MacBook Air 13” 2019 vs. M1 MacBook Pro 13” - Specs Comparison

Here is a comparison between the specifications of the MacBook Air 13” 2019 and M1 MacBook Pro 13”, including differences in the chip, memory, storage, display, battery, ports, and more.

MacBook Air 13” 2019 vs. M1 MacBook Pro 13”

The MacBook Air 13” 2019 features the 7W 8th Generation Intel Amber Lake Y dual-core Intel Core i5-8210Y with the boost speed up to 3.60 GHz. While the 2020 M1 MacBook Pro 13” features the 10W Apple M-Series ARM 64-bit 8-core Apple M1 (8C, 8G) with a clock speed of 3.20 GHz.

If you are in the market looking for a laptop and don't know what's the difference between the 13.3″ MacBook Air 13” 2019 and the 13.3″ M1 MacBook Pro 13” (2020), we have a detailed tech specs comparison between both devices for you to check out here.

MacBook Air 13” 2019 vs. M1 MacBook Pro 13”: Specs Comparison

MacBook Air 13” 2019 image

MacBook Air 13” 2019

M1 MacBook Pro 13” image

M1 MacBook Pro 13”

Key Features
What's new
New True Tone Display
The technology automatically adjusts the white point of the display to match the color temperature of your environment.
Better Performance
With the new Apple M1 Chip paired with the MacBook Pro's active cooling system, it's 2.8 times faster than the previous generation. The 8-core GPU is up to 5 times faster allowing smooth graphics performance.
Better Battery Life
It's a MacBook Pro with the longest battery life ever made, with up to 20-hours of watching movies and 17 hours of web browsing.
Better FaceTime HD camera
With the latest Apple Image Single Processor (ISP) in the M1 chip, image quality is better in noise reduction, greater dynamic range, and improved auto white balance.
More
  • Supports latest USB 4
  • Supports latest Wi-Fi 6
  • Better security with new Secure Enclave in M1 chip
  • Studio-quality mics for super clear recordings and calls
What's missing
  • Slightly smaller battery, down from 50.3 Wh to 49.9 Wh
  • Supports only one extended 6K@60Hz display, while the older Intel version supports up to two 4K@60Hz.
  • Not supports for external Thunderbolt-3 enabled graphics processors (eGPUs).
AvailabilityMacBook Air 13” 2019M1 MacBook Pro 13”
Released20192020
Release Info
  • Available on June 27, 2019
Announced on November 10th, 2020
Pricing
  • $1,099
    Intel Core i5 8210Y | 8GB RAM | 128GB SSD
  • $1,299
    Intel Core i5 8210Y | 8GB RAM | 256GB SSD
  • $1,299
    Apple M1 Chip | 8GB RAM | 256GB SSD
  • $1,499
    Apple M1 Chip | 8GB RAM | 512GB SSD
DisplayMacBook Air 13” 2019M1 MacBook Pro 13”
Size13.3 Inches13.3 Inches
InfoRetina display
  • 13.3-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit display with IPS technology; 2560-by-1600 native resolution at 227 pixels per inch with support for millions of colors
  • Supported scaled resolutions:
    • 1680 by 1050
    • 1440 by 900
    • 1024 by 640
  • 16:10 aspect ratio
  • True Tone technology
Retina display
  • 13.3-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit display with IPS technology; 2560-by-1600 native resolution at 227 pixels per inch with support for millions of colors
  • Supported scaled resolutions:
    • 1680 by 1050
    • 1440 by 900
    • 1024 by 640
  • 16:10 aspect ratio
  • 500 nits brightness
  • Supports wide color (P3)
  • True Tone technology
ExteriorMacBook Air 13” 2019M1 MacBook Pro 13”
Size Comparison
Dimensions11.97” x 8.36” x 0.16 - 0.61” (304.1 mm x  212.4 mm x 4.1 – 15.6 mm)11.97” x 8.36” x 0.61” (304.1 mm x 212.4 mm x 15.6 mm)
WeightStarting at 2.75 pounds (1.25 kg)Starting at 3.1 pounds (1.4 kg)
Colors
GoldSpace GraySilver
Space GraySilver
Keyboard and TrackpadBacklit Magic Keyboard with:
  • 78 (U.S.) or 79 (ISO) individual LED-backlit keys, including 12 function keys and 4 arrow keys
  • Ambient light sensor
  • Force Touch trackpad for precise cursor control and pressure-sensing capabilities; enables Force clicks, accelerators, pressure-sensitive drawing, and Multi-Touch gestures
Backlit Magic Keyboard with:
  • 65 (U.S.) or 66 (ISO) keys including 4 arrow keys in an inverted‑T arrangement
  • Touch Bar
  • Touch ID sensor
  • Ambient light sensor
  • Force Touch trackpad for precise cursor control and pressure‑sensing capabilities; enables Force clicks, accelerators, pressure‑sensitive drawing, and Multi‑Touch gestures
PortsTwo Thunderbolt 3 (USB‑C) ports with support for:
  • Charging
  • DisplayPort
  • Thunderbolt (up to 40Gb/s)
  • USB 3.1 Gen 2 (up to 10Gb/s)
Two Thunderbolt / USB 4 (USB‑C) ports with support for:
  • Charging
  • DisplayPort
  • Thunderbolt 3 (up to 40Gb/s)
  • USB 3.1 Gen 2 (up to 10Gb/s)
  • Headphone
Internal SpecsMacBook Air 13” 2019M1 MacBook Pro 13”
Processor
  • 8th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-8210Y
    2 cores, 4 threads, 1.60 → 3.60 GHz, 4MB SmartCache, 7W
  • Apple M1
    8 cores, 8 threads, 3.20 GHz, 10W
Integrated Graphics
  • 8th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-8210Y
    Intel® UHD Graphics 617
    24 Execution Units, 300 → 1050 MHz
  • Apple M1
    Apple M1 iGPU
    8 Graphics Cores, 1280 MHz
Discrete GraphicsSupport for Thunderbolt 3–enabled external graphics processors (eGPUs)
Memory
8GB
Configurable to 16GB 2133MHz LPDDR3 onboard memory
  • 8GB
    4266 MHz LPDDR4X onboard memory
  • Configurable to 16GB
Storage
128GB256GB
Configurable to 512GB or 1TB SSD
  • 256GB512GB
    SSD
  • Configurable to 1TB or 2TB
ConnectivityMacBook Air 13” 2019M1 MacBook Pro 13”
Wi-Fi
  • 802.11ac Wi‑Fi wireless networking
  • IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n compatible
  • 802.11ax Wi‑Fi 6 wireless networking
  • IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac compatible
BluetoothBluetooth 4.2 wireless technologyBluetooth 5.0 wireless technology
BatteryMacBook Air 13” 2019M1 MacBook Pro 13”
Size49.9 Wh lithium‑polymer battery58.2 Wh lithium‑polymer battery
Battery Life
  • Up to 12 hours wireless web
  • Up to 13 hours Apple TV app video playback
  • Up to 30 days of standby time
  • Up to 17 hours wireless web
  • Up to 20 hours Apple TV app movie playback
Power Supply30W USB‑C Power Adapter61W USB‑C Power Adapter
SoftwareMacBook Air 13” 2019M1 MacBook Pro 13”
OSShipped with macOS MojaveShipped with macOS Big Sur
Built-in Apps
PhotosiMovieGarageBandPagesNumbersKeynoteSiriSafariMailFaceTimeMessagesMapsNewsStocksHomeVoice MemosNotesCalendarContactsRemindersPhoto BoothPreviewMusicPodcastsTVBooksApp StoreTime MachineFind MyQuickTime Player
PhotosiMovieGarageBandPagesNumbersKeynoteSiriSafariMailFaceTimeMessagesMapsNewsStocksHomeVoice MemosNotesCalendarContactsRemindersPhoto BoothPreviewMusicPodcastsTVBooksApp StoreTime MachineFind MyQuickTime Player
Camera & AudioMacBook Air 13” 2019M1 MacBook Pro 13”
Camera720p FaceTime HD camera720p FaceTime HD camera
Audio
  • Stereo speakers
  • Three microphones
  • 3.5 mm headphone jack
  • Stereo speakers with high dynamic range
  • Wide stereo sound
  • Support for Dolby Atmos playback
  • Studio-quality three-mic array with directional beamforming
  • 3.5 mm headphone jack
MiscMacBook Air 13” 2019M1 MacBook Pro 13”
Sensors
  • Touch ID sensor
  • Ambient light sensor
  • Touch ID sensor
  • Ambient light sensor
Security
  • Touch ID sensor
  • Apple T2 Security Chip
  • Touch ID sensor
  • Apple T2 Security Chip
In the box
  • MacBook Air
  • 30W USB‑C Power Adapter
  • USB-C Charge Cable (2 m)
  • MacBook Pro 13”
  • 61W USB‑C Power Adapter
  • USB-C Charge Cable (2 m)
WarrantyYour MacBook Air comes with 90 days of complimentary technical support and a one-year limited warranty. Purchase AppleCare+ to extend your coverage to three years from your AppleCare+ purchase date and add up to two incidents of accidental damage coverage, each subject to a service fee of $99 for screen damage or external enclosure damage, or $299 for other repairable damage, plus applicable tax.Your MacBook Pro comes with 90 days of complimentary technical support and a one-year limited warranty. Purchase AppleCare+ for Mac to extend your coverage to three years from your AppleCare+ purchase date and add up to two incidents of accidental damage coverage, each subject to a service fee of $99 for screen damage or external enclosure damage, or $299 for other repairable damage, plus applicable tax.
MoreVideo Support
  • Simultaneously supports full native resolution on the built-in display at millions of colors and:
    • One external display with 5120-by-2880 resolution at up to 60Hz
    • Up to two external displays with 4096-by-2304 resolution at up to 60Hz
     
  • Thunderbolt 3 digital video output
    • Native DisplayPort output over USB‑C
    • VGA, HDMI, and Thunderbolt 2 output using adapters (sold separately)
Video Support
  • Simultaneously supports full native resolution on the built-in display at millions of colors and:
    • One external display with up to 6K resolution at 60Hz
  • Thunderbolt 3 digital video output
    • Native DisplayPort output over USB‑C
    • VGA, HDMI, DVI, and Thunderbolt 2 output supported using adapters (sold separately)
M1 MacBook Pro 13” image

M1 MacBook Pro 13”: Key Features

Better real-world application performance

When compared to the previous generation, the new M1-powered 13-inch MacBook Pro can:

  1. Build code in Xcode up to 2.8x faster.
  2. Render a complex 3D title in Final Cut Pro up to 5.9x faster.
  3. Fluidly design intricate game scenes in Unity Editor up to 3.5x faster.
  4. Perform ML tasks in Create ML up to 11x faster.
  5. Separate out beats, instrumentals, and vocal tracks from a recording in real-time in djay Pro AI, thanks to the amazing performance of the Neural Engine.
  6. Playback full-quality, 8K ProRes video in DaVinci Resolve without dropping a single frame.
  7. Compile four times as much code on a single charge, thanks to the game-changing performance per watt of the M1 chip.

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