Choose the MacBook Air 13 if…
- You edit photos or video, or run other heavy apps.
- You spend long hours looking at the screen.
- You often work away from a plug.
- You want Thunderbolt without an adapter.
Apple MacBook Neo vs Apple MacBook Air 13 (M5)
The MacBook Air 13 is the stronger laptop here: it is faster, has the nicer screen and lasts longer on a charge.
The MacBook Air 13 is the stronger laptop here: it is faster, has the nicer screen and lasts longer on a charge.
The MacBook Air 13 is the stronger laptop here: it is faster, has the nicer screen and lasts longer on a charge.
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Pick the configurations
This comparison starts with each model's base configuration. Pick the ones you're considering and the whole page compares exactly those.
| Spec | MacBook Neo | MacBook Air 13 |
|---|---|---|
| Storage | 512 GB |
Dashed options are sold in another configuration. Picking one switches the other specs to match.
Which one to choose
-
Performance
MacBook Air 13 wins
A higher-class chip and more processor cores: quicker with big projects and many apps open.
-
Display
MacBook Air 13 wins
Its screen is sharper.
-
Battery life
MacBook Air 13 wins
It should go longer between charges.
-
Portability
Evenly matched
They weigh about the same.
-
Ports
MacBook Air 13 wins
It adds Thunderbolt.
-
Performance
MacBook Air 13 wins
A higher-class chip and more processor cores: quicker with big projects and many apps open.
-
Display
MacBook Air 13 wins
Its screen is sharper.
-
Battery life
MacBook Air 13 wins
It should go longer between charges.
-
Portability
Evenly matched
They weigh about the same.
-
Ports
MacBook Air 13 wins
It adds Thunderbolt.
Choose the MacBook Air 13 if…
- You edit photos or video, or run other heavy apps.
- You spend long hours looking at the screen.
- You often work away from a plug.
- You want Thunderbolt without an adapter.
-
Performance
MacBook Air 13 wins
A higher-class chip and more processor cores: quicker with big projects and many apps open.
-
Display
MacBook Air 13 wins
Its screen is sharper.
-
Battery life
MacBook Air 13 wins
It should go longer between charges.
-
Portability
Evenly matched
They weigh about the same.
-
Ports
MacBook Air 13 wins
It adds Thunderbolt.
Choose the MacBook Air 13 if…
- You edit photos or video, or run other heavy apps.
- You spend long hours looking at the screen.
- You often work away from a plug.
- You want Thunderbolt without an adapter.
Spec by spec
Change configurations| Specification | MacBook Neo | MacBook Air 13 |
|---|---|---|
| Performance | ||
| The MacBook Air 13 is the faster laptop, with a higher-class chip and more processor cores. It is the better pick for editing and other heavy work; the MacBook Neo still handles everyday work with ease. | ||
| Processor | Apple A18 Pro | Apple M5 |
| CPU cores | 6 | 10 |
| Core types | 2 performance + 4 efficiency | 4 performance + 6 efficiency |
| Manufacturing process | 3nm | 3nm |
| Graphics | 5-core GPU | Apple M5 8-core GPU |
| Memory (RAM) | 8 GB | 16 GB |
| Memory type | unified memory | — |
| Storage | 256 GB | 512 GB |
| Storage type | SSD | — |
| Memory bandwidth | — | 153 GB/s |
| Screen | ||
| The MacBook Air 13 has the nicer screen: it is sharper. Its screen is also bigger. | ||
| Screen size | 13" | 13.6" |
| Resolution | 2K (2408 x 1506) | 2.5K (2560 x 1664) |
| Panel | IPS | IPS |
| Brightness | 500 nits | 500 nits |
| Color range | sRGB | Wide color (P3) |
| Battery and size | ||
| The MacBook Air 13 should last longer between charges. | ||
| Battery life (maker claim) | Up to 16 hours | Up to 18 hours |
| Battery capacity | 36.5 Wh | 53.8 Wh |
| Charger | 20 W | 40 W |
| Charges via | USB-C | MagSafe 3 |
| Weight | 1.23 kg (2.7 lb) | 1.23 kg (2.7 lb) |
| Dimensions | 297.5 x 206.4 x 12.7 mm (11.71 x 8.13 x 0.5 in) | 304.1 x 215 x 11.3 mm (11.97 x 8.46 x 0.44 in) |
| Color | Blush | Silver |
| Colors available | Blush | Silver |
| Fast charging | — | Fast-charge capable with 70W or higher USB PD power source |
| Ports and wireless | ||
| The MacBook Air 13 adds Thunderbolt, so you'll need fewer adapters. | ||
| Ports | 1x USB-C (USB 3, up to 10Gb/s, DisplayPort), 1x USB-C (USB 2, up to 480Mb/s), 3.5 mm headphone jack | 2x Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C), MagSafe 3, 3.5 mm headphone jack |
| External displays (max) | 1 | 2 |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 6E | Wi-Fi 7 |
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth 6 | Bluetooth 6 |
| Thunderbolt / USB4 | — | Thunderbolt 4 (up to 40Gb/s), USB 4 (up to 40Gb/s) |
| Wi-Fi card | — | Apple N1 |
| Features | ||
| Webcam | 1080p FaceTime HD camera | 1080p |
| Keyboard | 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 |
| Login | Touch ID | Fingerprint |
| Touchpad | Multi-Touch trackpad | Force Touch trackpad |
| Speakers | Dual-speaker sound system, Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos | Four-speaker sound system with Dolby Atmos support for Spatial Audio |
| Microphones | Dual-mic array with directional beamforming | Three-mic array with directional beamforming |
| Backlit keyboard | — | Yes |
| Software and model | ||
| Operating system | macOS | macOS |
| Released | 2026 | 2026 |
| Specification | MacBook Neo | MacBook Air 13 |
|---|---|---|
| Performance | ||
| The MacBook Air 13 is the faster laptop, with a higher-class chip and more processor cores. It is the better pick for editing and other heavy work; the MacBook Neo still handles everyday work with ease. | ||
| Processor | Apple A18 Pro | Apple M5 |
| CPU cores | 6 | 10 |
| Core types | 2 performance + 4 efficiency | 4 performance + 6 efficiency |
| Manufacturing process | 3nm | 3nm |
| Graphics | 5-core GPU | Apple M5 8-core GPU |
| Memory (RAM) | 8 GB | 16 GB |
| Memory type | unified memory | — |
| Storage | 256 GB | 512 GB |
| Storage type | SSD | — |
| Memory bandwidth | — | 153 GB/s |
| Screen | ||
| The MacBook Air 13 has the nicer screen: it is sharper. Its screen is also bigger. | ||
| Screen size | 13" | 13.6" |
| Resolution | 2K (2408 x 1506) | 2.5K (2560 x 1664) |
| Panel | IPS | IPS |
| Brightness | 500 nits | 500 nits |
| Color range | sRGB | Wide color (P3) |
| Battery and size | ||
| The MacBook Air 13 should last longer between charges. | ||
| Battery life (maker claim) | Up to 16 hours | Up to 18 hours |
| Battery capacity | 36.5 Wh | 53.8 Wh |
| Charger | 20 W | 40 W |
| Charges via | USB-C | MagSafe 3 |
| Weight | 1.23 kg (2.7 lb) | 1.23 kg (2.7 lb) |
| Dimensions | 297.5 x 206.4 x 12.7 mm (11.71 x 8.13 x 0.5 in) | 304.1 x 215 x 11.3 mm (11.97 x 8.46 x 0.44 in) |
| Color | Blush | Silver |
| Colors available | Blush | Silver |
| Fast charging | — | Fast-charge capable with 70W or higher USB PD power source |
| Ports and wireless | ||
| The MacBook Air 13 adds Thunderbolt, so you'll need fewer adapters. | ||
| Ports | 1x USB-C (USB 3, up to 10Gb/s, DisplayPort), 1x USB-C (USB 2, up to 480Mb/s), 3.5 mm headphone jack | 2x Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C), MagSafe 3, 3.5 mm headphone jack |
| External displays (max) | 1 | 2 |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 6E | Wi-Fi 7 |
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth 6 | Bluetooth 6 |
| Thunderbolt / USB4 | — | Thunderbolt 4 (up to 40Gb/s), USB 4 (up to 40Gb/s) |
| Wi-Fi card | — | Apple N1 |
| Features | ||
| Webcam | 1080p FaceTime HD camera | 1080p |
| Keyboard | 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 |
| Login | Touch ID | Fingerprint |
| Touchpad | Multi-Touch trackpad | Force Touch trackpad |
| Speakers | Dual-speaker sound system, Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos | Four-speaker sound system with Dolby Atmos support for Spatial Audio |
| Microphones | Dual-mic array with directional beamforming | Three-mic array with directional beamforming |
| Backlit keyboard | — | Yes |
| Software and model | ||
| Operating system | macOS | macOS |
| Released | 2026 | 2026 |
| Specification | MacBook Neo | MacBook Air 13 |
|---|---|---|
| Performance | ||
| The MacBook Air 13 is the faster laptop, with a higher-class chip and more processor cores. It is the better pick for editing and other heavy work; the MacBook Neo still handles everyday work with ease. | ||
| Processor | Apple A18 Pro | Apple M5 |
| CPU cores | 6 | 10 |
| Core types | 2 performance + 4 efficiency | 4 performance + 6 efficiency |
| Manufacturing process | 3nm | 3nm |
| Graphics | Apple A18 Pro 5-core GPU | Apple M5 8-core GPU |
| Memory (RAM) | 8 GB | 16 GB |
| Memory type | unified memory | — |
| Storage | 512 GB | 512 GB |
| Storage type | SSD | — |
| Memory bandwidth | — | 153 GB/s |
| Screen | ||
| The MacBook Air 13 has the nicer screen: it is sharper. Its screen is also bigger. | ||
| Screen size | 13" | 13.6" |
| Resolution | 2K (2408 x 1506) | 2.5K (2560 x 1664) |
| Panel | IPS | IPS |
| Brightness | 500 nits | 500 nits |
| Color range | sRGB | Wide color (P3) |
| Battery and size | ||
| The MacBook Air 13 should last longer between charges. | ||
| Battery life (maker claim) | Up to 16 hours | Up to 18 hours |
| Battery capacity | 36.5 Wh | 53.8 Wh |
| Charger | 20 W | 40 W |
| Charges via | USB-C | MagSafe 3 |
| Weight | 1.23 kg (2.7 lb) | 1.23 kg (2.7 lb) |
| Dimensions | 297.5 x 206.4 x 12.7 mm (11.71 x 8.13 x 0.5 in) | 304.1 x 215 x 11.3 mm (11.97 x 8.46 x 0.44 in) |
| Color | Silver | Silver |
| Colors available | Silver | Silver |
| Fast charging | — | Fast-charge capable with 70W or higher USB PD power source |
| Ports and wireless | ||
| The MacBook Air 13 adds Thunderbolt, so you'll need fewer adapters. | ||
| Ports | 1x USB-C (USB 3, 10Gb/s), 1x USB-C (USB 2, 480Mb/s), 3.5 mm audio | 2x Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C), MagSafe 3, 3.5 mm headphone jack |
| External displays (max) | 1 | 2 |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 6E | Wi-Fi 7 |
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth 6 | Bluetooth 6 |
| Thunderbolt / USB4 | — | Thunderbolt 4 (up to 40Gb/s), USB 4 (up to 40Gb/s) |
| Wi-Fi card | — | Apple N1 |
| Features | ||
| Webcam | 1080p | 1080p |
| Keyboard | Magic Keyboard with Touch ID, 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 |
| Login | Touch ID | Fingerprint |
| Touchpad | Multi-Touch trackpad | Force Touch trackpad |
| Speakers | Dual-speaker sound system, Spatial Audio, Dolby Atmos | Four-speaker sound system with Dolby Atmos support for Spatial Audio |
| Microphones | Dual-mic array with directional beamforming | Three-mic array with directional beamforming |
| Backlit keyboard | — | Yes |
| Software and model | ||
| Operating system | macOS | macOS |
| Released | 2026 | 2026 |
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