Macbook Pro Vs. Macbook Air: How To Decide Which Apple Laptop To Buy For Black Friday

Kerry Wan/ZDNET

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Which should you buy: a MacBook Air or a MacBook Pro? It's a amazingly reliable mobility since you can't spell incorrect either way. Apple refreshes its lineup annually, equipping its devices pinch improved hardware and caller package features. When purchasing a new Apple laptop, respective cardinal factors should beryllium taken into consideration. So, wherever do you start?

You'll request to first see a MacBook's computing power, retention capacity, display, and size. In position of hardware, nan MacBook Pro is nan "better" computer. It's much powerful, features a larger screen, and offers much storage, among different improvements. 

Also: Best Black Friday Apple deals 2025

In years past, location has been a large disagreement betwixt nan hardware successful a MacBook Pro and a MacBook Air, but pinch nan advent of nan M4 MacBook Air, that favoritism isn't arsenic clear-cut. The refreshed Air features Apple's M4 chipset, providing nan bid pinch a important powerfulness boost. It besides comes pinch much representation for a amended wide experience.

Combining each nan size options, location are presently 10 MacBook Pro configurations and six MacBook Air configurations. Let's reappraisal nan main differences betwixt nan 2 to thief you determine which 1 to purchase.

What's nan quality betwixt nan MacBook Pro and MacBook Air?

The MacBook Pro is disposable successful 2 sizes: 14 inches and 16 inches, pinch nan 14-inch exemplary disposable successful 3 superior configurations. There is 1 lodging nan caller M5 chip, which launched precocious successful October 2025, 1 pinch nan M4 Pro, and different lodging nan M4 Max. The 16-inch MacBook Pro is only disposable lodging nan second 2 chipsets. Additionally, statement that nan guidelines M4 MacBook Pro is nary longer disposable for waste connected Apple's storefront. You'll request to sojourn a third-party platform, specified arsenic Amazon, for nan older model.

All 3 chips are high-performing, though location are notable differences among them. The M4 Max remains nan champion chipset retired of nan trio, boasting a powerful media motor tin of handling nan astir demanding tasks. 

Review: Apple M5 MacBook Pro

Each spot has a different number of capacity cores. The M5 has a 10-core CPU and a 10-core GPU. Apple's M4 Pro houses a 14-core CPU and a 20-core GPU. The M4 Max features nan aforesaid processor arsenic nan M4 Pro, but it sports a 32-core GPU instead. Apple's M4 MacBook Pro models besides person different amounts of unified memory, ranging from 16GB to 48GB.

What makes nan M5 MacBook Pro truthful awesome is that it strikes a cleanable equilibrium betwixt powerfulness and cost. ZDNET Managing Reviews Editor Kerry Wan tested nan exemplary backmost erstwhile it first launched. According to his benchmarks, nan M5 MacBook Pro outperforms nan M4 MacBook Pro significantly. In fact, it is comparable successful capacity to the M1 Ultra Mac Studio, a $4,000 machine from 3 years ago.

Here's nan 14-inch MacBook Pro.

Kerry Wan/ZDNET

Its single-core processor scores were bully too, indicating that nan laptop is rather fast. And judge enough, that's precisely what Wan knowledgeable during his testing. He praised nan hardware for gracefully handling dozens of tabs, ZDNET's contented guidance system, euphony apps, and Adobe Premiere Pro.

Other benefits of nan M5 MacBook Pro see a long-lasting battery, a robust group of ports (including 3 Thunderbolt 4 ports and an SDXC paper slot), and a vibrant Liquid Retina XDR display.

Also: 5 MacBook deals that each Black Friday shopper should see this week (and not regret)

The M5 MacBook Pro is simply a coagulated laptop for astir usage cases, but if nan guidelines spot isn't powerful capable for you, see nan M4 Pro and M4 Max laptops instead. Those chipsets are still much powerful, though nan capacity spread betwixt nan caller guidelines exemplary and Pro models has shrunk.

• Prices for nan 14-inch M4 Pro and M4 Max models commencement at $1,999 and $3,199, respectively.
• Prices for nan 16-inch M4 Pro and M4 Max models commencement astatine $2,499 and $3,499, respectively.

Apple will 1 time merchandise nan M5 Pro and M5 Max versions of nan MacBook Pro. The nonstop day is unknown, though it is apt to beryllium sometime successful early 2026. Not overmuch is known astir these laptops, but I wouldn't beryllium amazed if they some eclipse nan M1 Ultra Mac Studio.

Kyle Kucharski/ZDNET

As for nan MacBook Air, location are 2 models available: a 13-inch and a 15-inch M4 model, some listed connected Apple's website. The older M3 units are nary longer officially connected sale, but you tin still find nan M3 MacBook Air astatine Amazon. This procreation utilizes nan powerful M4 chipset, and though it can't scope nan aforesaid heights of powerfulness arsenic nan MacBook Pro, it's still nary slouch.

ZDNET Editor Kyle Kucharski spent immoderate value clip testing nan M4 MacBook Air and praised nan laptop's responsive performance. Across aggregate benchmark tests, nan MacBook Air performed rather well, moreover coming adjacent to nan aged M4 MacBook Pro, and successful immoderate instances, outdoing nan M3 MacBook Pro.

Also: I've tested aggregate laptops that costs little than $1,000

Battery life is excellent, too, lasting complete 14 hours connected a azygous charge. Its Liquid Retina show delivers a crisp image, well-defined text, smooth, vibrant video, and support for 1 cardinal colors. Other notable features see nan expertise to support 2 outer monitors while nan lid is unfastened and Center Stage, which keeps you successful nan halfway of nan MacBook's webcam.

The MacBook Air exemplary has importantly less ports than nan MacBook Pro, consisting of only 2 Thunderbolt 4 inputs, a headphone jack, and a MagSafe 3 charging port. Due to its lightweight design, nan laptop weighs only 2.7 pounds. Conversely, nan Pro laptop weighs 3.4 pounds and tin go heavier erstwhile equipped pinch a much powerful chipset.

Review: Apple M4 MacBook Air

Multiple MacBook Air configurations are available. At $999, nan cheapest exemplary has a 10-core CPU, an 8-core GPU, 16GB of unified memory, and 256GB SSD storage. The high-end model, priced astatine $1,399, features nan aforesaid processor but sports a 10-core GPU, 24GB of unified memory, and a 512GB SSD.

You tin upgrade definite aspects, for illustration expanding nan retention abstraction to 1TB. Doing truthful will summation nan value by $400, truthful beryllium mindful of your shopping budget. If you want to prevention money, nan base M3 MacBook Air is disposable connected Best Buy for $900.

Which MacBook is correct for you?

The reply chiefly depends connected really you spot yourself utilizing nan laptops and really nan show size and weight facet into that equation. A reliable machine is an investment; you don't want to walk excessively overmuch connected an overqualified laptop, and you don't want to bargain a machine that's not powerful capable for your needs. Since nan gulf betwixt nan 2 models isn't arsenic large arsenic successful erstwhile generations, nan 1 you should bargain depends connected nan type of personification you are.

If you're a graphic designer, euphony producer, master photographer, videographer, 3D artist, aliases iOS crippled and app developer, a MacBook Pro would beryllium nan measurement to go. The Pro models tin grip aggravated graphics processing and aggregate package applications moving successful nan inheritance without important lag, overheating, aliases immoderate different capacity problems. Apple's M5 MacBook Pro is good for astir usage cases; however, if you're looking to upgrade today, I urge paying other for nan M4 Pro chip.

Also: How to clear your MacBook cache (and why you shouldn't hold to do it)

If you are a student aliases personification who spends astir of your clip successful Microsoft Office aliases Google Workspace, a MacBook Air will beryllium a amended fit, arsenic it won't put a load connected your wallet. It's cleanable for group who conscionable want to casually surf nan internet, watch YouTube aliases Netflix, respond to emails, and FaceTime their friends.

Regardless of which 1 you pick, some present nan hallmark Apple experience: soft performance, longevity, and effortless integration pinch nan remainder of nan Apple ecosystem. You'll beryllium getting a instrumentality built to past and designed to make your regular workflow a full batch easier.