This article is based on an article from the Japanese edition of Engadget and was created using the translation tool Deepl.
Apple has announced the MacBook Pro and MacBook Air, which feature its own SoC "M1" chip. In this article, we compare the specifications of these two models to existing models.
Apple
Model
MacBook Pro 13" (2020 late)
MacBook Pro 13" (2020 Early)
MacBook Air 13" (2020 late)
MacBook Air 13" (2020 Early Core i5)
Display
13.3-inch Retina 2560 x 1600px 500 nits brightness Wide color (P3) True Tone technology
13.3-inch Retina 2560 x 1600px 500 nits brightness Wide color (P3) True Tone technology
13.3-inch Retina 2560x1600px 400 nits brightness Wide color (P3) True Tone technology
13.3-inch Retina 2560x1600px True Tone technology
Chip
Apple M1 chip 8-core CPU with 4 performance cores and 4 efficiency cores
16-core Neural Engine
2.0GHz quad-core Intel Core i5
Op: 2.3GHz quad-core Intel Core i7
1.4GHz quad-core Intel Core i5
Op: 1.7GHz quad-core Intel Core i7
Apple M1 chip 8-core CPU with 4 performance cores and 4 efficiency cores
16-core Neural Engine
1.1GHz quad-core Intel Core i5
Op:1.2GHz quad-core Intel Core i7
Graphics
8-core GPU (M1)
Intel Iris Plus Graphics
Intel Iris Plus Graphics 645
256GB Model 7-core GPU (M1)
512GB Model 8-coreGPU (M1)
Intel Iris Plus Graphics Support for Thunderbolt 3-enabled external graphics processors (eGPUs)
Storage
256GB Op: 512GB / 1-2TB
512GB Op: 1-2TB
512GB / 1TB SSD Op: 1 / 2 / 4TB SSD
256GB / 512GB SSD Op: 512GB or 1 / 2TB SSD
256GB Op:512GB / 1-2TB
512GB Op: 1-2TB
512GB SSD (PCIe) Op: 1-2TB
RAM
8GB unified memory Op: 16GB
16GB LPDDR4X Op: 32GB
8GB LPDDR3 Op: 16GB
8GB unified memory Op: 16GB
8GB LPDDR4X Op: 16GB
Wireless
802.11 ax WiFi6 Bluetooth 5.0
802.11a/b/g/n/ac WiFi Bluetooth 5.0
802.11ac WiFi Bluetooth 5.0
802.11a/b/g/n WiFi Bluetooth 5.0
Charging and Expansion
Two Thunderbolt / USB 4 ports with support for: DisplayPort Thunderbolt (40Gbps) USB 3.1Gen 2 (10Gbps)
Four Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) ports with support for: Displayport Thunderbolt (40Gbps) USB 3.1Gen 2 (10Gbps)
Two Thunderbolt / USB 4 ports with support for: Displayport Thunderbolt (40Gbps) USB 3.1Gen 2 (10Gbps)
Two Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) ports with support for: Displayport Thunderbolt (40Gbps) USB 3.1Gen 2 (10Gbps)
Camera
720P FaceTime HD
720P FaceTime HD
720P FaceTime HD
720P FaceTime HD
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 with high dynamic range Wide stereo sound Support for Dolby Atmos playback Three-mic array with directional beamforming 3.5 mm headphone jack
Stereo speakers Wide stereo sound Support for Dolby Atmos playback Studio-quality three-mic array with directional beamforming 3.5 mm headphone jack
Stereo speakers Wide stereo sound Support for Dolby Atmos playback Three-mic array with directional beamforming 3.5 mm headphone jack
Battery
58.2Wh 61W USB-C Power Adapter USB-C Charge Cable
58.0Wh / 58.2Wh 61W USB-C Power Adapter USB-C Charge Cable
49.9Wh 30W USB-C Power Adapter USB-C Charge Cable
49.9Wh 30W USB-C Power Adapter USB-C Charge Cable
Size
Height:156 x Width: 304 x Depth: 212 mm
Height: 156 x Width: 304 x Depth: 212 mm
Height:161 x Width: 304.1 x Depth: 212.4 mm
Height: 161 x Width: 304.1 x Depth: 212.4 mm
Weight
1.4 kg
1.4 kg
1.29 kg
1.29 kg
Price in Japan (excluding tax)
Apple M1 Chip 256GB: 104,800 yen 512GB: 129,800 yen
2.0GHz Intel Core i5 Quad-Core 512GB: from 188,800 yen 1TB: from 208,800 yen
1.4GHz Intel Core i5 Quad-Core 256GB: from 134,800 yen 512GB: from 154,800 yen
Apple M1 Chip (7-core GPU) 256GB: 104,800 yen
Apple M1 Chip (8-core GPU) 512GB: 129,800 yen
1.1GHz Intel Core i5 Quad-Core 512GB: 134,800 yen
Both 13-inch display models look no different from previous products that have used Intel's chips in their appearance. The dimensions and weight are also the same.
However, Apple claims that the use of the Apple Silicon "M1" chip has dramatically improved performance for power consumption, with the M1 chip delivering approximately 2.8 times and the 8-core GPU inside the chip delivering up to 5 times the performance of its predecessor.
Both the MacBook Pro and MacBook Air are likely to be almost equal in performance if they have the same M1 chip, but the MacBook Air is a fanless design, so if you're looking for quietness over performance, you may want to choose the Air.
Note, however, that the MacBook Air comes in two types of M1 chips, one with seven and one with eight GPU cores, and the models aren't differentiated by standard storage capacity alone. The difference in the number of GPU cores results in a price difference of 5,000 yen and a slight difference in performance, even with the options in the same configuration. The purchase page on Apple's site lists "8-core CPU and 7-core GPU" or "8-core CPU and 8-core GPU" as the first selection, so don't make a mistake.
On the other hand, although the MacBook Pro with the M1 chip will be available in two models with different storage capacities, both M1 chips have an integrated 8-core GPU, so if you choose the same amount of storage, you'll get the exact same configuration for the same price.
This article is based on an article from the Japanese edition of Engadget and was created using the translation tool Deepl. The Japanese edition of Engadget does not guarantee the accuracy or reliability of this article.