Should I buy an M4 Air or a 14-inch M4 MacBook Pro?
Buy the Air unless you need the XDR 120Hz display, HDMI, or an SD card slot. The 14-inch costs about $300 more used and it is heavier. Video editors should buy the Pro. Everyone else can stay with the Air.
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$400$600$800$1,000$1,200
Side by side
Shaded with a red rule: the better side for a typical buyer. Not a lab score.
Air 13-inch M4Pro 14-inch M4
Typical price
Better here: About $900
About $1,240
Memory
16GB is standard. It can be ordered with 24GB or 32GB. It cannot be upgraded later.
16GB is the base on this M4 model. M4 Pro and M4 Max models often start higher.
Storage
256GB is the base. 512GB is more comfortable if you store photos or projects locally.
Better here: 512GB is the base.
Screen
13.6-inch Liquid Retina, about 500 nits.
Better here: 14.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR with ProMotion (120Hz), about 1,000 nits. A nano-texture glass option exists.
Ports
MagSafe, two Thunderbolt ports, and a headphone jack. No HDMI and no SD card slot.
Better here: MagSafe, three Thunderbolt ports, HDMI, an SD card slot, and a headphone jack.
External displays
Two external displays, with the lid open.
Better here: Two or more external displays, with HDMI built in.
Camera
12MP Center Stage. It keeps you in frame on calls.
12MP Center Stage.
Noise
Better here: Silent. There is no fan.
Fans run under a long export. Quiet for ordinary work.
Weight
Better here: 2.7 lb
3.4 lb
Battery
Apple’s figure is up to 18 hours of video.
Better here: Apple’s published figure for the 14-inch M4 is up to 24 hours of video playback.
Speed
The sweet spot. Comfortable for school, photo work, and most coding.
Better here: A large step over the 2021 14-inch, and it holds that speed on long exports.
US eBay asking ranges as of November 11, 2026.