Computers

MacBook Air (2014) vs. MacBook Pro with Retina Display (late 2013)

MacBook Air (2014) vs. MacBook Pro with Retina Display (late 2013)
Gizmag compares the features and specs of the (early 2014) 13-in MacBook Air and the (late 2013) 13-in MacBook Pro with Retina Display
Gizmag compares the features and specs of the (early 2014) 13-in MacBook Air and the (late 2013) 13-in MacBook Pro with Retina Display
View 19 Images
Both MacBooks have aluminum exteriors
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Both MacBooks have aluminum exteriors
The upgrade in the new MacBook Air is a minor processor upgrade over the last (mid-2013) model
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The upgrade in the new MacBook Air is a minor processor upgrade over the last (mid-2013) model
The Retina MacBook Pro has a much sharper display
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The Retina MacBook Pro has a much sharper display
Both of the models we're looking at have 13.3-in displays
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Both of the models we're looking at have 13.3-in displays
Both laptops have 720p front-facing cameras
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Both laptops have 720p front-facing cameras
The Retina MacBook's integrated Intel graphics are a step up from the GPU in the MacBook Air
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The Retina MacBook's integrated Intel graphics are a step up from the GPU in the MacBook Air
Gizmag compares the features and specs of the (early 2014) 13-in MacBook Air and the (late 2013) 13-in MacBook Pro with Retina Display
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Gizmag compares the features and specs of the (early 2014) 13-in MacBook Air and the (late 2013) 13-in MacBook Pro with Retina Display
The MacBook Air saw a $100 price drop with the release of the new model
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The MacBook Air saw a $100 price drop with the release of the new model
Both laptops start at 4 GB of RAM, but are configurable for higher totals if you're willing to pay
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Both laptops start at 4 GB of RAM, but are configurable for higher totals if you're willing to pay
The latest Retina MBP has been around since October, while the new Air just launched
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The latest Retina MBP has been around since October, while the new Air just launched
Both MacBooks have an SD reader
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Both MacBooks have an SD reader
The Retina MacBook gives you two Thunderbolt ports, while the Air gives you one
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The Retina MacBook gives you two Thunderbolt ports, while the Air gives you one
Just to be clear, neither MacBook has a touchscreen
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Just to be clear, neither MacBook has a touchscreen
Both computers give you two USB 3.0 ports
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Both computers give you two USB 3.0 ports
The Air is 14 percent lighter
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The Air is 14 percent lighter
Dimensions for the two MacBooks
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Dimensions for the two MacBooks
Battery Watt-hours and Apple's estimates for web use
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Battery Watt-hours and Apple's estimates for web use
Each computer runs OS X Mavericks
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Each computer runs OS X Mavericks
Storage options for each PC
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Storage options for each PC
View gallery - 19 images

With Apple giving the MacBook Air a minor spec bump (and price drop) today, we thought this would be a good time to revisit the battle of the two 13-in MacBooks. Join Gizmag, as we compare the specs and features of the (early 2014) MacBook Air and the (late 2013) MacBook Pro with Retina Display.

Update: For the latest models, you can hit up our updated version of this comparison.

Just to avoid any confusion, keep in mind that we're only looking at the 13.3-in versions of each laptop. Apple also sells an 11.6-in MacBook Air and a 15.4-in Retina MacBook Pro. Maybe we'll take a look at them in future comparisons, but we're leaving them out this time.

Size

Dimensions for the two MacBooks
Dimensions for the two MacBooks

The new MacBook Air's chassis is unchanged from every MBA since late 2010, so don't expect anything new there. One item to note here is that, though the Retina MacBook Pro is only 1 mm thicker at its thickest point, it doesn't have the Air's tapered design. So the MacBook Air is going to feel thinner than the listed depth would suggest.

Weight

The Air is 14 percent lighter
The Air is 14 percent lighter

The MacBook Air still lives up to its name, weighing in at 14 percent lighter than the MacBook Pro with Retina Display.

Build

Both MacBooks have aluminum exteriors
Both MacBooks have aluminum exteriors

The two MacBooks have similar aluminum unibody designs.

Display (size)

Both of the models we're looking at have 13.3-in displays
Both of the models we're looking at have 13.3-in displays

The two laptops have very different displays, but not when it comes to size. It's 13.3 inches (measured diagonally) all around.

Display (resolution and pixel density)

The Retina MacBook Pro has a much sharper display
The Retina MacBook Pro has a much sharper display

This is the single biggest reason to opt for the Retina MacBook Pro. Its screen has 216 percent more pixels than the MacBook Air's 1,440 x 900 display. The rumor mill is pointing to a 12-in Retina MacBook Air arriving later this year, but until then, the existing Air delivers very mediocre resolution – at least by 2014 standards.

Touch screen

Just to be clear, neither MacBook has a touchscreen
Just to be clear, neither MacBook has a touchscreen

Just to be clear, as Windows laptops have moved into the realm of touch, MacBooks haven't yet gone that route. So far, Apple has stuck to its touch is for tablets and smartphones, not laptops guns.

Processor

The upgrade in the new MacBook Air is a minor processor upgrade over the last (mid-2013) model
The upgrade in the new MacBook Air is a minor processor upgrade over the last (mid-2013) model

Apart from price, this is the only difference between the new MacBook Air and the mid-2013 model that it's replacing. Both have power-sipping Haswell chips, but the new model is clocked slightly faster. It's still, however, slower than the Retina MacBook Pro.

With both devices, Apple will let you pay more to upgrade to faster processors. The Air is configurable up to 1.7 GHz (with a 3.3 GHz turbo boost), and the Retina Pro is configurable up to 2.8 GHz (with 3.3 GHz turbo boost).

If you're considering the rMBP with max storage (512 GB or 1 TB), then you'll also get a slightly faster processor: 2.6 GHz (with turbo up to 3.1 GHz).

Graphics

The Retina MacBook's integrated Intel graphics are a step up from the GPU in the MacBook Air
The Retina MacBook's integrated Intel graphics are a step up from the GPU in the MacBook Air

The integrated graphics in the Retina MacBook Pro are a (relatively minor) step up from the Intel HD Graphics 5000 found in the Air.

RAM

Both laptops start at 4 GB of RAM, but are configurable for higher totals if you're willing to pay
Both laptops start at 4 GB of RAM, but are configurable for higher totals if you're willing to pay

By default, both machines ship with 4 GB of RAM. These are also configurable: up to 8 GB for the Air, and either 8 GB or 16 GB for the rMBP.

Storage

Storage options for each PC
Storage options for each PC

The MacBook Pro has a 1 TB flash storage option that the Air doesn't match. The 512 GB option for the Air is another configurable one.

USB 3.0 ports

Both computers give you two USB 3.0 ports
Both computers give you two USB 3.0 ports

Each MacBook gives you two USB 3.0 ports.

Thunderbolt ports

The Retina MacBook gives you two Thunderbolt ports, while the Air gives you one
The Retina MacBook gives you two Thunderbolt ports, while the Air gives you one

The Retina Pro gives you two Thunderbolt ports, while the Air gives you one.

SDXC reader

Both MacBooks have an SD reader
Both MacBooks have an SD reader

You also get one SD card reading port in each laptop.

Webcam

Both laptops have 720p front-facing cameras
Both laptops have 720p front-facing cameras

Nothing out of the ordinary here, as both laptops have Apple's standard 720p "FaceTime cameras" (known outside of Cupertino as webcams) living above their screens.

Battery

Battery Watt-hours and Apple's estimates for web use
Battery Watt-hours and Apple's estimates for web use

Apple's estimates are three hours longer for the MBA. The rMBP's battery life is nothing to sneeze at, but battery life joins pricing and a smaller/lighter footprint as the biggest reasons to consider the Air over the Retina Pro.

Software

Each computer runs OS X Mavericks
Each computer runs OS X Mavericks

Of course, both MacBooks run the Mac's latest operating system, OS X Mavericks. If the company sticks with its cycle from 2013, then we'll probably see a new version of Mac OS X introduced at WWDC in June and released (as a free update) sometime around October.

Release

The latest Retina MBP has been around since October, while the new Air just launched
The latest Retina MBP has been around since October, while the new Air just launched

As we mentioned, the slightly-updated MacBook Air just launched. The newest Retina MacBook Pro, which first brought Haswell to the high-res laptop, arrived last October.

If you prefer to look at the release in broader terms, then the first 13-in Retina MacBook launched in late 2012 and the first MacBook Air with the current design and dimensions first shipped in late 2010.

Starting price

The MacBook Air saw a $100 price drop with the release of the new model
The MacBook Air saw a $100 price drop with the release of the new model

The new MacBook Air's spec bump is barely worth mentioning, but its price drop most definitely is. This 13-in model, which used to start at US$1,100, now starts at $1,000. That makes it $300 cheaper than the base MacBook Pro with Retina Display.

The Air's price makes it a little more appealing, but this might not be a great time to buy a MacBook Air – at least not if you care about display resolution. With many smartphones, tablets, and, yes, laptops switching to razor-sharp displays, I can't emphasize enough how dated the MacBook Air's screen is looking these days. The question isn't if Apple will release a Retina MacBook Air, but when. And lots of supply chain rumors have been pointing to a higher-resolution MacBook Air coming as soon as later this year. Take that as you will.

For more on Apple's laptops, you can read our full reviews of the (mid 2013) 11-in MacBook Air and the (late 2013) 13-in Retina MacBook Pro. And if you want to look at some Windows laptops too, you can check out our roundup of the best laptops from a few months back.

View gallery - 19 images
1 comment
1 comment
Brian Hughes
I was replacing a 2011 Air and first got the MacBook Pro - I ended up trading it in and switching to the 2014 Air. There were three reasons.
1) I am used to the taper on the Air, and the Pro has a sharp square edge that was driving me nuts - it just hurt the edge of my palm. This was the forcing factor - I had to change.
2) I realize that battery life matters more to me than performance. I love having removed charge anxiety from my life.
3) It seems silly, since the weight difference is so small, but, damn, I notice it. The Air is just the best damn laptop I've every held and I found the Pro to be just "wrong" in my hands.
I loaded the Air to the custom Apple limit and have no regrets - my 2011 Air in now my Windows machine running 8.1 Pro via Boot Camp - which it does just fine for a windows only pressure measurement system. (Also, I love to see folks face when my Mac boots into Windows.)