Apple MacBook Pro with Retina display vs. Apple MacBook Air with Retina display

Laptop Comparison, Reviews and Tests
Apple MacBook Pro with Retina display
Apple MacBook Pro with Retina display
Apple MacBook Air with Retina display
Apple MacBook Air with Retina display

In depth comparison and review of Apple MacBook Pro with Retina display and Apple MacBook Air with Retina display. Compare sizes, performance, storage capacities, batteries and other important specifications and features to easily choose the right laptop for you. Our goal is to help you uncover differences between the products and find the laptop that will best fit your needs.

Laptop Comparison and Tests

Difference between Apple MacBook Pro with Retina display and Apple MacBook Air with Retina display

Laptop Specifications Comparison

Apple MacBook Pro with Retina display vs. Apple MacBook Air with Retina display Comparison Chart
DESIGN AND DIMENSIONS Apple MacBook Pro with Retina display Apple MacBook Air with Retina display
Product Type Notebook Notebook
Dimensions (WxDxH) 31.4 cm x 21.9 cm x 1.8 cm 30.41 cm x 21.24 cm x 1.56 cm
Weight 1.57 kg 1.25 kg
Case Material Aluminum Aluminum
Colour - Space grey | Gold | Silver
DISPLAY Apple MacBook Pro with Retina display Apple MacBook Air with Retina display
Screen Size (Type) 13.3" - IPS 13.3" - IPS
LCD Backlight Technology LED backlight LED backlight
Screen Resolution 2560 x 1600 (WQXGA) 2560 x 1600 (WQXGA)
Pixel Density (ppi) - 227
Widescreen Yes Yes
Image Aspect Ratio - 16:10
Features - BFR/PVC-free, Mercury free, beryllium free, arsenic free, Retina display
PROCESSOR Apple MacBook Pro with Retina display Apple MacBook Air with Retina display
CPU Intel Core i5 (4th Gen) 2.4 GHz Intel Core i5 (8th Gen) 1.6 GHz
Max Turbo Speed 2.9 GHz 3.6 GHz
Number of Cores Dual-Core Dual-Core
Cache L3 - 3 MB L3 - 4 MB
64-bit Computing Yes Yes
Features Integrated memory controller, Intel Turbo Boost Technology 2.0 Intel Turbo Boost Technology
MEMORY Apple MacBook Pro with Retina display Apple MacBook Air with Retina display
RAM 4 GB (provided memory is soldered) 8 GB (provided memory is soldered)
RAM Type DDR3L SDRAM LPDDR3 SDRAM
Speed 1600 MHz 2133 MHz
STORAGE Apple MacBook Pro with Retina display Apple MacBook Air with Retina display
Main Storage Size (HDD/SSD) 128 GB SSD 128 GB SSD soldered PCIe
AUDIO & VIDEO Apple MacBook Pro with Retina display Apple MacBook Air with Retina display
Graphics Processor (GPU) Intel Iris Graphics Intel UHD Graphics 617
Camera Yes Yes - 720p
Camera Features - FaceTime HD camera
Video Resolutions 1280 x 720 -
Sound Stereo speakers, two microphones Stereo speakers, three microphones
COMMUNICATIONS Apple MacBook Pro with Retina display Apple MacBook Air with Retina display
Wireless Bluetooth 4.0, 802.11a/b/g/n/ac 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.2
BATTERY Apple MacBook Pro with Retina display Apple MacBook Air with Retina display
Technology Lithium polymer Lithium polymer
Battery Capacity (Size) 71.8 Wh 50.3 Wh
Battery Life Up to 9 hours Up to 12 hours
Battery Run Time - Web browsing over Wi-Fi: up to 12 hours
Video playback: up to 13 hours
Standby time: up to 30 days
AC ADAPTER Apple MacBook Pro with Retina display Apple MacBook Air with Retina display
Input AC 100-240 V (50/60 Hz) AC 100-240 V (50/60 Hz)
Output 60 Watt 30 Watt
INPUT Apple MacBook Pro with Retina display Apple MacBook Air with Retina display
Type Keyboard, trackpad Keyboard, Force Touch trackpad
Keyboard Backlight Yes Yes
Features Multi-touch touchpad, ambient light sensor Pressure sensitivity, multi-touch touchpad, Multi-Touch Gesture Recognition, ambient light sensor, force click, Touch ID sensor
CONNECTIONS & EXPANSIONS Apple MacBook Pro with Retina display Apple MacBook Air with Retina display
Interfaces 2 x USB 3.0
2 x Thunderbolt 2
HDMI
Headphone output
2 x USB-C 3.1 Gen 2 (supports Thunderbolt 3, DisplayPort Alt Mode) (Power Delivery)
Headphone output
Memory Card Reader Yes (SDXC Card) -
SOFTWARE Apple MacBook Pro with Retina display Apple MacBook Air with Retina display
Operating System (OS) Apple macOS Catalina 10.15 Apple macOS Big Sur 11.0
Software Included Drivers & Utilities, Apple QuickTime, Apple iTunes, Apple Mac OS X Mail, Apple Mac OS X Chess, Apple iMovie, Apple DVD Player, Apple Safari, Apple GarageBand, Apple Dashboard, Photo Booth, Apple Time Machine, Apple Mac App Store, Apple FaceTime, Apple Automator, Apple Launchpad, Apple Mission Control, Apple Preview, Apple Calculator, Apple Dictionary, Apple Image Capture, Apple Stickies, Apple TextEdit, Apple System Preferences, Maps, Reminders, Contacts, Notes, Calendar, Apple AirDrop, Notification Center, Messages, Dictation, iCloud, Game Center, Apple AirPlay, Apple Font Book, Apple iBooks, Apple Keynote, Apple Pages, Apple Numbers iTunes, Apple iMovie, Apple Safari, Apple GarageBand, Photo Booth, Apple Time Machine, Apple FaceTime, Apple Preview, Mail, Maps, Photos, Reminders, App Store, Contacts, Stocks, Notes, Calendar, Siri, Messages, Apple iBooks, Apple Keynote, Apple Pages, Apple Numbers, News, Voice Memos, Home
MISCELLANEOUS Apple MacBook Pro with Retina display Apple MacBook Air with Retina display
Included Accessories Power adapter USB-C power adapter
Cables Included - USB-C charge cable
Security - Apple T2 Security Chip, fingerprint reader
Features - T2 Security Chip
SAR Value - 0.71 W/kg (body)
Repairability Index - 6.1 (out of 10)
ENERGY STAR Certified Yes Yes
EPEAT Compliant EPEAT Gold EPEAT Gold
Max Operating Temperature 35 °C 35 °C
Min Operating Temperature 10 °C 10 °C
Humidity Range Operating 0 - 90% (non-condensing) 0 - 90% (non-condensing)
Manufacturer Warranty Limited warranty - 1 year
Technical support - phone consulting - 90 days
Limited warranty - 1 year
Technical support - phone consulting - 90 days
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