Since 2021 (Pro) and 2022 (Air), Apple's laptops ship with a notch. People often ask whether the Air's notch is different from the Pro's. Short answer: the notch itself is nearly identical; the display around it is where they differ.
The notch is basically the same
Both house a 1080p FaceTime HD camera and an ambient-light sensor. Neither has Face ID. The cutout dimensions are very close across models, so notch apps behave the same on both.
Where Air and Pro differ
- Display tech: MacBook Pro 14"/16" use mini-LED "Liquid Retina XDR" with up to 1000 nits sustained brightness and ProMotion (120Hz). The Air uses a standard LED Liquid Retina panel at 60Hz.
- Brightness: Pro hits far higher peak brightness for HDR; the notch's black blends better on the Pro's deeper blacks.
- Sizes: Air comes in 13" and 15"; Pro in 14" and 16".
Which Macs have a notch?
- MacBook Pro 14" / 16" — 2021 (M1 Pro/Max) onward.
- MacBook Air 13" — M2 (2022) onward.
- MacBook Air 15" — M2 (2023) onward.
The MacBook Air M1 (2020) and older Pros do not have a notch. Read what the macOS notch is for the full background.
Do notch apps work the same on Air and Pro?
Yes. NotchNest and similar apps detect the notch and render around it identically on Air and Pro. On notchless Macs (Air M1, older Pros, desktops) NotchNest falls back to a slim top-bar panel, so you're covered either way. Try the notch playground to see it in your browser.
Make your notch useful
NotchNest puts ten tools in your MacBook's notch. Free on the Mac App Store.
