MacBook Buyer's Guide: How To Choose the Right Model for You

With 5 different MacBook options now available, picking the right one for your needs can be tricky. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll compare the designs, specs, performance, prices and use cases of the MacBook Air (M1 and M2), 13-inch Pro M2, 14-inch Pro M2, and 16-inch Pro M2 to help you decide which is the best fit.

Pricing Overview

Here’s a quick rundown of the retail and typical discounted prices across the MacBook lineup:

Model	Base Price	Typical Sale Price
MacBook Air M1	$999	$749
MacBook Air M2	$1,199	$899
13″ Pro M2	$1,299	$1,099
14″ Pro M2	$1,999	$1,699
16″ Pro M2	$2,499	$2,099

As you can see, regular sales bring the prices down significantly below Apple’s MSRP. Links in the description provide the latest discounted pricing.

Design and Portability Comparison

The MacBook you choose can have a big impact on portability. Here’s how the sizes, weights and designs compare:

Model	Weight	Thickness	Notch	New Design?
Air M1	2.8 lbs	0.63″	No	No
Air M2	2.7 lbs	0.44″	Yes	Yes
13″ Pro M2	3.0 lbs	0.61″	No	No
14″ Pro M2	3.5 lbs	0.61″	Yes	Yes
16″ Pro M2	4.7 lbs	0.66″	Yes	Yes

The redesigned M2 MacBook Air is the most portable, while the 16-inch Pro is the heaviest and largest overall. The 14-inch strikes a good balance of power and portability.

Keyboards, Trackpads and Ports

All models have excellent keyboards and trackpads, with slight variations:

The 13-inch Pro M2 retains the Touch Bar instead of physical function keys
Larger models have proportionally bigger trackpads
The 14-inch and 16-inch add HDMI, SD card reader and more Thunderbolt ports

MagSafe charging and fast charge support gives the M2 Air and M2 Pro models a leg up over the M1 Air.

Display Technology Comparisons

The screens vary significantly in terms of technology, brightness and features:

Model	Size	Resolution	Panel	Peak Brightness	ProMotion
Air M1	13.3″	2560×1600	IPS LCD	400 nits	No
Air M2	13.6″	2560×1664	IPS LCD	500 nits	No
13″ Pro M2	13.3′′	2560×1600	IPS LCD	500 nits	No
14″ Pro M2	14.2″	3024×1964	Mini LED	1600 nits	Yes
16″ Pro M2	16.2″	3456×2234	Mini LED	1600 nits	Yes

The 14-inch and 16-inch Pros offer the best displays with their mini LED panels enabling higher sustained brightness and contrast. But the screens on the Airs and 13-inch Pro still provide excellent quality.

Webcam and Speaker Performance

The M2 MacBook Air and Pro models add a 1080p webcam versus 720p on the older MacBooks, a meaningful upgrade.

For audio, the 16-inch Pro delivers the best sound with its 6-speaker system. The new 15-inch Air houses an improved 4-speaker setup. But overall the differences in speaker performance aren’t major.

Everyday Battery Life Comparison

Based on lab tests, here is how the models compare for general battery life:

Model	Average Battery Life
Air M1	18 hours
Air M2	15 hours
13″ Pro M2	17 hours
14″ Pro M2	12 hours
16″ Pro M2	14 hours

The 13-inch MacBook Pro M2 provides the longest battery life for a blend of productivity and media use. The 14-inch and 16-inch Pro have smaller batteries given their performance focus.

CPU and GPU Performance

For processing power, the M1 Air and 13-inch M2 Pro are plenty fast for general use. But the 14-inch and 16-inch Pros offer next-level performance thanks to the M2 Pro and M2 Max chips.

Upgrading the 14-inch Pro to a 12 or 19-core GPU provides graphics close to the 16-inch. The M2 Max in the 16-inch blows everything else away for intensive workloads.