The MacBook Air is the best MacBook for most people. Unless you need the extra screen real estate or frequently are using demanding software for video work, 3D modeling, animation or engineering tasks, the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros are beyond what most people need. Our advice? If you do basic productivity work even with a smattering of more taxing software, stick to the M1 Air and use the savings to upgrade your storage or RAM. Starting at $1,999 you are paying a serious premium for Apple's top-tier laptops, but if you need all this power or hated some of the hardware changes they are worth it. The gorgeous 120Hz displays are the best Apple has ever offered in its laptops. These laptops walk back some of the controversial decisions Apple made with the MacBook Pro in 2016 with the return of an SD card slot, HDMI, MagSafe charging and still boasts three Thunderbolt 4 ports. Either option is overkill for most users, but they do feature some other tantalizing upgrades. The 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros are powered by the M1 Pro or M1 Max processor. With M1, there is little reason to look beyond the MacBook Air. Along with speed and endurance boosts, the M1 chip brings iOS and iPadOS apps to Mac for the first time ever. It turbocharges that familiar design with record-setting performance and all-day battery life. Transforming from underpowered to one of the fastest ultrathin laptops around, the MacBook Air with M1 is the best Mac for most people. Our MacBook Air vs MacBook Pro face-off may help you decide which system is right for you and if you are on the fence about picking up an Apple laptop at all our macOS Monterey preview offers some insight into the operating system that comes with whichever of these excellent laptops you choose. These laptops have received universally positive reviews with an unmatched balance of performance and battery life.

In 2021 the high-end MacBook Pros got the same treatment with the 14-inch MacBook Pro and 16-inch MacBook Pro featuring M1 Pro and M1 Max chip options.

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