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

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

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

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. While 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.

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

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

M1 MacBook Pro 13” image

M1 MacBook Pro 13”

MacBook Air 13” 2019 image

MacBook Air 13” 2019

Key Features
What's new
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
New True Tone Display
The technology automatically adjusts the white point of the display to match the color temperature of your environment.
What's missing
  • 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).
  • Slightly smaller battery, down from 50.3 Wh to 49.9 Wh
AvailabilityM1 MacBook Pro 13”MacBook Air 13” 2019
Released20202019
Release InfoAnnounced on November 10th, 2020
  • Available on June 27, 2019
Pricing
  • $1,299
    Apple M1 Chip | 8GB RAM | 256GB SSD
  • $1,499
    Apple M1 Chip | 8GB RAM | 512GB SSD
  • $1,099
    Intel Core i5 8210Y | 8GB RAM | 128GB SSD
  • $1,299
    Intel Core i5 8210Y | 8GB RAM | 256GB SSD
DisplayM1 MacBook Pro 13”MacBook Air 13” 2019
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
  • 500 nits brightness
  • Supports wide color (P3)
  • 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
  • True Tone technology
ExteriorM1 MacBook Pro 13”MacBook Air 13” 2019
Size Comparison
Dimensions11.97” x 8.36” x 0.61” (304.1 mm x 212.4 mm x 15.6 mm)11.97” x 8.36” x 0.16 - 0.61” (304.1 mm x  212.4 mm x 4.1 – 15.6 mm)
WeightStarting at 3.1 pounds (1.4 kg)Starting at 2.75 pounds (1.25 kg)
Colors
Space GraySilver
GoldSpace GraySilver
Keyboard and TrackpadBacklit 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
Backlit 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
PortsTwo 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
Two Thunderbolt 3 (USB‑C) ports with support for:
  • Charging
  • DisplayPort
  • Thunderbolt (up to 40Gb/s)
  • USB 3.1 Gen 2 (up to 10Gb/s)
Internal SpecsM1 MacBook Pro 13”MacBook Air 13” 2019
Processor
  • Apple M1
    8 cores, 8 threads, 3.20 GHz, 10W
  • 8th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-8210Y
    2 cores, 4 threads, 1.60 → 3.60 GHz, 4MB SmartCache, 7W
Integrated Graphics
  • Apple M1
    Apple M1 iGPU
    8 Graphics Cores, 1280 MHz
  • 8th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-8210Y
    Intel® UHD Graphics 617
    24 Execution Units, 300 → 1050 MHz
Discrete GraphicsSupport for Thunderbolt 3–enabled external graphics processors (eGPUs)
Memory
  • 8GB
    4266 MHz LPDDR4X onboard memory
  • Configurable to 16GB
8GB
Configurable to 16GB 2133MHz LPDDR3 onboard memory
Storage
  • 256GB512GB
    SSD
  • Configurable to 1TB or 2TB
128GB256GB
Configurable to 512GB or 1TB SSD
ConnectivityM1 MacBook Pro 13”MacBook Air 13” 2019
Wi-Fi
  • 802.11ax Wi‑Fi 6 wireless networking
  • IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac compatible
  • 802.11ac Wi‑Fi wireless networking
  • IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n compatible
BluetoothBluetooth 5.0 wireless technologyBluetooth 4.2 wireless technology
BatteryM1 MacBook Pro 13”MacBook Air 13” 2019
Size58.2 Wh lithium‑polymer battery49.9 Wh lithium‑polymer battery
Battery Life
  • Up to 17 hours wireless web
  • Up to 20 hours Apple TV app movie playback
  • Up to 12 hours wireless web
  • Up to 13 hours Apple TV app video playback
  • Up to 30 days of standby time
Power Supply61W USB‑C Power Adapter30W USB‑C Power Adapter
SoftwareM1 MacBook Pro 13”MacBook Air 13” 2019
OSShipped with macOS Big SurShipped with macOS Mojave
Built-in Apps
PhotosiMovieGarageBandPagesNumbersKeynoteSiriSafariMailFaceTimeMessagesMapsNewsStocksHomeVoice MemosNotesCalendarContactsRemindersPhoto BoothPreviewMusicPodcastsTVBooksApp StoreTime MachineFind MyQuickTime Player
PhotosiMovieGarageBandPagesNumbersKeynoteSiriSafariMailFaceTimeMessagesMapsNewsStocksHomeVoice MemosNotesCalendarContactsRemindersPhoto BoothPreviewMusicPodcastsTVBooksApp StoreTime MachineFind MyQuickTime Player
Camera & AudioM1 MacBook Pro 13”MacBook Air 13” 2019
Camera720p FaceTime HD camera720p FaceTime HD camera
Audio
  • 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
  • Stereo speakers
  • Three microphones
  • 3.5 mm headphone jack
MiscM1 MacBook Pro 13”MacBook Air 13” 2019
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 Pro 13”
  • 61W USB‑C Power Adapter
  • USB-C Charge Cable (2 m)
  • MacBook Air
  • 30W USB‑C Power Adapter
  • USB-C Charge Cable (2 m)
WarrantyYour 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.Your 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.
MoreVideo 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)
Video 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)
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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