new internals and an entirely new design. Along with the MacBook Air M2, Apple unveiled the new 13-inch MacBook Pro, which uses the same M2 chip.
The 13-inch MacBook Pro M2 starts at $1,662 for the MacBook Air M2, while the MacBook Air M2 starts at $1,534. Which of the two MacBook models should you buy? To help you decide, here's a comparison of the M2 MacBook Air and the 13-inch MacBook Pro M2.
Display
Both models continue to use an IPS LCD display. The M2 MacBook Air has a slightly larger 13.6-inch screen. It also mimics the display design of the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros, with a wide notch at the top for the 1080p webcam.
The 13-inch MacBook Pro M2 has the same display as the M1 model. A 13.3-inch Retina display with a 2560 x 1600 pixel resolution and a 720p webcam are included. Both displays have a peak brightness of 500 nits.
Design
In comparison to its predecessor models, the new MacBook Air M2 features an entirely new design. The frame is now flat, as with other MacBook models released recently. In fact, the chassis is similar to that of the M2 MacBook Pro 13-inch.
While the designs may appear to be identical, the M2 MacBook Air 2022 has an advantage over the 13-inch MacBook Pro with an M2 chip. The MacBook Air 2022 is thinner and lighter than the 13-inch MacBook Pro with an M2 chip. On the plus side, the M2 MacBook Pro has a larger battery and an integrated fan for thermal management.
The M2 MacBook Air 2022 is available in four different colours: Midnight, Starlight, Space Grey, and Silver. The M2 13-inch MacBook Pro is only available in two colours: Space Grey and Silver.
The M2 MacBook Air has a MagSafe charging port as well as two USB Type-C Thunderbolt 4 ports. The Pro M2 13-inch model does not support MagSafe charging. It has only two USB Type-C ports. Both models include a 3.5mm audio jack with advanced high-impedance headphone support.
The M2 MacBook Pro has a stereo speaker setup, whereas the Air M2 has four speakers.
The MacBook Pro also has a Touch Bar and Touch ID support. The M2 Air, on the other hand, includes a full set of physical function keys as well as Touch ID in the top right corner of the keyboard.
Processor
Both MacBook models include the new M2 chip. Apple claims that the M2 chip in the MacBook Air 2022 and the new MacBook Pro M2 is up to 18% faster in terms of CPU, 35% faster in terms of GPU, and 40% faster in terms of Neural Engine.
The M2 MacBook Air and Pro models have 8GB of RAM as standard. The M2 MacBook Air has an 8-core CPU and a GPU with up to 10 cores. The M2 MacBook Pro 13-inch base model has an 8-core CPU and a 10-core GPU.
Users can increase the RAM capacity to 24GB and the internal SSD capacity to 2TB. The M2 MacBook Air and M2 MacBook Pro 13-inch come standard with 256GB of internal storage.
It's worth noting that the Pro model has a fan under the hood to help with heat dissipation. This could result in consistent performance for a few more minutes/hours as the system attempts to cool down while performing resource-intensive tasks.
Battery
The MacBook Air M2 has a battery life of up to 18 hours on a single charge, according to Apple. The 8-core GPU variant will include a 30W USB Type-C power adapter, while the 10-core GPU variant with 512GB of internal storage will include a dual 35W USB Type-C adapter.
Users will be able to upgrade from the 35W Dual USB Type-C adapter to a 67W USB Type-C fast charger. A USB Type-C to MagSafe charging cable is included with the M2 Air.
The MacBook Pro, on the other hand, can last up to 20 hours on a single charge. It includes a 67W USB Type-C adapter as well as a USB Type-C cable.
Our verdict
In most cases, it is clear that the M2 MacBook Air has superior hardware to the M2 MacBook Pro. It has a larger display with a better webcam, MagSafe charging up to 67W, and the same chip as the MacBook Pro 2022.6.
It also has more ports if the MagSafe connector is included. The MacBook Air M2 also comes in more colour options than the Pro M2, which only comes in Space Grey and Silver.
The MacBook Air M2 should be ideal for most consumers, with a starting price of Rs 1,19,900 for the base configuration.
The M2 13-inch MacBook Pro, on the other hand, will be useful for those who want to maintain peak performance over time, thanks to the active cooling fan system underneath. The M2 Pro also has a larger battery than the M2 MacBook Air, which is still far superior to many Windows laptops on the market.
The 13-inch M2 MacBook Pro is also a good option for those who want the Touch Bar, which is missing from the M2 MacBook Air and even the more expensive 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with an M1 Pro/ M1 Max chip.
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