1 Battery

The Air has a physically larger battery than the 12″ MacBook. And so, the Air gets about 2 hours more battery life, during typical online work, than the MacBook. There are a ton of factors to take into account here, but the Air’s battery will last longer.

? Conclusion – Storage Space vs. Features

The 2018 MacBook Air offers great features and significant upgrades over the 12″ MacBook. It’s a basic leapfrog scenario. For most users, the choice is going to be an easy one. The new processor and upgrade to a better Retina display are particularly strong points. Barring any unforeseen bugs (and we’ll let you know if that happens), the new Air is looking like a great bet.

However, there are a couple advantages to the 12″ MacBook that buyers should think about. The 12″ MacBook is thinner and lighter than the Air, and it’s also nearly an inch shorter. This makes it easier to fit in bags and laptop sleeves.

Second, the storage upgrade is nice to have if you really depend on internal storage. Not every MacBook user needs lots of internal storage, especially with alternatives available today. But some may still find themselves in situations where they need to keep a lot of photos, videos, games and more on their computer, and having that larger SSD might trump many other features.

If you’re dreaming of an ultra-portable laptop that can hold all of your data and more, you’ll want the 12″ MacBook.

But, if you’d like to save $100 and gain Touch ID alongside a larger display, you’ll want to get the new MacBook Air. At this point in time, we think the new MacBook Air is the better choice between the two.