Amazon and Best Buy are hosting big discounts across the entire M4 MacBook Air lineup, with deals that represent all-time lows across every model of the computer. In total, you'll find $200 off the M4 MacBook Air notebook right now, with both 13-inch and 15-inch models on sale.

M4 MacBook Air 13 and 15 inch FeatureNote: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

Prices start at $799.00 for the 13-inch 256GB model at Best Buy, down from $999.00. If you're looking for the larger model, you can get the 15-inch 256GB computer for $999.00 at both retailers, down from $1,199.00.


Of course, you'll also find all of the 512GB models of the 13-inch and 15-inch M4 MacBook Air on sale this week. If you're on the hunt for more discounts, be sure to visit our Apple Deals roundup where we recap the best Apple-related bargains of the past week.


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Related Roundup: Apple Deals

You will soon be able to add a digital version of your U.S. passport to your iPhone, according to Jennifer Bailey, vice president of Apple Pay and Apple Wallet.

ios 26 digital id passport wallet
Bailey reiterated that the feature is coming soon during her keynote at the Money20/20 USA conference in Las Vegas on Sunday, as reported by 9to5Mac.

On its iOS 26 page, Apple says the delayed feature will be "coming later this year."

Apple's website previously said a software update would be required to use the feature, but it no longer mentions that. As a result, it is unclear if the feature will require an update like iOS 26.1 or iOS 26.2, or if it will be enabled with a server-side update.

After creating a digital passport in the Wallet app, you will be able to present it in person at TSA checkpoints in select U.S. airports for identity verification purposes during domestic travel. However, Apple says it is not a replacement for a physical passport, and it cannot be used for international travel and border crossing purposes.

Apple says the Digital ID feature is secure, private, and compliant with REAL ID.

It will also be possible to use the Digital ID feature for age and identity verification in apps, online, and in stores, according to Apple.

Apple says the feature will be compatible with U.S. passports only. However, perhaps it will expand to additional countries in the future.

iOS 26 is compatible with the iPhone 11 series and newer.

Related Roundups: iOS 26, iPadOS 26
Related Forum: iOS 26

Woot this week has introduced a big sale on Samsung monitors, offering up to 53 percent off select monitors. Every monitor in this sale is in new condition and comes with a one year Samsung limited warranty.

samsung wootNote: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Woot. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

There are many different monitors on sale at Woot, including cheaper entry-level models for anyone looking to add a second screen to their work station. There's also Samsung's high-end Odyssey series of gaming monitors and the iMac-like Smart Monitor series.

We've rounded up a few of the options in the list below, but be sure to check out Woot's website for the full sale. Woot says that this sale will end on October 31 or until they sell out, so if you're interested be sure to shop soon.

If you're on the hunt for more discounts, be sure to visit our Apple Deals roundup where we recap the best Apple-related bargains of the past week.


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Apple's upcoming iPhone 17e may feature the Dynamic Island, according to a known online leaker.

iPhone 14 Pro Dynamic Island
The leaker known as "Digital Chat Station" shared the information on Weibo in the comments of a post detailing that Apple's apparent plan to equip next year's iPhone 18 Pro models with a variable aperture lens.

The ‌Dynamic Island‌ is a pill-shaped interactive area at the top of the screen that displays ongoing activities, incorporating the camera and other front-facing sensors. It was introduced in place of the "notch" with the ‌iPhone‌ 14 Pro and ‌iPhone‌ 14 Pro Max and expanded to the ‌iPhone‌ 15 and ‌iPhone‌ 15 Plus a year later. It has yet to be present on any entry-level iPhones.

The leaker added that despite the presence of the ‌Dynamic Island‌, the ‌iPhone‌ 17e will retain a 60Hz OLED display. This would mean the device essentially shares the same panel as the 6.1-inch ‌iPhone‌ 15 and iPhone 16, which seems believable as Apple's entry level devices largely re-use slightly older technology from other products.

The leaker corroborated reports that the device will launch in the first half of 2026, probably around a year after the launch of the iPhone 16e in February. It is likely to feature the A19 chip, with few other enhancements.

Apple might be preparing iPad apps for Pixelmator Pro, Compressor, Motion, and MainStage, according to new App Store IDs uncovered by MacRumors contributor Aaron Perris. All four of the apps are currently available on the Mac only.

pixelmator pro
A quick overview of each app:

  • Pixelmator Pro: Professional image editing app acquired by Apple earlier this year
  • Compressor: Final Cut Pro companion app for compressing audio and video files
  • Motion: Final Cut Pro companion app for creating 2D/3D titles, transitions, and effects
  • MainStage: Logic Pro companion app for live performances

There is already a less-capable Pixelmator app available for the iPad and iPhone.

Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro have been available on select iPad models since May 2023, but Apple's companion apps have remained limited to the Mac.

A subscription is required to use Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro on the iPad. In the U.S., the iPad versions of both apps cost $4.99 per month, or $49 per year.

Pixelmator Pro, Compressor, Motion, and MainStage are available for one-time purchase on the Mac, with prices ranging from $29.99 to $49.99. It is unclear if Apple would make the iPad versions of these apps require a subscription too.

It is also unclear when Apple would announce these iPad apps. The annual Final Cut Pro Creative Summit is typically held in November, and Apple occasionally times these sorts of announcements with the conference, but the next edition of the event is postponed until spring 2026. However, an announcement could still happen at any time.

Apple could debut LOFIC camera sensor technology in its 2027 iPhone lineup, according to new information coming out of Korea. The tech would allow iPhones to capture photos with far more detail in both bright and dark areas of the same shot without losing information in either.

All Screen iPhone 2027 Feature 1
LOFIC, or Lateral Overflow Integration Capacitor, is a next-generation imaging technology that enables each pixel to store varying amounts of light based on scene brightness. This allows a sensor to capture detail in both bright highlights and dark shadows within a single frame, potentially reaching up to 20 stops of dynamic range – comparable to high-end cinema cameras and approaching the range of human vision.

According to the account name "yeux1122" on the Korean-langauge Naver blog, Chinese manufacturers including Honor, Xiaomi, and Huawei plan to adopt LOFIC technology in their 2026 flagship smartphones using new Sony sensors, while OPPO and Vivo are also developing LOFIC-equipped models for release next year. Apple's adoption will reportedly follow in 2027.

Apple first detailed LOFIC in an image sensor patent filed in July, describing a stacked sensor design with a dedicated light-capture layer and a processing layer that handles real-time noise reduction. Apple has reportedly already developed a working prototype and may be testing it in developmental hardware.

Apple currently uses sensors made by Sony across the iPhone lineup. Those sensors also use a two-layer design, but Apple's proposed version includes several innovative features and takes up less space. Based on the adoption roadmap in today's report, Apple could be planning to debut its custom image sensor in the 20th anniversary iPhone. Apple is reportedly considering a radical redesign for the anniversary model that could feature a completely bezel-less display that curves around all four edges of the device.

Apple intends to equip next year's iPhone 18 Pro models with a variable aperture lens, according to a Chinese leaker with information allegedly sourced from Apple's supply chain.

iPhone 17 Pro Cosmic Orange
According to the Weibo account Digital Chat Station, the main rear camera – what Apple calls the 48-megapixel Fusion camera – on both iPhone 18 Pro models will offer variable aperture, which would be a first for the iPhone. The leaker also claims that the devices' main and telephoto lenses will feature a larger aperture.

A variable-aperture system physically adjusts the lens opening, letting more light in for low-light shots or narrowing the opening for brighter scenes and deeper depth of field.

The main cameras on the iPhone 15 Pro, 16 Pro, and 17 Pro all use a fixed ƒ/1.78 aperture, where the lens is permanently set to its widest setting. With a variable lens, the iPhone 18 Pro would allow users to manually shift the aperture, similar to on a DSLR camera. This would mean more control over depth of field, enabling sharper focus on subjects or smoother background blur.

It isn't the first time we've heard rumors of Apple planning to bring variable aperture to the iPhone. Industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said in November 2024 that Apple's iPhone 18 Pro models will get the feature.

Variable aperture was rumored for at least one iPhone 17 model, but it failed to materialize. iPhone 18 Pro models are expected to launch in September 2026.

Digital Chat Station has a decent track record for Apple rumors. They accurately revealed that the ‌iPhone‌ 15 and ‌iPhone‌ 15 Plus would feature a slightly smaller 48-megapixel sensor than the ‌iPhone‌ 15 Pro and ‌iPhone‌ 15 Pro Max, as well as the display panel design of the ‌iPhone‌ 12 back in 2020.

Related Roundup: iPhone 18
Related Forum: iPhone

This week Apple's AirTag 4-Pack hit an all-time low price at $34 off, and we're still tracking this great deal today, along with big discounts on AirPods, charging accessories on Amazon, and the 11th generation iPad.

halloween heroNote: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

AirPods

airpods 4 halloween

  • What's the deal? Take up to $69 off AirPods Max and AirPods Pro 2
  • Where can I get it? Amazon
  • Where can I find the original deal? Right here


The AirPods Pro 2 are at a solid $79 discount this week on Amazon, available for $169.99, down from $249.00. You can also get the AirPods Max for $479.99, down from $549.00.

AirTag

airtag halloween

  • What's the deal? Get $34 off AirTag 4-Pack
  • Where can I get it? Amazon
  • Where can I find the original deal? Right here


Amazon has the AirTag 4-Pack for the all-time low price of $64.99, down from $99.00. You can also get a 1-Pack for $24.99, which is a second-best price.

Amazon Sale

anker halloween 2

  • What's the deal? Save on popular brands like Anker, Jackery, and Ecovacs
  • Where can I get it? Amazon
  • Where can I find the original deal? Right here


Amazon this week has a few notable sales from popular brands like Satechi, Jackery, Anker, and Ecovacs. These include discounts on everything from MagSafe-compatible car chargers to portable power stations, Find My compatible wallets, and robot vacuums. You can find every deal in our original post.

iPad

ipad halloween

  • What's the deal? Get $50 off 11th gen iPad
  • Where can I get it? Amazon
  • Where can I find the original deal? Right here



Amazon this week is taking $50 off Wi-Fi models of Apple's 11th generation iPad. Prices start at $299.00 for the 128GB Wi-Fi iPad, down from $349.00, a second-best price on this model.

If you're on the hunt for more discounts, be sure to visit our Apple Deals roundup where we recap the best Apple-related bargains of the past week.


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Apple Maps could feature integrated ads as soon as next year, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports.

iOS 26 Maps Glass
In his latest "Power On" newsletter, Gurman said that Apple's plan to bring more ads to iOS is moving "gaining traction," with the Maps app being next in line. The project will apparently give restaurants and other businesses the option to pay to have their details featured more prominently in search.

The system is said to be similar to Search Ads in the App Store, which allows developers to pay to have their software appear in a promoted slot above other results for relevant queries. Apple's approach reportedly leverages AI to deliver relevant and useful results, in a better interface than similar offerings from Google and other companies. Gurman warned that the move risks some amount of consumer backlash.

MacRumors x Bloomberg Banner Cool

Apple is planning to bring an iPhone 17 Pro-style vapor chamber to the iPad Pro, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.

iPad Pro 2024 Space Black
In the latest edition of his "Power On" newsletter, Gurman explained that with increasingly powerful chips, Apple is planning to bring vapor chamber cooling to the ‌iPad Pro‌. The new feature could arrive as soon as with the next generation, which will likely feature the "M6" chip made with TSMC's 2-nanometer process. The liquid cooling system would help mitigate throttling, especially as the ‌iPad Pro‌ becomes more capable at handling intense workflows.

If the move to bring a vapor chamber to the iPhone and ‌iPad Pro‌ prove successful, Apple could turn its attention to bringing the technology to other passively cooled devices like the MacBook Air. Apple is now seemingly operating an approximate 18-month refresh cycle for the ‌iPad Pro‌, so next-generation model should arrive in the spring of 2027, according to Gurman.

MacRumors x Bloomberg Banner Cool

Related Roundup: iPad Pro
Buyer's Guide: iPad Pro (Buy Now)

Apple used the launch week of the M5 Vision Pro this week to run a two-day "Meet with Apple" program for developers, with a focus on building immersive media and interactive apps for visionOS 26.

Vision Pro M5 Demo
Apple invited developers to its Developer Center in Cupertino, hosting sessions on how to create Apple Immersive Video, design spatial interactions, and use features such as SharePlay and spatial Personas.

During this Day 1 livestream, we'll show how visionOS 26 can help you tell impactful immersive and interactive stories. You'll learn how to frame your creative ideas for formats like Apple Immersive Video and explore real-world examples from past productions. You'll discover how to design for spatial interaction and tell stories that make the audience part of your experience. And you'll find out how to use SharePlay and spatial Personas to help people connect over your ideas.

On Day 2, we'll dive deep into Apple Immersive Video and Apple Spatial Audio. You'll discover how to create entirely new media experiences, get started with Apple Immersive Video, explore new production workflows, and dig into previous Apple Immersive productions.

Full recordings of both day one and day two are available for replay on the Apple Developer YouTube channel. Apple announced the M5 Vision Pro on October 15 and in-store availability began on October 22.

Related Roundup: Apple Vision Pro
Buyer's Guide: Vision Pro (Buy Now)
Related Forum: Apple Vision Pro

The first preview release of the Swift SDK for Android was published this week, allowing developers to build Android apps in Swift with official tooling and making it easier to share code across iOS and Android.

swift for android
The SDK enables Android apps to be built in Swift using officially supported tooling rather than community workarounds. In June, it was announced that Apple's Swift programming language would be officially extended to support Android app development through the establishment of a dedicated Android Working Group within the Swift open-source project.

Android interoperability is handled by swift-java, which can automatically generate bindings between Java and Swift so developers can use Swift code alongside existing Android APIs and Java code. The Swift Package Index now marks packages with Android support and says over 25% of all packages already build on Android, giving developers a base of reusable code.

The Swift SDK for Android is already available in nightly preview form bundled with the Swift for Windows installer or as a separate download for Linux and macOS users. A new Getting Started guide with end-to-end setup instructions and a set of example Android projects written in Swift to illustrate complete workflows is also available.

The group is preparing a vision document to set future priorities and is tracking progress on a public project board.

Tags: Android, Swift

Yesterday we started tracking notable discounts on Apple's new M5 iPad Pro, with deals mostly focused on 13-inch models. Today, Amazon has now introduced a new all-time low price on the entry-level 11-inch M5 iPad Pro, available for $949.00, down from $999.00.

ipad pro orangeNote: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

In terms of the 11-inch M5 iPad Pro, this is still one of the only steeper discounts, with others sitting around $25 off. If you're shopping for the 13-inch M5 iPad Pro, you'll find the 256GB Wi-Fi model for $1,249.00 ($50 off), the 512GB Wi-Fi model for $1,449.00 ($50 off), and the 2TB Wi-Fi Nano-Texture Glass model for $2,299.00 ($100 off).

The M5 iPad Pro launched this week, and features the new M5 chip, faster SSDs, N1 chip for Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6, and more. If you're on the hunt for more discounts, be sure to visit our Apple Deals roundup where we recap the best Apple-related bargains of the past week.


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Roughly a month after the release of the latest flagship iPhone models, it's looking the new iPhone Air isn't selling as well as Apple had hoped for, and that's leading to significant production cuts as Apple seeks to balance supply to meet demand.

top stories 2025 10 25
This week also saw a new round of betas for iOS 26.1 and related updates with a significant tweak for Liquid Glass, while we heard more rumors about Apple's plans for future iPhone models, so read on below for all the details on these stories and more!

Top Stories

Apple's iPhone Air Experiment Fails as Supply Chain Cuts Production by 80%

A number of supply chain reports in recent days have indicated that Apple's new ultra-thin iPhone Air is not selling well overall, and Apple has reportedly dramatically scaled back production to meet the current levels of demand.

iphone air rip
Analysts at Mizuho Securities indicated last week Friday that Apple was planning to cut iPhone Air production amid underwhelming sales, and this week another analyst survey revealed "virtually no demand" for iPhone Air while noted analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claimed that iPhone Air suppliers are expected to reduce capacity by more than 80%.

Reports of dire overall sales of iPhone Air come just as the device sold out upon launch in China last week, although it's unclear what the sustained levels of demand will be there. The eSIM-only iPhone Air saw a delayed launch in China due to required approvals for the technology.

iOS 26.1 Beta 4 Lets Users Control Liquid Glass Transparency with New Toggle

Apple made a big change to its new Liquid Glass design in the fourth betas of iOS 26.1, iPadOS 26.1, and macOS Tahoe 26.1 released this week, introducing a toggle that allows users to choose between a more glass-like Clear look and a more opaque Tinted look.

ios 26 beta 4 thumb 1
We went hands-on with the new option to see how the two looks differ, with the Clear one emphasizing the glassy aspects of the new design and the Tinted one making buttons and other user interface elements more readable in some circumstances.

The fourth beta of iOS 26.1 features a few other changes, including an option to turn off the Lock Screen swipe gesture that normally opens the Camera app, an option to turn off haptic feedback when phone calls are connected or dropped, and more.

Apple's Plan to Launch Three New iPhone Designs Allegedly Revealed

We've been hearing rumors about Apple introducing several new phones in the coming years, and a new report corroborates details on Apple's plans.

All Screen iPhone 2027 Feature 1
Apple will reportedly be launching its first foldable iPhone in 2026, featuring a book style similar to Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold, although some analysts have concerns that work on the crucial hinge of the device could push a release back to 2027.

After the first foldable, Apple is expected to release a special 20th-anniversary iPhone with "zero" bezels around the display with the OLED display bending around all four sides of the device. And in 2028, Apple will reportedly release a clamshell-style foldable iPhone similar to Samsung's Galaxy Z Flip.

M4 vs. M5 Chip Buyer's Guide: How Much Better Really Is M5?

Apple debuted its new M5 chip last week in the MacBook Pro, iPad Pro, and Vision Pro, but just how much better is it than the previous-generation M4 chip?

M4 vs M5 Feature
Apple emphasizes strong improvements in graphics and AI capabilities, with more modest gains in CPU performance, although it still features the highest single-core CPU performance score ever seen in Geekbench benchmark testing.

GM to Remove CarPlay from All Future Vehicles, Including Gas Cars

Back in 2023, General Motors made waves for its decision to end support for CarPlay and Android Auto in its electric vehicles, forcing users toward what it claimed was a more integrated experience in the native infotainment system.

cadillac lyric infotainment
While the decision didn't sit well with many potential car buyers, GM not only didn't back down but has now revealed that it will be making the same move in its gas-powered lineup as those vehicles get major refreshes.

Calling it "a very Jobsian approach to things," GM likened its decision to Steve Jobs' efforts to phase out the disk drive and other technologies in favor of more modern solutions. GM didn't give a timeline for the transition and told MacRumors that existing gas-powered vehicles will continue to offer CarPlay for the "foreseeable future," but that they will "gradually move to a better, more deeply integrated experience."

Former Apple Employee Sam Sung Changed His Name to Avoid Attention

Apple fans who have followed the company for a while may remember the story of Sam Sung, an Apple retail employee from Vancouver, Canada, who drew attention for his name's similarity to that of one of Apple's primary competitors.

sam sung auction
Business Insider recently caught up with him, learning about the stress he endured due to the publicity. Sung left Apple in 2013 amid a desire to move on from retail, and he later changed his name because he "didn't want to be known for being an internet joke."

MacRumors Newsletter

Each week, we publish an email newsletter like this highlighting the top Apple stories, making it a great way to get a bite-sized recap of the week hitting all of the major topics we've covered and tying together related stories for a big-picture view.

So if you want to have top stories like the above recap delivered to your email inbox each week, subscribe to our newsletter!

Foxconn's facility in Hyderabad, India is preparing to double monthly AirPods output and more than double its workforce as Apple accelerates accessory manufacturing in the country, the Economic Times reports.

airpods pro 3 new blue
Foxconn will apparently raise capacity at its Kongara Kalan plant from more than 100,000 units per month to 200,000 units per month by overhauling five existing assembly lines and installing additional equipment that is being transferred from facilities in Vietnam. The site began production of AirPods in April after machinery and tooling were relocated.

The workforce of around 2,000 employees is also likely to rise to 5,000 in the next six to eight months. The current assembly mix at the plant includes the AirPods 4 and AirPods Pro 3.

The step-up in Hyderabad follows a temporary constraint in July, when AirPods production was hampered by a shortage of dysprosium after China tightened export controls on rare earth metals. The expansion of AirPods production in India is part of a broader strategic production shift in Apple's supply chain as it diversifies its manufacturing across different countries.

Tags: Foxconn, India

The Windows 10 end-of-support deadline is driving the largest coordinated PC replacement cycle in years across the industry, and Apple is emerging as one of the main beneficiaries as Mac shipments accelerate.

M4 MacBook Air 13 and 15 inch Feature Pink and Teal
Counterpoint Research this week reported that nearly 40% of the global installed PC base was still running Windows 10 ahead of the October 2025 cutoff, triggering early fleet renewals across both commercial and consumer channels. This pressure lifted shipments for most large brands, and the Mac is among the strongest gainers. According to Counterpoint, Apple's global Mac shipments grew 14.9% year-over-year in the third quarter of 2025, supported by demand for new MacBook models and rising enterprise adoption of Apple hardware.

Lenovo remained the largest PC vendor and had the highest annual growth at 17.4% year-over-year. Asus saw 14.1% year-over-year growth. HP followed with a 10.3% increase, driven by commercial penetration. Dell shipments declined 0.9% year-over-year. Counterpoint said that the top five vendors together controlled nearly three-quarters of the global PC market in the period, while smaller brands were flat or down.

Counterpoint noted that computer companies have started marketing systems with neural processing units and integrated AI features. While these features have not yet converted into a primary sales driver at scale, enterprise buyers are beginning to incorporate AI capability requirements into forward procurement so as not to retire devices before emerging AI workflows arrive.

Apple's upcoming iPhone 18 could feature 50% more memory than its predecessor, according to Korea's The Bell.

iPhone 17 Colors
With its latest iPhone lineup, the iPhone Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌ Max feature 12GB of memory. This is a significant increase of 4GB more their predecessors, largely driven by the demands of on-device artificial intelligence processing.

The iPhone 17 is the only new model to continue to feature 8GB of memory. It looks like that will change with the ‌iPhone 18‌, with Apple reportedly seeking memory parity across all four models. Apple has apparently asked Samsung, a key supplier of RAM for the ‌iPhone‌, to increase its supply of LPDDR5X chips for the next ‌iPhone‌ lineup.

Samsung's high-performance LPDDR5X launched in 2024 is only available in 12GB and 16GB configurations, making another standard ‌iPhone‌ with 8GB of memory unlikely. Apple is also said to be in talks with SK Hynix and Micron for additional mobile DRAM supply.

The ‌iPhone Air‌ 2, ‌iPhone 18‌ Pro, ‌iPhone 18‌ Pro Max, and foldable ‌iPhone‌ are expected to launch in the fall of 2026, with the ‌iPhone 18‌ and ‌iPhone‌ 18e following in the first half of 2027.

Related Roundup: iPhone 18
Related Forum: iPhone

Apple has refreshed both tiers of its MacBook lineup in 2025, first updating the MacBook Air with the M4 chip and now introducing the MacBook Pro with the new M5 chip, so how do the latest models compare?

M2 MBA vs M2 MacBook Pro Buyers Guide Feature
While the 13- and 15-inch ‌MacBook Air‌ continue to start at $999 and $1,199 respectively, moving to the 14-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ requires spending at least $400 more. For some buyers, the extra cost is unnecessary; for others, the Pro's hardware advantages meaningfully change the experience in ways the Air cannot match even with higher configurations. Our guide helps to answer the question of how to decide which of these two popular laptops is best for you. Beyond their chips, the key differences are as follows:

‌MacBook Air‌ ‌MacBook Pro‌
13.6- or 15.3-inch display 14.2-inch display
Slimmer borders around the display
LCD Liquid Retina display Mini-LED Liquid Retina XDR display
60hz refresh rate ProMotion for refresh rates up to 120Hz
Up to 500 nits brightness Up to 1,000 nits brightness and 1,600 nits peak HDR brightness
Nano-texture display option
Passive cooling Active cooling
Two Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C) ports Three Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C) ports
HDMI 2.1 port with support for multichannel audio output
SDXC card slot
13-Inch: Four-speaker sound system
15-Inch: Six-speaker sound system with force-canceling woofers
High-fidelity six-speaker sound system with force-cancelling woofers
Three-mic array with directional beamforming Studio-quality three-mic array with high signal-to-noise ratio and directional beamforming
256GB, 512GB, 1TB, or 2TB of storage 512GB, 1TB, 2TB, or 4TB storage
13-Inch: 53.8-watt-hour lithium-polymer battery
15-Inch: 66.5-watt-hour lithium-polymer battery
14-Inch: 72.4-watt-hour lithium-polymer battery
18-hour battery life 24-hour battery life
30W, 35W, or 70W USB-C Power Adapter 70W or 96W USB-C Power Adapter
Silver, Sky Blue, Starlight, or Midnight color options Silver or Space Black color options
13-Inch: Starts at $999
15-Inch: Starts at $1,199
Starts at $1,599

Dimensions are also a key area of difference between the ‌MacBook Air‌ and ‌MacBook Pro‌. The ‌MacBook Pro‌ is noticeably thicker and heavier than both ‌MacBook Air‌ models:

‌MacBook Air‌ (13-Inch) ‌MacBook Air‌ (15-Inch) ‌MacBook Pro‌ (14-Inch)
Height 0.44 inches (1.13 cm) 0.45 inch (1.15 cm) 0.61 inches (1.55 cm)
Width 11.97 inches (30.41 cm) 13.40 inches (34.04 cm) 12.31 inches (31.26 cm)
Depth 8.46 inches (21.5 cm) 9.35 inches (23.76 cm) 8.71 inches (22.12 cm)
Weight 2.7 pounds (1.24 kg) 3.3 pounds (1.51 kg) 3.4 pounds (1.55 kg)

With the latest version of the ‌MacBook Pro‌, Apple is touting the power of the M5 chip. Compared to the M4, it says the M5 is:

  • Up to 15% faster multithreaded CPU performance
  • Up to 30% faster overall graphics performance
  • Up to 45% faster ray tracing performance
  • 27.5% higher unified memory bandwidth

In addition to general performance claims, Apple published a set of specific real-world workload results showing measurable gains in AI-driven applications:

  • 4×+ peak GPU compute performance for AI
  • 3.6× faster time to first token (LLM)
  • 1.8× faster Topaz Video Enhance AI processing
  • 1.7× faster Blender ray-traced rendering
  • 2.9× faster AI speech enhancement in Premiere Pro

Other notable changes compared to the M4 chip in the ‌MacBook Air‌ include:

M4 Chip M5 Chip
Made with TSMC's second-generation 3nm process (N3E) Made TSMC's third-generation ‌3nm‌ process (N3P)
Based on A18 Pro chip from iPhone 16 Pro Based on A19 Pro chip from iPhone 17 Pro
No integrated Neural Accelerators Integrated Neural Accelerator in every GPU core
Metal 3 developer APIs Metal 4 developer APIs with Tensor APIs to program GPU Neural Accelerators
Second-generation ray tracing engine Third-generation ray tracing engine
First-generation dynamic caching Second-generation dynamic caching
Shader cores Enhanced shader cores
120 GB/s unified memory bandwidth 153 GB/s unified memory bandwidth

Taken as a whole, the M4 ‌MacBook Air‌ continues to represent the most suitable choice for users whose workloads are light to moderate and who value portability and an affordable price over sustained performance. Its starting price of $999, which is frequently reduced further through Apple education pricing and third-party promotions, places it within reach for the majority of buyers. For daily tasks like email, light productivity, browsing, and media consumption, it delivers performance that is effectively indistinguishable from more expensive models. Its thinner chassis, lower weight, and selection of color options also remain important advantages for many.

By contrast, the M5 ‌MacBook Pro‌ exists for those whose work or expected longevity justifies the premium. The combination of a more advanced chip, mini-LED XDR display with ProMotion, active cooling for sustained performance headroom, a dedicated HDMI port with multichannel audio support, an SDXC card slot, a third Thunderbolt port, higher memory ceilings, larger storage options, improved speakers and microphones, and materially longer battery life produces a machine with materially different capabilities. If you expect to perform extended tasks in video editing, 3D workloads, software development, or AI-driven tasks, the ‌MacBook Pro‌ is designed to avoid the thermal and bandwidth constraints that the Air will encounter.

A notable exception arises at the upper end of the Air's pricing. The 15-inch ‌MacBook Air‌ at $1,299, and especially when configured to 512GB of storage at $1,399, approaches the 14-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌'s $1,599 entry point closely enough that the trade-off changes. For an increment of $200–300, the Pro substitutes a significantly more advanced display, active cooling, six additional hours of battery life, superior speakers and microphones, an additional Thunderbolt port, and integrated HDMI and SDXC. In that specific pricing band, the Pro will likely constitute the stronger long-term purchase for the majority of buyers unless screen size or minimal weight are the overriding priorities.

Related Roundups: MacBook Air, MacBook Pro
Related Forums: MacBook Air, MacBook Pro