Apple

I have an M2 15" coming from a MacBook Pro 13" and I have to say it is the best machine I've owned. The size is absolutely perfect for me and the weight is never a concern. It's plenty light. Now for me the bump in screen size was needed for my aging eyes, it may not be as needed for you. HA

Do you plan to use it from relatively static locations like a desk at work, at a coffee shop, - desk or coffee table at home without feeling like you need to hook it to a monitor? 15”.

Do you plan to use it on the go, primarily while traveling or otherwise want to be able to take it with you somewhere on a whim, or otherwise use it in more dynamic spaces in your house like from different sides of a couch, in your kitchen, sitting in the porch etc. then 13”.

To boil it down, 15” is great for when you want to use it as a more mobile desktop computer. 13” is great for “I need to take this with me everywhere, or be able to use it anywhere without feeling like I’m ‘lugging it out’”

When you are used to a big desktop monitor any laptop monitor just feels cramped. I always go for the 13 because it fits better in various bags, an airplane tray table, and is lighter.

If you’re mostly using a monitor I doubt you’d see a huge benefit from the jump in size.

As a personal anecdote I will say it’s easier to use a laptop around the house when it’s lighter and more compact.

Your best bet is to head over to a local Apple Store, Best Buy or anywhere else with display models and see how they feel to you.

I have both and prefer the 15

Smaller is better in the bag and bigger one is better on the desk. Sounds like you might not appreciate the benefits of small size.

i started with a 13, then upgraded to 15. i miss the 13 and that’s what i’ll go back to eventually. doesn’t sound like much but it’s just a little bit harder to haul around places. or around the house if you work from home.

I would say if you have an external monitor just go with the 13. best of both worlds - ultimate portability, and you can always plug in if you need more screen space.

Size matters. A bigger screen is a big quality of life improvement for both work and content consumption.

On the other hand, a smaller and lighter laptop is more comfortable to use and carry. Personally i think 13" is the ideal laptop size. If you want to use it more as a desktop replacement, you can always plug in a monitor.

I liked my 13” pro for school and have had it for ten years, easy to fit on desks and still have space for a notebook, also if you every plan to use it on flights the 15 is big enough to be pretty awkward.

I don’t use my 13 with monitors very much, so I’m looking at sizing up to a 16” this year. If you plan on primarily having it connected to monitors then a bigger screen on the laptop itself probably won’t matter to you.

I’ve always preferred a smaller screen. 13” isn’t really that much smaller unless you’re blind.