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Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch (M5 Pro) vs Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M4)
Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch (M5 Pro) ($2,999) vs Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M4) ($803) — side-by-side specs, weight, pros and cons to help you pick the right pro laptop.
Spec-by-spec
| Spec | Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch (M5 Pro) | Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M4) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $2,999 | $803 |
| Weight | 2140g | 1240g |
| Chip | M5 Pro | M4 |
| Display | 16.2" Liquid Retina XDR, 1600 nits peak | 13.6" Liquid Retina |
| Refresh | 120Hz ProMotion | — |
| Battery | Longest of any Mac | — |
| Ports | 3× Thunderbolt, HDMI, SDXC, MagSafe 3 | MagSafe 3, 2x Thunderbolt, headphone |
| Weight | 2.14 kg (4.7 lb) | 1240g (Apple published) |
| Camera | — | 12MP Center Stage |
| Cooling | — | Fanless |
Pros & Cons
Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch (M5 Pro)
- The most performance available in a portable
- Longest battery life of any Mac
- 16-inch XDR is a genuine editing display
- Speakers rival dedicated desktop sets
- 2.14 kg dictates your entire bag choice
- $2,999 entry is professional-tier spend
- Overkill for anything short of pro media work
Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M4)
- M4 performance in a fanless 1240g body
- 12MP Center Stage camera
- Launched cheaper than the M3 did
- Excellent battery life
- Still throttles on sustained heavy work
- No ProMotion display
- Holds value, so used discounts are modest
Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M4) is the better value at $803. Both are part of our curated pro laptop index — tap through to check current pricing.
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