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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Apple MacBook Air 15 is often significantly less expensive than the MacBook Pro 16 and offers good value for general use, with a lighter and thinner design for better portability and fanless operation for silent use. However, the MacBook Pro 16, despite being more expensive and heavier, offers a larger and higher-quality screen with a faster refresh rate, more powerful CPU and GPU, more storage and memory, improved speakers, and a longer battery life. For intensive tasks like video editing, 3D work, or heavy multitasking, the MacBook Pro 16 is better suited, while for everyday tasks, the MacBook Air 15 is more budget-friendly and portable. 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 portability
Advantages of the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023)
- Excellent for general use
- Very good for engineering and design
- Good for gaming and AI
- Excellent for content creation
- Excellent overall display quality
- Best in class battery life
Key differences
General Use
7.9
9.1
2880 x 1864
RESOLUTION
3456 x 2234
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
501.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
487.0 nits
15.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
17.5 Hours
10.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.5/10
8.9/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.6/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) is excellent for general use, while the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) is good.
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) is good for general use because it's lightweight with decent performance thanks to its Apple M2 chip, has a solid battery life of 15 hours, and boasts a fanless design for silent operation, but it comes with less RAM and storage and a lower screen resolution than its counterpart.
Gaming and AI
6.5
7.4
4.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
5.8/10
2880 x 1864
RESOLUTION
3456 x 2234
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 16 (2023) is good for gaming and AI, while the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) is only fair.
The MacBook Pro 16 provides a better experience for 3D applications due to its more powerful M2 Pro GPU with more cores and a higher screen refresh rate compared to the MacBook Air 15's M2 GPU and lower refresh rate. Additionally, the Pro's superior screen quality, given its higher resolution and Mini LED technology, contributes to its suitability for 3D tasks, even though both share similar screen aspect ratios and lack touchscreens.
Engineering and Design
7.6
8.8
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.5/10
4.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
5.8/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) is very good for engineering and design, while the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) is good.
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) is good for engineering and design because it has a capable 8GB RAM, a moderately powerful Apple M2 processor with 10-core GPU, and a high-quality IPS display, but the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) is very good for these tasks due to its superior 16GB RAM, a more powerful Apple M2 Pro processor with 19-core GPU, and a superior Mini LED display, making it better suited for more demanding engineering software and design work while also offering slightly better portability despite its larger screen.
Content Creation
8.0
9.1
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.5/10
2880 x 1864
RESOLUTION
3456 x 2234
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) is excellent for content creation, while the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) is very 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
8.1
8.9
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.5/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2880 x 1864
RESOLUTION
3456 x 2234
10.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.5/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) and Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) are both very good for software development, though the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) is somewhat better.
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.
Screen Quality
7.8
9.3
15.3in
SIZE
16.2in
2880 x 1864
RESOLUTION
3456 x 2234
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
501.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
487.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has a better screen than the Apple MacBook Air 15 for general use, AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
For general use, the screen on the MacBook Air provides crisp images and vibrant colors due to its high resolution and brightness, but the MacBook Pro offers an even more refined visual experience, thanks to its superior panel technology that enhances viewing from any angle. With engineering and design tasks in mind, both laptops have excellent color accuracy encompassing a wide spectrum of colors, essential for detailed work, yet the MacBook Pro edges out with a slight advantage in reproducing more precise shades. When it comes to 3D applications, neither laptop is ideal, as their screens lack the high refresh rates required for the smooth rendering of fast-moving images, although their resolutions and panel types are adequate for moderate 3D tasks.
Battery
15.0 Hours
17.5 Hours
The Apple MacBook Air 15 has 15 hours of battery life. The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has 17.5 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
16.2in
3.3 lbs
WEIGHT
4.7 lbs
0.4in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) has very good portability, while the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$1,299
$2,423
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
$4,000
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) has a price of $1,299 and the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) costs $2,423.
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Key similarities
Build Quality
10.0
10.0
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) and Apple MacBook Pro 16 (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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We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) and the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) | Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,299 | $2,423 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | June 1, 2023 | January 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 13.4'' x 9.4'' x 0.45'' | 14'' x 9.8'' x 0.66'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.3 lbs | 4.7 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 13.4" | 14.01" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.35" | 9.77" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Apple M2 | Apple M2 Pro (12C) | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 256 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 15 Hours | 17.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 66.6 Wh | 99.6 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.3" | 16.2" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | Mini LED | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2880 x 1864 | 3456 x 2234 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 120Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 501 nits | 487 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 10/10 | 10/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 9/10 | 7.6/10 | |
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 | 3 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 1 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 3 | 4 | |
Shopping
Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023)
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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 (2023)
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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 (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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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.
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Laptops evaluated
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Laptops stats compiled
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Recommendations made
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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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