I bought a new MacBook this year, and I did something unusual for me: I downgraded.
I’ve been using MacBook Pro laptops for a decade, but when the time came to replace my 16-inch MacBook Pro with the M1 Max chip, I opted for the 15-inch MacBook Air with the M4 chip.
Realistically, I don’t require the kind of power that the Pro offers, at least not in a laptop. But the main reason for going with the Air was the fact that it was just so much lighter than the bulky old Pro. It might not matter at home, but lugging the thing around conference floors, I felt the extra pounds.
I’m not alone. Apple‘s chips have become so powerful over the past couple of years that several of my friends who work in the IT industry have recently opted for the Air. It’s hard to justify the Pro when the Air does most tasks effortlessly while being so much more portable.
The reductions in weight and size are mainly made possible thanks to the new OLED display.
Credit: Apple
Now, with the new MacBook Pro with the PROLED touchscreen display and the M5 Pro/Max chip inside, Apple has made a big leap in terms of power and versatility. And yes, I love the glowing Apple logo on the back.
Mashable Light Speed
But for me, the key feature is the weight. The new 16-inch MacBook Pro weighs exactly 4 pounds; 0.7 pounds less than the previous 16-inch MacBook Pro. It’s also significantly thinner (0.63 vs 0.66 inches), as well as slightly narrower and shorter than before.
Compared: 15-inch MacBook Air, 16-inch MacBook Pro with M4 Pro chip, 16-inch MacBook Pro with M5 Pro chip.
Credit: Apple
This reduction in size did not, apparently, come with any drawbacks. The new 16-inch MacBook Pro has the same 24-hour battery life as before, memory goes up to 64GB, storage goes up to 4TB, and the display has actually grown a little, from 16.2 to 16.3 inches. And I’m not even mentioning the obvious: more power, a more versatile display, and even a brand-new speaker system.
The 14-inch model offers similar, albeit slightly smaller benefits in terms of reduced weight and size.
Yes, the 15-inch MacBook Air is still lighter than the 16-inch Pro at 3.3 pounds, but the gap has closed considerably. Given all the added benefits, if I were buying a new MacBook today, I’d opt for the new 16-inch Pro.
I’d cover my eyes when it came to paying, though, as this particular model starts at $3,399 and goes up to over $14k.
