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Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M3) vs Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch (M1 Pro)
Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M3) ($772) vs Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch (M1 Pro) ($824) — side-by-side specs, weight, pros and cons to help you pick the right ultraportable laptop.
Spec-by-spec
| Spec | Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M3) | Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch (M1 Pro) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $772 | $824 |
| Weight | 1240g | 2100g |
| Chip | M3 | M1 Pro |
| Display | 13.6" Liquid Retina | 16.2" 120Hz mini-LED XDR |
| Ports | MagSafe 3, 2x Thunderbolt, headphone | 3x Thunderbolt 4, HDMI, SDXC, MagSafe 3 |
| Cooling | Fanless | Active, dual fan |
| Displays | Two external with lid closed | — |
| Weight | 1240g (Apple published) | 2100g (Apple published) |
Pros & Cons
Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M3)
- Two external displays, which the M2 could not do
- Faster chip in the same 1240g body
- Fanless and silent
- Better SSD than the base M2
- Marginal gain over an M2 for most tasks
- 8GB base memory again
- Still throttles under long exports
Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch (M1 Pro)
- Enormous, excellent XDR display
- Full port selection
- Sustained performance for heavy work
- Best speakers in a laptop
- 2100g, this is luggage
- Large footprint needs a real bag
- Fan is audible under heavy load
Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M3) is the better value at $772. Both are part of our curated ultraportable laptop index — tap through to check current pricing.
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