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- Table of Contents
- Top
- Main Differences
- Design
- Display
- Interface
- Connectivity
- Configuration
- Performance
- Additional Features And Software
- Comments
Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M2, 2023) vs Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023)
Side-by-Side Comparison
Products
Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M2, 2023)
Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023)
Tested using Methodology v0.8.2
Updated Jan 17, 2024 01:10 PM
SEE PRICE
Amazon.comTested using Methodology v0.8.2
Updated Apr 04, 2025 07:55 PM
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BestBuy.com
Size14"
Operating SystemmacOS
Size15.3"
Operating SystemmacOS
Variants
- MacBook Pro 14 (MPHK3LL/A) (Silver - M2 Max/12‑core CPU/30‑core GPU/32GB/1TB)
- MacBook Pro 14 (MPHH3LL/A) (Silver - M2 Pro/10‑core CPU/16‑core GPU/16GB/512GB)
- MacBook Pro 14 (MPHJ3LL/A) (Silver - M2 Pro/12‑core CPU/19‑core GPU/16GB/1TB)
- MacBook Pro 14 (MPHG3LL/A) (Space Gray - M2 Max/12‑core CPU/30‑core GPU/32GB/1TB)
- MacBook Pro 14 (MPHE3LL/A) (Space Gray - M2 Pro/10‑core CPU/16‑core GPU/16GB/512GB)
- MacBook Pro 14 (MPHF3LL/A) (Space Gray - M2 Pro/12‑core CPU/19‑core GPU/16GB/1TB)
- MacBook Air 15 (MQKW3LL/A) (Midnight - M2/8GB/256GB)
- MacBook Air 15 (MQKX3LL/A) (Midnight - M2/8GB/512GB)
- MacBook Air 15 (MQKR3LL/A) (Silver - M2/8GB/256GB)
- MacBook Air 15 (MQKT3LL/A) (Silver - M2/8GB/512GB)
- MacBook Air 15 (MQKP3LL/A) (Space Gray - M2/8GB/256GB)
- MacBook Air 15 (MQKQ3LL/A) (Space Gray - M2/8GB/512GB)
- MacBook Air 15 (MQKU3LL/A) (Starlight - M2/8GB/256GB)
- MacBook Air 15 (MQKV3LL/A) (Starlight - M2/8GB/512GB)
Our Verdict
Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M2, 2023)
Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023)
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M2, 2023) is better than the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023). The MacBook Pro is a higher-tier device designed for more demanding tasks like content creation, while the MacBook Air is an ultraportable that can handle some moderately intensive workloads. The MacBook Pro also has a nicer 120Hz Mini LED display, a wider port selection, better-sounding speakers, and longer battery life. On the other hand, the MacBook Air is thinner and lighter even though it's a larger device, and unlike the MacBook Pro, it doesn't have a fan.
Main Differences for
Threshold
School
8.7
8.2
Battery
9.0
7.2
Ports
8.5
5.0
Full Comparison
Design
Style
Style Photo
Form Factor
Traditional (Clamshell)
Traditional (Clamshell)
Build Quality
9.5
9.5
Build Quality Photo
Hinge
9.1
9.1
Hinge Photo
Range
135°
135°
Stability
Good
Good
One Finger Lift
Yes
Yes
Portability
8.4
8.7
Dimensions Photo
Size
14"
15.3"
Thickness
0.6" (1.6 cm)
0.6" (1.4 cm)
Width
12.3" (31.3 cm)
13.4" (34.0 cm)
Depth
8.7" (22.1 cm)
9.3" (23.7 cm)
Volume
67.5 in³ (1,106.8 cm³)
68.8 in³ (1,128.0 cm³)
Weight
3.5 lbs (1.6 kg)
3.3 lbs (1.5 kg)
Charger Size
9.6 in³ (157.5 cm³)
4.6 in³ (75.0 cm³)
Charger Weight
0.7 lbs (0.3 kg)
0.4 lbs (0.2 kg)
Serviceability
3.5
3.5
Internals Photo
Ease Of Access
6.0
6.0
RAM Slots
0
0
Storage Slots
0
0
Replaceable Battery
Yes
Yes
Replaceable Wireless Adapter
No
No
In The Box
In The Box Photo
Display
Screen Specs
Display Photo
Resolution
3024 x 1964
2880 x 1864
Aspect Ratio
16:10
16:10
Pixel Density
255 PPI
226 PPI
Panel Type
IPS
IPS
Touch Screen
No
No
Screen-To-Body Ratio
89%
86%
Refresh Rate
8.7
5.9
Motion Blur
Refresh Rate
120 Hz
60 Hz
Variable Refresh Rate
Apple ProMotion
No
Contrast
10
7.4
Contrast Photo
Native Contrast
19,972 : 1
1,371 : 1
Brightness
8.4
8.4
Maximum Brightness
456 cd/m²
450 cd/m²
Minimum Brightness
2 cd/m²
2 cd/m²
Reflections
8.9
9.0
Reflections Photo Off
Reflections Photo Max
Screen Finish
Glossy
Glossy
Total Reflections
1.79%
1.63%
Indirect Reflections
0.33%
0.49%
Calculated Direct Reflections
1.46%
1.14%
Black Uniformity
10
8.5
Black Uniformity Photo
Uniformity (Std. Dev.)
0.267%
0.754%
Horizontal Viewing Angle
6.6
6.5
Horizontal Viewing Angle Video
Horizontal Chroma Picture
Color Washout From Left
26°
26°
Color Washout From Right
27°
27°
Horizontal Hue Picture
Color Shift From Left
30°
30°
Color Shift From Right
36°
34°
Horizontal Lightness Picture
Brightness Loss From Left
29°
28°
Brightness Loss From Right
30°
30°
Black Level Raise From Left
60°
60°
Black Level Raise From Right
60°
60°
Gamma Shift From Left
29°
27°
Gamma Shift From Right
32°
27°
Vertical Viewing Angle
6.6
6.6
Vertical Viewing Angle Video
Vertical Chroma Picture
Color Washout From Below
27°
27°
Color Washout From Above
29°
25°
Vertical Hue Picture
Color Shift From Below
35°
30°
Color Shift From Above
32°
33°
Vertical Lightness Picture
Brightness Loss From Below
30°
29°
Brightness Loss From Above
32°
28°
Black Level Raise From Below
45°
45°
Black Level Raise From Above
45°
45°
Gamma Shift From Below
27°
31°
Gamma Shift From Above
28°
30°
Out-Of-The-Box Color Accuracy
9.6
9.8
White Balance Screencap
Gamma Curve Screencap
Color Screencap
Avg. White Balance dE
1.83
1.55
Avg. Gamma
2.18
2.23
Avg. Color dE
1.25
1.41
Avg. Color Temperature
6,847 K
6,309 K
Color Gamut
9.5
9.2
Gamut SDR
sRGB xy
99.99%
99.72%
sRGB uv
99.99%
99%
Adobe RGB xy
89.05%
84.48%
Adobe RGB uv
94.2%
89.73%
Gamut HDR
DCI P3 xy
99.85%
96.02%
DCI P3 uv
99.72%
96.3%
Rec. 2020 xy
72.61%
70.93%
Rec. 2020 uv
73.63%
71.98%
Flicker
9.0
10
Flicker Graph
Flicker-Free
No
No
Flicker Frequency
> 1000Hz
> 1000Hz
Flicker Active Below
100%
0%
Interface
Keyboard
7.9
8.0
Keyboard Photo
Typing Quality
8.0
8.0
Numpad
No
No
Backlighting
Adjustable
Adjustable
Key Switch Actuation Graph
Operating Force
62 gf
64 gf
Actuation Force
38 gf
38 gf
Pre-Travel
0.78 mm
0.76 mm
Total Travel
0.77 mm
0.84 mm
Touchpad
9.2
9.6
Touchpad Photo
Tracking Quality
9.5
9.5
Size
16.1 in² (104.0 cm²)
21.4 in² (138.0 cm²)
Material
Glass
Glass
Dedicated Buttons
No
No
Speakers
9.1
9.3
Frequency Response Plot
Max Volume
81 dB SPL
81 dB SPL
Standard Error @ Normal Vol. (65 dB)
5.2 dB
4.2 dB
Slope @ Normal Vol. (65 dB)
1.2
1.5
Bass Extension (Low-Frequency Ext.)
138 Hz
135 Hz
Treble Extension (High-Frequency Ext.)
20 kHz
20 kHz
Dynamic Range Compression @ Max Vol.
2.7 dB
2.7 dB
Webcam & Microphone
9.1
8.7
Webcam Video Sample
Video Quality
9.5
9.0
Resolution
1080p
1080p
Position
Top Center
Top Center
Privacy Cover
No
No
Face Unlock
No
No
Connectivity
Ports
8.5
5.0
Ports Photo
USB-A Ports
0
0
USB-C Ports
3
2
Thunderbolt
Thunderbolt 4
Thunderbolt 3
USB-C Charging
Yes
Yes
USB-C Display Out
Yes
Yes
HDMI
2.1
No
DisplayPort
No
No
3.5mm Jack
Combo mic/headphone
Combo mic/headphone
Card Reader
SD UHS 2
No
Ethernet
No
No
Proprietary Port
Apple MagSafe 3
Apple MagSafe 3
Security Lock
No
No
Wireless Communication
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax)
Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax)
Bluetooth
5.3
5.3
Configuration
CPU
Brand
Apple
Apple
Model
M2 Pro
M2
Core Count
10
8
Thread Count
10
8
GPU
Brand
Apple
Apple
Model
M2 Pro
M2
Dedicated/Integrated
Integrated
Integrated
VRAM Size
N/A
N/A
RAM
Capacity
16 GB
8 GB
Modules
Unknown
Unknown
Type
LP-DDR5
LP-DDR5
Speed
6,400 MHz
6,400 MHz
Storage
Advertised Capacity
512 GB
256 GB
Usable Capacity
468 GB
206 GB
Drive 1
Apple SSD AP0512Z
Apple SSD AP0256Z
Drive 1 Type
SSD
SSD
Drive 2
No 2nd Drive
No 2nd Drive
Drive 2 Type
No 2nd Drive
No 2nd Drive
Performance
Geekbench 5 (Synthetics)
9.6
9.2
Geekbench Image
CPU Single-Thread
1,960 points
1,948 points
CPU Multi-Thread
12,178 points
9,020 points
GPU Compute
47,299 points
30,082 points
Cinebench R23 (CPU Rendering)
9.7
9.4
Cinebench R23 Photo
Single-Thread
1,633 points
1,591 points
Multi-Thread
11,865 points
8,242 points
Blender (3D Rendering)
9.1
8.5
Blender Image
CPU Render Time
3.1 min
4.5 min
GPU Render Time
0.6 min
1.8 min
GPU Render Time (Optix)
N/A
N/A
Basemark GPU (Game Scene)
8.5
7.3
Basemark Image
Overall Score
67,436
43,752
Storage Drive Performance
9.3
8.9
Storage Performance Image
Sequential Write Speed
4,839.0 MB/s
2,301.4 MB/s
Sequential Read Speed
2,340.8 MB/s
1,345.8 MB/s
Random Write Speed
53.6 MB/s
42.3 MB/s
Random Read Speed
56.8 MB/s
59.3 MB/s
Battery
9.0
7.2
Capacity
70 Wh
67 Wh
Battery Life (Web Browsing)
11.8 hrs
8.6 hrs
Battery Life (Video Playback)
9.3 hrs
8.1 hrs
Battery Life (Gaming)
1.9 hrs
2.9 hrs
Charge Time
2.2 hrs
2.7 hrs
Borderlands 3
4.6
3.2
Borderlands 3 Graph
Avg. FPS
37 fps
20 fps
1% Low
18 fps
8 fps
0.1% Low
10 fps
3 fps
1% Low Delta
28 ms
79 ms
0.1% Low Delta
78 ms
241 ms
Avg. FPS On Very Low
69 fps
40 fps
Civilization VI
7.2
5.8
Civilization VI Graph
Avg. FPS
60 fps
42 fps
1% Low
44 fps
28 fps
0.1% Low
42 fps
19 fps
1% Low Delta
6 ms
12 ms
0.1% Low Delta
7 ms
28 ms
Avg. FPS On Minimum
118 fps
93 fps
Avg. Turn Time
9.2 s
10.31 s
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
9.2
8.8
CS:GO graph
Avg. FPS
137 fps
108 fps
1% Low
N/A
N/A
0.1% Low
N/A
N/A
1% Low Delta
N/A
N/A
0.1% Low Delta
N/A
N/A
Avg. FPS On Low
220 fps
180 fps
Counter-Strike 2
CS2 Graph
Avg. FPS
1% Low
0.1% Low
1% Low Delta
0.1% Low Delta
Avg. FPS On Low
Shadow Of The Tomb Raider
7.4
4.5
Avg. FPS
59 fps
29 fps
1% Low
43 fps
18 fps
0.1% Low
39 fps
12 fps
1% Low Delta
6 ms
20 ms
0.1% Low Delta
9 ms
51 ms
Avg. FPS On Lowest
103 fps
58 fps
Thermals And Noise
7.6
9.4
Keyboard Temps Picture
Keyboard Temp While Idle
26 °C (79 °F)
27 °C (80 °F)
Keyboard Temp Under Load
47 °C (116 °F)
36 °C (96 °F)
Fan Noise While Idle
25.0 dBA
N/A
Fan Noise Under Load
41.5 dBA
N/A
Power & Fan Control App
No
No
Performance Over Time
10
8.4
Performance Over Time Graph
CPU Temp (Cinebench)
91 °C
80 °C
CPU Perf. Loss (Cinebench)
0% loss
1% loss
GPU Temp (Heaven)
89 °C
78 °C
GPU Perf. Loss (Heaven)
0% loss
8% loss
Additional Features And Software
Software
Operating System
macOS
macOS
Additional Software
None
None
Extra Features
RGB Illumination
No
No
Touch Pen
No
No
Secondary Display
No
No
Biometrics
Fingerprint Sensor
Fingerprint Sensor
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Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M2, 2023)
Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023)
Comments
Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M2, 2023) vs Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023): Main Discussion
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