MacBook Pro M4 vs MacBook Air M3: Do you need a Pro running an M4 or will an M3 running on Air? Here’s the difference.
Apple just launched a tweaked MacBook Pro line centred around the new M4 series of processors. However, for the majority of users the entry-level MacBook Pro M4 will provide plenty of power, versatility and ability to access the new Apple Intelligence tech.
For others, a Pro mightn’t be necessary. The latest MacBook Air has an M3 processor that’ll perform admirably for most productivity tasks while enabling decent levels of photo and video editing.
Considering the MacBook Air with M3 is more affortable, there’s no sense paying for the power and heft you don’t need to be carting around. The following will help you make the decision.
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M4 vs M3: Apple’s most powerful chipset
The difference between the M3 and M4 chips have been detailed throughout Apple’s Mac launches this week. Here’s our piece comparing the two chipsets.
On paper, the M4 is a modest improvement on the M3. The M4 MacBook Pro has a 10-core CPU and 10-core GPU with up to 32GB of unified memory. The M3 has an 8-core CPU with up to 10-core GPU with 24GB of unified memory. There’s also faster memory bandwidth on the M4 than the M3 (120Gbps vs 100Gbps) meaning the chips can handle complex graphics and tasks more efficiently.
Real world differences will play out in testing, but Apple says the M4 family offers “phenomenal single-threaded CPU performance with the world’s fastest CPU core,2 along with outstanding multithreaded CPU performance for the most demanding workloads.”
The M4 chip has been upgraded to TSMC’s second generation 3nm process, further aiding the performance.
These differences will become more apparent with bigger workloads. Do you need this for browsing the web, streaming video and most productivity tasks? No. Do you need this for high end video or photo editing and processing of large data models? Yes.
M4 is primed for Apple Intelligence, but offers nothing unique
The most important difference in the M4, on paper, appears to the new neural engine for Apple Intelligence.
The MacBook Pro M4 has a new neural engine with has 16 cores and is capable of 38 trillion operations per second. The MacBook Air’s M3’s 16-core NPU was only capable of 18 trillion operations per second.
The MacBook Pro M4 can’t accomplish any of the Apple Intelligence tasks the MacBook Air M3 cannot, but it’ll likely accomplish them with greater speed and efficiency.
MacBook Pro M4 has true all-day battery life
The base-level MacBook Pro M4 has up to 24 hours of battery life, which is 6 hours more than the MacBook Air M3, which promises up to 18 hours of battery life. So, if you know you’re going a while without access to mains power, you might opt for the MacBook Pro M4.
MacBook Pro M4 has an XDR display
When choosing a MacBook Air or MacBook Pro, there’s a decision to be made on display sizes. However, there’s also slightly different technology available for Pro shoppers too.
The Pro models include the XDR (Extreme Dynamic Range) versions of Apple’s Liquid Retina Display technology. That includes 1000 nits of full-screen sustained brightness and 1600 nits peak brightness. Apple says the XDR displays use different LED technology with more precise backlight control to prevent bright areas of the display bleeding into the darker areas. This means true-to-life imagery.
The MacBook Air doesn’t have this technology. The MacBook Air M3, for instance offers 500 nits of brightness. The resolution on the Pro model is also higher (3024 x 1964 v 2560 vs 1664) when comparing the 14.2-inch MacBook Pro M4 and 13.3-inch MacBook Air M3.
The Pro also has the option for a nano-texture display option that Apple says can significantly reduce glare in sunny environments. The Air does not have this.
The MacBook Air M3 is more portable, but Pro has more ports
If portability is important to you, the MacBook Air offers a slight advantage over the MacBook Pro M4. The 14.2-inch Pro weighs 3.4lbs, while the Air is 2.7lbs. Naturally, due to the display size, it’s slightly larger too.
However, what good is portability if you have to carry more dongles and accessories? The MacBook Pro M4 has three Thunderbolt 4 ports, a HDMI and SDXC port. The Air only has two Thunderbolt 4 ports. Both have a 3.5mm jack.
MacBook Pro M4 has Center Stage
Apple has upgraded the iMac’s web cam with the Center Stage technology. The 12-megapixel FaceTime webcam has software that intelligently tracks you to keep you the centre of the shot during a video call. This is the first time an iMac has offered the tech.
The MacBook Air M3 has a 1080p FaceTime camera.
