Apple’s poised to release a slew of new devices between this fall and the beginning of 2023, according to a report from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman. What Gurman describes as a “deluge” of products will reportedly include four iPhone 14 devices, a set of new iPads, three Apple Watches, several M2 / M3-upgraded Macs, a pair of refreshed AirPods Pro buds, a new HomePod, and a spec-boosted Apple TV model.
Let’s break down these predictions.
Although Apple announced two new Macs with its flagship M2 processor at its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) earlier this month, Gurman expects to find the chip — and its variations — in several other devices. This includes an M2 Mac mini, M2 Pro Mac mini, M2 Pro / M2 Max 14 and 16-inch MacBook Pros, as well as an M2 Ultra / M2 Extreme Mac Pro. Of course, there’s Apple’s long-rumored mixed reality headset, which is also expected to come with an M2 chip. If this isn’t overwhelming enough, Gurman says Apple’s M3 processor is already in the works, and will likely appear in the 13 and 15-inch MacBook Air laptops coming next year.
Apple’s also expected to release three new Apple Watch models this fall: the standard Watch Series 8, a new SE, and a more “rugged” watch geared towards people into “extreme sports.” Gurman notes that while the S8 chip present in the upcoming Watch Series 8 will offer the same level of performance as the preceding S7 and S6 chips, the Watch coming next year will reportedly feature an upgraded processor. Gurman also expects Apple to discontinue the Series 3 this fall in favor of the new SE, which could also come with the S8 processor — a jump from the S5 chip that came with the 2020 SE model.
Apple didn’t have much to say about tvOS at WWDC, however, Gurman says the company is supposed to reveal a new Apple TV with an A14 chip and slightly more RAM this fall. This sets the device up for the “additional gaming capabilities” that we could see in tvOS 16, Gurman notes.
Apple’s also set to roll out an upgraded HomePod — but probably not until next year. According to Gurman, the upcoming HomePod will come with a similar size and level of performance as the original HomePod released in 2018. It’s expected to have an S8 chip, refreshed display, and potential support “multi-touch functionality.”
The AirPods Pro earbuds are due for an upgrade as well, with Gurman predicting a new chip and improved sound. Hopefully, this means support for lossless audio, which supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo rumored earlier this year.
Apple’s MacBook lineup has been fully refreshed between the new MacBook Air and 13-inch MacBook Pro with M2 chips arriving this summer and the 14 and 16-inch MacBook Pro landing last fall. And Apple is keeping the M1 MacBook Air in the lineup too. Let’s take an in-depth look at the difference between MacBook Air and Pro to see what sets these MacBooks apart.
Update 6/24: Orders are open for the M2 13-inch MacBook Pro and Apple has also started its Back to School promotion. But we’re still waiting on the M2 MacBook Air to launch which is slated for July.
Read on for why the new M2 MacBook Air is a better choice over the M2 13-inch MacBook Pro, unless the 14 or 16-inch MacBook Pro is a better fit.
Table of contents
The 2021 14 and 16-inch MacBook Pro notebooks feature a fresh design, mini-LED display backlighting, the return of I/O including HDMI, SD card slot, and MagSafe, and the removal of the Touch Bar.
And they have more power than ever with the M1 Pro and M1 Max chips (if you’re on the fence between the 14 and 16-inch MacBook Pro, check out our detailed guide).
Now Apple has unveiled the new 2022 MacBook Air and 13-inch MacBook Pro running on the upgraded M2 chip. The MacBook Air has received the most changes with an all-new design, larger 13.6-inch display, flat-edged chassis, new midnight color, upgraded webcam, and much more.
Difference between MacBook Air and Pro
CPU, GPU, RAM, more
Apple announced its second-generation base Apple Silicon processor with M2. While it’s a notable upgrade over the M1, the M2 is less powerful than the M1 Pro, Max, and Ultra chips.
M2 enables up to 24GB RAM, up to 10 GPU cores, and comes with a faster 8-core CPU than the M1. Here’s a more detailed look at the M1 vs M2 chips.
Meanwhile, with the 14-inch MacBook Pro, you get the M1 Pro or M1 Max chip with the option for even more CPU and GPU cores, and RAM up to 64GB.
Hardware
2022 MacBook Air
2020 MacBook Air
13″ MacBook Pro(2022)
14″ MacBook Pro (2021)
CPU
M2 – 8-core
M1 – 8-core
M2 – 8-core
M1 Pro or Max – 8 or 10-core
Storage
Up to 2TB
Up to 2TB
Up to 2TB
Up to 8TB
RAM
8, 16, or 24GB
8 or 16GB
8, 16, or 24GB
16 to 64GB
Graphics
Up to 10-core
7-core
10-core
Up to 32-core
Neural engine
16-core
16-core
16-core
16-core
FaceTime camera
1080p
720p
720p
1080p
Speakers
4-speaker system with wide sound
Stereo speakers with wide sound
Stereo speakers with high dynamic range
6-speaker high-fidelity
Mics
3-mic array
3-mic array
Studio-quality 3-mic array
Studio-quality 3-mic array
Thermal management
Fanless
Fanless
Active cooling with fans
Active cooling with fans
Apple says the M2 is up to 18% faster for CPU performance and up to 35% faster for GPU performance than the M1. It has over 20 billion transistors and can handle up to 15.8 trillion operations per second.
The M2 chip also features a media engine that brings support for hardware-accelerated H.264, HEVC, ProRes, and ProRes RAW. It also has a video and ProRes encode and decode engine.
Another nice addition to the 2022 MacBook Air is a 1080p webcam like the 14-inch MacBook Pro received. Apple says it has the same “advanced image signal processor with computational video.” Meanwhile, the new M2 13-inch MacBook Pro sticks with the old 720p webcam.
Displays
If screen brightness is important to you, the 2022 MacBook Air gets a nice improvement from 400 to 500 nits brightness.
Another change with the redesign is the new MacBook Air has a larger 13.6-inch screen with slimmer bezels.
While the 14-inch MacBook Pro’s up to 1,000 sustained nits brightness (1,600 peak) is just for HDR content, you’re still getting up to 120Hz refresh rates with ProMotion, mini-LED backlighting, and thin bezels.
2022 MacBook Air
2020 MacBookAir
13″ MacBook Pro (2022)
14″ MacBook Pro(2021)
Actual screen size
13.6-inch
13.3-inch
13.3-inch
14.2-inch
Resolution
2560 x 1664
2560 x 1600
2560 x 1600
3024 x 1964
Aspect Ratio
16:10 + notch
16:10
16:10
16:10 + notch
PPI
224
227
227
254
Nits(brightness)
500
400
500
500 for SDR, 1000 sustained, up to 1600 peak for HDR
Retina display
–
✅
✅
–
Liquid Retina Display
✅
❌
❌
✅ + XDR
ProMotion (up to 120Hz)
❌
❌
❌
✅
mini-LED backlit
❌
❌
❌
✅
True Tone
✅
✅
✅
✅
P3 wide color
✅
✅
✅
✅
The new MacBook Air and the 14-inch MacBook Pro include a notch at the top center of the display for the 1080p FaceTime camera. But unlike the iPhone, the notch doesn’t include Face ID hardware/support.
I/O: Difference between MacBook Air and Pro
The 2022 MacBook Air gains MagSafe charging like the 2021 MacBook Pro notebooks. However, Apple has kept additions like HDMI, SDXC slot, and support for up to 4 external displays exclusive to the 14 and 16-inch MacBook Pro.
The new 2022 MacBook Air and 13-inch Pro have support for just 1 external display up to 6K at 60Hz, even with the new M2 chip. That may be a deal-breaker for some.
Along with the two USB4/Thunderbolt 3 ports, the new MacBook Air keeps the 3.5 mm headphone jack.
2022 MacBook Air
2020 MacBook Air
13″ MacBook Pro(2022)
14″ MacBook Pro(2021)
Magic Keyboard
✅
✅
✅
✅
Touch ID
✅
✅
✅
✅
Touch Bar
❌
❌
✅
❌
USB-C/Thunderbolt ports
2
2
2
3
Headphone jack
✅
✅
✅
✅
HDMI
❌
❌
❌
✅
SDXC card reader
❌
❌
❌
✅
MagSafe charging
✅
❌
❌
✅
Bluetooth
5.0
5.0
5.0
5.0
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi 6 (802.11.ax)
Wi-Fi 6 (802.11.ax)
Wi-Fi 6 (802.11.ax)
Wi-Fi 6 (802.11.ax)
External display support
1 external display with up to 6K resolution at 60Hz
1 external display with up to 6K resolution at 60Hz
1 external display with up to 6K resolution at 60Hz
Up to 2 external displays at 6K res at 60Hz (M1 Pro) or up to 3 external displays at 6K res and 1 external display up to 4K res at 60Hz (M1 Max)
Size, weight, and finish
As you’d expect, the MacBook Air remains the lightest machine with the 13-inch MacBook Pro weighing a bit more, and the 14-inch being the heaviest. The new MacBook Air is even 0.1 pounds lighter than its 2020 predecessor.
The new MacBook Air is also super-thin at 11.3 mm (0.44 in). And if the gold or new midnight colors are appealing, those are only available with the MacBook Air.
2022 MacBook Air
2020 MacBook Air
13″ MacBook Pro (2020)
14″ MacBook Pro (2021)
Weight
2.7 pounds (1.24 kg)
2.8 lbs. (1.29 kg)
3 pounds (1.4 kg)
3.5 pounds (1.6 kg)
Thickness
0.44 in. (1.13 cm)
0.16-0.63 in. (0.41-1.61 cm)
0.61 inch (1.56 cm)
0.61 inch (1.55 cm)
Width
11.97 in. (30.41 cm)
11.97 in. (30.41 cm)
11.97 in. (30.31 cm)
12.31 in. (31.26 cm)
Depth
8.46 in. (21.5 cm)
8.36 in. (21.24 cm)
8.36 inches (21.24 cm)
8.71 inches (22.12 cm)
Display size
13.6 in.
13.3 in.
13.3 in.
14.2 in.
Finishes
Silver, space gray, starlight, midnight
Silver, space gray, and gold
Silver or space gray
Silver or space gray
Notably, the new MacBook Air has shifted from the wedge design it’s had for years and now has a flat-edge chassis like the MacBook Pro. But Apple has made it very slim at just 11.3 mm (1.13 cm) thin.
Battery life
Real-world battery life for Apple Silicon MacBooks compared to the old Intel models has been impressive and usually matches Apple’s claims. But that can depend on what you’re doing with your MacBook, screen brightness, and more.
In any case, the power efficiency and battery life come in strong with the new M2 MacBook Air.
2022 MacBook Air
2020 MacBook Air
13″ MacBook Pro (2022)
14″ MacBook Pro (2021)
Wireless web battery
15 hours
15 hours
17 hours
11 hours
Video playback
18 hours
18 hours
20 hours
17 hours
Included power adapter
30W, 35W, or 67W USB-C + MagSafe
30W USB-C
67W USB-C
67W or 96W USB-C + MagSafe
Battery capacity
52.6Wh
49.9Wh
58.2Wh
70Wh
Fast charging
✅
❌
❌
✅
Apple says when using the 67W power adapter, the new MacBook Air can fast charge to give up to 50% battery in just 30 minutes.
Pricing
With a starting price of $1,199, the new MacBook Air comes in $800 less than the 14-inch MacBook Pro which starts at $1,999.
Standard models of the new Air are 256GB SSD/8GB RAM and 512GB SSD/8GB RAM configurations. Models with 16 or 24GB RAM for the 2022 Air and upgraded M2 chip are custom orders.
The 14-inch MacBook Pro base model at $1,999 with an M1 Pro chip, 16GB RAM, and 512GB SSD.
Model/price
2022 MacBook Air
2020 MacBook Air
13″ MacBook Pro (2020)
14″ MacBook Pro (2021)
256 / 8GB
$1,199
$999
$1,299
–
512 / 8GB
$1,399
$1,199
$1,499
–
256 / 16GB
$1,399
$1,199
$1,499
–
512 / 16GB
$1,599
$1,399
$1,699
From $1,999
1TB / 16GB
$1,799
$1,599
$1,899
From $2,199
1TB/ 24GB
$1,999
–
–
1TB / 32GB
–
–
–
From $2,599
Custom builds
Up to $2,499
Up to $1,999
Up to $2,299
Up to $5,899
Difference between MacBook Air and Pro conclusion
Hopefully, now it’s clear which MacBook is right for you. If you have light to medium performance needs – and even some limited intensive needs, and prefer the lightest machine with great battery life, the MacBook Air is the best fit starting at a reasonable $1,199 or $1,099 for students and teachers.
Apple hasn’t shared exactly when the new MacBook Air will launch other than “July” for now.
For those wanting to save some money and have simple workflows (web, docs, media), the $999 M1 MacBook Air is still in the lineup.
But if you value the most power, active cooling for extended heavy workloads, a brighter screen, more ports, and greater external display support, the 14-inch MacBook Pro is the way to go.
While the 13-inch MacBook Pro has been refreshed with the M2 chip, there probably are not many people that should buy it.
The main difference between the 2022 MacBook Air and Pro is the included fans for the Pro and Touch Bar. But if you’re worried about performance and overheating, you should probably be looking at the 14 or 16-inch MacBook Pro. And the new MacBook Air offers many upgrades that the new 13-inch MacBook Pro doesn’t like the larger Liquid Retina display, 1080p webcam, MagSafe charging, midnight and starlight color options, and more.
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