A comparison of specs, key information, reviews, and best pricing from top retailers
Last updated -- hours ago | Report incorrect information
Company ProductName Specs
Company ProductName Specs
What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 12, 2024·
Choosing between the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) and the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) involves evaluating your priorities. The MacBook Air is newer, has an Apple M2 processor which is efficient and powerful for general use, and is lighter, making it more portable. It also benefits from silent operation due to its fanless design. On the other hand, the MacBook Pro, while older, offers a larger screen, more storage, and a higher RAM count, better suited for more demanding tasks such as video editing or intensive multitasking. It also features an Intel i7 processor and AMD graphics, which may be better for certain applications that require high graphical performance. The MacBook Pro is heavier and less portable but could be more affordable. Battery life will generally be better with the MacBook Air due to its newer, more efficient chip. Consider how you balance the need for portability, performance, and cost when making your decision. 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 15 (2023)
- Very good for software development
- Very good portability
- Excellent battery life
Advantages of the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019)
- The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) has no clear advantages over the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023).
Key differences
Screen Quality
7.8
7.8
15.3in
SIZE
16.0in
2880 x 1864
RESOLUTION
3072 x 1920
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
501.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
477.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Air 15 has a better screen than the Apple MacBook Pro 16 for software development.
For general use, both the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro offer high-resolution displays with bright, vibrant panels, making text, images, and video look sharp and clear. When considering engineering and design, these MacBooks provide wide color gamuts, ensuring accurate color representation crucial for professional design tasks. However, for 3D applications, their lower refresh rates compared to specialized gaming laptops mean less fluid motion and responsiveness, which is key for 3D rendering and gaming experiences.
Battery
15.0 Hours
12.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Air 15 has 15 hours of battery life. The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has 12 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
Very Good
Good
15.3in
SIZE
16.0in
3.3 lbs
WEIGHT
4.3 lbs
0.4in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) has very good portability, while the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$1,299
$540
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) has a price of $1,299 and the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) costs $540.
Let Us Help Find Your Perfect Laptop
Find your new laptop
Key similarities
General Use
7.9
7.8
2880 x 1864
RESOLUTION
3072 x 1920
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
501.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
477.0 nits
15.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
12.0 Hours
10.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.5/10
8.9/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.7/10
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) and Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) are both good for general use.
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
6.5
6.4
4.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.2/10
2880 x 1864
RESOLUTION
3072 x 1920
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.7/10
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) and Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) are both only fair for gaming and AI.
PerfectRec’s Gaming and AI Score strongly emphasizes graphics processing capability, while also taking into account other factors that impact suitability for gaming and AI work.
Engineering and Design
7.6
7.5
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.5/10
4.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.2/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) and Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) are both good for engineering and design.
PerfectRec’s Engineering and Design Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for graphic design and 3D rendering work.
Content Creation
8.0
8.0
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.5/10
2880 x 1864
RESOLUTION
3072 x 1920
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) and Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) are both very good for content creation.
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
8.1
7.9
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.5/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2880 x 1864
RESOLUTION
3072 x 1920
10.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.5/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) to be very good for software development, while the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) is good.
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 15 (2023) and Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) both have best in class build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) and the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) | Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,299 | $540 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | June 1, 2023 | October 1, 2019 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 13.4'' x 9.4'' x 0.45'' | 14.1'' x 9.7'' x 0.64'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.3 lbs | 4.3 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 13.4" | 14.09" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.35" | 9.68" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Apple M2 | Intel i7-9750H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 256 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 15 Hours | 12 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 66.6 Wh | 100 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.3" | 16" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2880 x 1864 | 3072 x 1920 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 501 nits | 477 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 10/10 | 10/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 9/10 | 7.7/10 | |
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 | 720P | |
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 | 4 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 1 | 4 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 3 | 3 | |
Shopping
Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023)
See more
Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Andreas Osthoff | June 2023
"The Apple MacBook Air 15 is boringly good. The new MacBook Air 15 is a very good, but also boring device, because apart from the larger screen and the higher price, there are no differences compared to the smaller MacBook Air M2 from last year. No new processor, no additional ports, just the usual basic hardware - but the overall package is extremely good and it simply works. Above all, the lack of fans is an aspect that should not be underestimated in everyday use. In our opinion, the Air could be a lot better, but Apple goes easy on itself here."
Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019)
See more
Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Andreas Osthoff | February 2023
"The Apple MacBook Pro 16 2023: M2 Max challenges GeForce RTX 3080 Ti. The new MacBook Pro 16 2023 with the M2 Max SoC is the most powerful laptop Apple has on sale right now. While we do not get the expected performance and efficiency improvements from completely new 3 nm chips, which we expected ahead of the launch, the 2023 model is still a solid update. The CPU of the M2 Max can be up to 20 % faster than the old model and we also see an advantage of 25-30 % for the GPU with 38 cores. However, both components also consume more power, so the efficiency did not change that much under maximum load."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) or the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019)
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.
Give feedback
We're constantly perfecting our model
Laptop guides you might be interested in
More comparisons for you
Compare Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) vs. ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 (2024)
VS
Compare Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) vs. Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022)
VS
Compare Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) vs. Apple MacBook Air (2022)
VS
Compare Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) vs. Acer Swift Go 14
VS
Compare Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) vs. ASUS Vivobook Pro 14
VS
Compare Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) vs. Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3
VS
FAQs
FAQs about laptops
Why trust us
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
380
Laptops evaluated
48,640
Laptops stats compiled
13
Proprietary Laptops ratings developed
103,395
Recommendations made
22,403
Consumer hours saved
About the laptop team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
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.
Craig Russell
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.
Featured in
