I completely agree with your perspective. The weight difference of just 0.7 lbs is negligible, and while an M2 or newer MacBook Air would suit my needs fine, I find it hard to give up the benefits of a 120Hz display and the convenience of an SD card slot for photography.
I also can’t emphasize enough how useful the additional third USB-C slot has been. The MacBook Air is indeed lightweight and sleek, but the 14-inch MacBook Pro is only slightly heavier or thicker.
Considering the enhanced performance and additional features you get, the minor loss in portability seems worth it to me. For those who currently own a MacBook Pro with the M1 chip or later, would you ever consider switching back to the MacBook Air?
I miss the Air’s slim design, but I’m hesitant to return due to the superior display quality of the Pro. In my case, I recently retired my 2013 MacBook Air and purchased a 2025 M4 MacBook Air with 32GB of RAM and a 2TB SSD.
It’s an incredible machine, and I’m looking forward to using it for many years to come! I also think the MacBook Air is excellent for everyday tasks.
I own a 14-inch M4 Pro along with a 15-inch M2 Air for work. The Pro has advantages such as a better display, superior speakers, microphones, and a fan, but it is also thicker and heavier than the Air.
As for taking the 14-inch Pro on the road, I consider it portable enough for travel, but I prefer the idea of having a base 13-inch Air for lighter tasks, especially when processing photos. While I could travel with the Pro, I’d feel more comfortable keeping it at home due to the sensitive information stored on it.
So, I am considering waiting for a good sale on the Air; it would be a better fit for traveling and could lead me to eventually downsizing my gear to an 11-inch iPad as my devices age.
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