Choose the MacBook Air 13 if…
- You carry it around every day.
Apple MacBook Air 13 (M5) vs Apple MacBook Air 15 (M5)
It's a trade-off: the MacBook Air 13 is lighter, while the MacBook Air 15 has the nicer screen.
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Which one to choose
-
Performance
Evenly matched
Both have the power for editing and other demanding work.
-
Display
MacBook Air 15 wins
Its screen is sharper.
-
Battery life
Evenly matched
Battery life is about level.
-
Portability
MacBook Air 13 wins
It is the lighter one to carry around.
Choose the MacBook Air 15 if…
- You spend long hours looking at the screen.
Spec by spec
| Specification | MacBook Air 13 | MacBook Air 15 |
|---|---|---|
| Performance | ||
| There is little between them for speed: both handle demanding work like photo and video editing. | ||
| Processor | Apple M5 | Apple M5 |
| CPU cores | 10 | 10 |
| Core types | 4 performance + 6 efficiency | 4 performance + 6 efficiency |
| Manufacturing process | 3nm | 3nm |
| Memory bandwidth | 153 GB/s | 153 GB/s |
| Graphics | Apple M5 8-core GPU | 10-core GPU |
| Memory (RAM) | 16 GB | 16 GB |
| Storage | 512 GB | 512 GB |
| Screen | ||
| The MacBook Air 15 has the nicer screen: it is sharper. Its screen is also bigger. | ||
| Screen size | 13.6" | 15.3" |
| Resolution | 2.5K (2560 x 1664) | 3K (2880 x 1864) |
| Panel | IPS | IPS |
| Brightness | 500 nits | 500 nits |
| Color range | Wide color (P3) | Wide color (P3) |
| Battery and size | ||
| The MacBook Air 13 is lighter to carry. | ||
| Battery life (maker claim) | Up to 18 hours | Up to 18 hours |
| Battery capacity | 53.8 Wh | 66.5 Wh |
| Charger | 40 W | 40 W |
| Charges via | MagSafe 3 | MagSafe 3 |
| Fast charging | Fast-charge capable with 70W or higher USB PD power source | Fast-charge capable with 70W or higher USB PD power source |
| Weight | 1.23 kg (2.7 lb) | 1.51 kg (3.3 lb) |
| Dimensions | 304.1 x 215 x 11.3 mm (11.97 x 8.46 x 0.44 in) | 340.4 x 237.6 x 11.5 mm (13.4 x 9.35 x 0.45 in) |
| Color | Silver | Silver |
| Colors available | Silver | Silver |
| Ports and wireless | ||
| Both cover the same everyday connections. | ||
| Ports | 2x Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C), MagSafe 3, 3.5 mm headphone jack | MagSafe 3 charging port, 2x Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C), 3.5 mm headphone jack |
| Thunderbolt / USB4 | Thunderbolt 4 (up to 40Gb/s), USB 4 (up to 40Gb/s) | Thunderbolt 4 |
| External displays (max) | 2 | 2 |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 7 | Wi-Fi 7 |
| Wi-Fi card | Apple N1 | Apple N1 wireless networking chip |
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth 6 | Bluetooth 6 |
| Features | ||
| Webcam | 1080p | 1080p |
| Backlit keyboard | Yes | Yes |
| Keyboard | Backlit Magic Keyboard, 78 (ANSI) or 79 (ISO) keys including 12 full-height function keys | Backlit Magic Keyboard, 78 (ANSI) or 79 (ISO) keys including 12 full-height function keys, Touch ID, Ambient light sensor |
| Login | Fingerprint | Fingerprint |
| Touchpad | Force Touch trackpad | Force Touch trackpad |
| Speakers | Four-speaker sound system with Dolby Atmos support for Spatial Audio | Six-speaker sound system with force-cancelling woofers |
| Microphones | Three-mic array with directional beamforming | Three-mic array with directional beamforming |
| Software and model | ||
| Operating system | macOS | macOS |
| Released | 2026 | 2026 |
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