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What we think
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Updated January 10, 2024·
The MacBook Air (2022) is more portable and slightly less expensive than the MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023), offering fanless operation for silent use, suitable battery life for everyday tasks, and adequate performance for general use and light content creation. On the other hand, the MacBook Pro 14 has a larger, higher-resolution Mini LED display with better color accuracy and contrast, complemented by a faster refresh rate, which is more suitable for professional photo and video editing. It provides improved performance for engineering applications, 3D rendering, and machine learning tasks. The Pro version also boasts slightly superior battery life and better speakers, but is less portable and more expensive. Give Feedback
this description is based on the product variant with some specs and product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars and the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Advantages of the Apple MacBook Air (2022)
- Excellent portability
Advantages of the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023)
- Very good for general use
- Very good for engineering and design
- Very good for content creation
- Excellent overall display quality
Key differences
Engineering and Design
7.5
8.1
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
4.1/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.5/10
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) is very good for engineering and design, while the Apple MacBook Air (2022) is good.
The Apple MacBook Air offers a balance of power and portability, with a capable CPU, sufficient RAM, and a high-quality screen, making it suitable for engineering and design tasks while being easy to carry. The MacBook Pro 14 goes further with a more powerful CPU and GPU, more RAM for demanding software, and an even better screen, catering to more intense engineering requirements, although it's a bit heavier and might be less comfortable to move around with frequently.
Screen Quality
7.6
9.2
13.6in
SIZE
14.2in
2560 x 1664
RESOLUTION
3024 x 1964
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
486.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
489.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 has a better screen than the Apple MacBook Air for general use, AI, engineering and design, and software development.
The Apple MacBook Air has a high-resolution display that provides crisp details and bright visuals, making it good for everyday tasks and media consumption. However, its screen is outpaced by the MacBook Pro's, which offers wider color gamuts like DCI-P3 and Adobe RGB, essential for precision in engineering and design work where accurate color representation is critical. Neither laptop is ideal for 3D applications as they typically have standard refresh rates which don't match the smoother visuals provided by displays with higher refresh rates, crucial for fast-paced 3D rendering and gaming.
Battery
15.0 Hours
17.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Air has 15 hours of battery life. The Apple MacBook Pro 14 has 17 hours of battery life.
Battery life estimate is based on a mix of common use patterns. More portable and higher performing laptops tend to have less battery life.
Portability
Excellent
Very Good
13.6in
SIZE
14.2in
2.7 lbs
WEIGHT
3.4 lbs
0.4in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) has excellent portability, while the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) has very good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$799
$1,399
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) has a price of $799 and the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) costs $1,399.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.9
8.2
2560 x 1664
RESOLUTION
3024 x 1964
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
486.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
489.0 nits
15.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
17.0 Hours
10.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.5/10
9.4/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.6/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) to be very good for general use, while the Apple MacBook Air (2022) is good.
PerfectRec’s General Use Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for general productivity, web browsing, streaming, video calls, and running a wide variety of apps and programs.
Gaming and AI
6.4
6.7
4.1/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.5/10
2560 x 1664
RESOLUTION
3024 x 1964
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.7/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) and Apple MacBook Air (2022) are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) has an 8-core GPU which provides fair 3D capabilities, along with an IPS display that refreshes at a standard rate, whereas the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) steps up with a more powerful 10-core GPU and a higher-refresh Mini LED screen, enhancing its suitability for 3D tasks. The Pro's superior GPU contributes to better rendering and processing of 3D graphics, and its faster screen refresh rate offers smoother motion representation, crucial for 3D applications.
Content Creation
7.9
8.4
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
2560 x 1664
RESOLUTION
3024 x 1964
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) to be very good for content creation, while the Apple MacBook Air (2022) is good.
PerfectRec’s Content Creation Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for photo editing, video editing and other content creation tasks.
Software Development
8.0
8.2
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
2560 x 1664
RESOLUTION
3024 x 1964
10.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.5/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) and Apple MacBook Air (2022) are both very good for software development.
PerfectRec’s Software Development Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for software developers.
Build Quality
10.0
10.0
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) and Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) both have best in class build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
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How the Apple MacBook Air (2022) and the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Apple MacBook Air (2022) | Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$799 | $1,399 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | July 1, 2022 | November 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12'' x 8.5'' x 0.44'' | 12.3'' x 8.7'' x 0.61'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 2.7 lbs | 3.4 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 11.97" | 12.31" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.46" | 8.71" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Apple M2 | Apple M3 | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 8 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 256 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 15 Hours | 17 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 52.6 Wh | 69.6 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 13.6" | 14.2" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | Mini LED | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2560 x 1664 | 3024 x 1964 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 120Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 486 nits | 489 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 10/10 | 10/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 9.4/10 | 8.6/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | Yes | Yes | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 10/10 | 8.8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 10/10 | 9.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 10/10 | 10/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | Yes | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 0 | 0 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 1 | 1 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 3 | 3 | |
Shopping
Apple MacBook Air (2022)
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Andreas Osthoff | July 2022
"The Apple MacBook Air M2 Entry is a very good, but too expensive daily MacBook. The new MacBook Air M2 is undoubtedly once again a very good mobile companion, but we are still a little bit disappointed on a very high level, which is definitely connected with the increased price point. The new chassis is extremely slim and the front edge is no problem during typing, but the bezels are pretty wide for a modern device and in addition with the vertical space required for the notch, the new Air has larger footprint than some Windows rivals."
Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023)
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Andreas Osthoff | January 2023
"In the Apple MacBook Pro 14 2023, the M2 Pro is slowed down. From the improved 5nm process, the new M2 Pro is a very solid upgrade. Graphics performance has increased by about 25% in tandem with a clear improvement in efficiency. The processor has also seen a performance leap of up to 20%, but this is accompanied by an increase in consumption of up to 25%. Fundamentally, Apple its maintaining its advantage over AMD and Intel, particularly in optimized applications where the results are very good in view of the comparatively low power consumption."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Air (2022) or the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023)
About Apple
Apple, an American technology company, is one of the world’s largest company in terms of market capitalization. Their MacBook laptops feature a slim, minimalistic design, class-leading battery life, and premium display and speaker quality. In 2020 Apple switched from using Intel processors to their own silicon chips which have excellent performance and efficiency. The macOS operating system is the second most widely used OS, after Windows.
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This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec laptops team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest laptop information and makes it digestible for you.
By the numbers
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Laptops evaluated
48,640
Laptops stats compiled
13
Proprietary Laptops ratings developed
111,195
Recommendations made
24,093
Consumer hours saved
About the laptop team
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CEO and Laptops Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
Jason Lew
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.
Chandradeep Chowdhury
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
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Laptops Expert
Craig is a UK-based laptops expert. Craig works in IT, where he recommends and supports laptops and PCs for clients and has been recommending laptops on Reddit for five years.
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