MacBook Air 13 (M1) vs MacBook Pro 16 (M1 Pro)

Apple MacBook Air 13.3" 1.8 GHz (2017) (MacBook Air Series) 1TB / 24GB

AED 4,599

Buy on Amazon UAE Full Specs

Apple MacBook Pro 16 2021 M1 Max (MacBook Pro 16 2021 Series) 512GB / 24GB

AED 5,499

Buy on Amazon UAE Full Specs

Best Battery

MacBook Pro 16 (M1 Pro)

Our Verdict

MacBook Air 13 (M1) vs MacBook Pro 16 (M1 Pro)

Apple MacBook Pro 16 2021 M1 Max (32-core GPU, 64GB LPDDR5) crushes the 2017 MacBook Air (Intel HD 6000, 8GB LPDDR3) in CPU and GPU performance, with 10 cores at 3.2 GHz vs. 2 cores at 2.9 GHz and 44W sustained power vs. fanless thermal throttling. The 2017 MacBook Air suits light tasks like web browsing and document editing, with 12+ hours of battery life and 1TB storage for photos and files, but struggles with modern apps and multitasking. The M1 Max MacBook Pro excels for video editors rendering 8K ProRes in Final Cut Pro, leveraging 64GB RAM and 32-core GPU to handle 12+ streams without lag. In UAE at AED 4599 vs. AED 5499, the MacBook Air is better because it costs AED 900 less and still delivers all-day battery; in India at ₹119900 vs. ₹134900, the MacBook Air wins on value because it saves ₹15000 while meeting basic needs.

Full Specs Comparison

Spec

MacBook Air 13 (M1)

MacBook Pro 16 (M1 Pro)

Processor

Intel Core i5-5350U 2c/4t 2 x 1.8 - 2.9 GHz, Broadwell

Apple M1 Max 10c/10t 10 x 2.1 - 3.2 GHz, 30 W PL2 / Short Burst, 30 W PL1 / Sustained

Graphics

Intel HD Graphics 6000

Apple M1 Max 32-Core GPU, 44 W TDP

Screen Size

height x width x depth (in mm): 17 x 325 x 227 ( = 0.67 x 12.8 x 8.94 in)

height x width x depth (in mm): 16.8 x 355.7 x 248.1 ( = 0.66 x 14 x 9.77 in)

RAM

8 GB , 1600 MHz LPDDR3 onboard

64 GB , LPDDR5-6400

Storage

1024

512

Battery

54 Wh Lithium-Polymer

99.6 Wh Lithium-Polymer

Ports

2 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 1 Thunderbolt, 1 DisplayPort, Audio Connections: 3.5 mm headphone jack, Card Reader: SDXC card reader, Brightness Sensor

3 USB4 40 Gbps, 3 Thunderbolt, USB-C Power Delivery (PD), 1 HDMI, 3 DisplayPort, Audio Connections: 3.5 mm, Card Reader: SDXC, 1 Fingerprint Reader, Brightness Sensor

Wi-Fi

Broadcom 802.11ac (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/), Bluetooth 4.0

802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/ax = Wi-Fi 6/), Bluetooth 5.0

Weight

1.35 kg ( = 47.62 oz / 2.98 pounds), Power Supply: 200 g ( = 7.05 oz / 0.44 pounds)

2.2 kg ( = 77.6 oz / 4.85 pounds), Power Supply: 353 g ( = 12.45 oz / 0.78 pounds)

Apple macOS 10.12 Sierra

Apple macOS 12 Monterey

Price Comparison

Market	MacBook Air 13 (M1)	MacBook Pro 16 (M1 Pro)	Difference
UAE	AED 4,599	AED 5,499	MacBook Air 13 (M1) saves AED 900
India	₹ 1,19,900	₹ 1,34,900	MacBook Air 13 (M1) saves ₹ 15,000

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