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InnoReviews

Apple MacBook Air 13 (M3) vs Microsoft Surface Laptop 13-inch (1st Edition)

WINNER
Apple MacBook Air 13 (M3)
53.5Inno Score
VS
Microsoft Surface Laptop 13-inch (1st Edition)
49.5Inno Score
44.5Performance35.5
29.8Display27.3
66.7Battery69.5
88Portability82.8
6 spec wins — Apple MacBook Air 13 (M3)3 spec wins — Microsoft Surface Laptop 13-inch (1st Edition)

InnoReviews verdict

Apple MacBook Air 13 (M3) wins this laptop face-off, 53.5 to 49.5, pulling ahead mainly in performance (+9) and portability (+5). Microsoft Surface Laptop 13-inch (1st Edition) still makes sense if its price or standout specs fit your needs better.

Which would you pick?

Key differences

Reasons to pick the Apple MacBook Air 13 (M3)

  • Stronger performance score: 45 vs 36
  • Stronger portability score: 88 vs 83
  • 33% higher Geekbench 6 (single): 3,050 vs 2,287
  • 28% lower thickness: 11.3 mm vs 15.6 mm
  • 18% higher Peak brightness: 500 nits vs 425 nits

Reasons to pick the Microsoft Surface Laptop 13-inch (1st Edition)

  • 29% higher charging: 45 W vs 35 W
  • Lower launch price: $900 vs $1,099

Display

Display comparison: Apple MacBook Air 13 (M3) versus Microsoft Surface Laptop 13-inch (1st Edition)
SpecApple MacBook Air 13 (M3)Microsoft Surface Laptop 13-inch (1st Edition)
Screen size13.6 ″+5%13 ″
Panel typeIPS (Liquid Retina)PixelSense IPS LCD (touchscreen)
Resolution2560x16641920x1280
Refresh rate60 Hz60 Hz
Peak brightness500 nits+18%425 nits

Performance

Performance comparison: Apple MacBook Air 13 (M3) versus Microsoft Surface Laptop 13-inch (1st Edition)
SpecApple MacBook Air 13 (M3)Microsoft Surface Laptop 13-inch (1st Edition)
ProcessorApple M3 (8-core)Qualcomm Snapdragon X Plus (X1P-42-100)
GraphicsApple M3 8-core GPUQualcomm Adreno X1-45
RAM16 GB16 GB
RAM typeLPDDR5 (unified)LPDDR5x
Storage256 GB256 GB
Storage typeNVMe SSDUFS 4.0 (removable)

Benchmarks

Benchmarks comparison: Apple MacBook Air 13 (M3) versus Microsoft Surface Laptop 13-inch (1st Edition)
SpecApple MacBook Air 13 (M3)Microsoft Surface Laptop 13-inch (1st Edition)
Geekbench 6 (single)3,050+33%Top 22%2,287Bottom 7%
Geekbench 6 (multi)12,000+8%Bottom 27%11,125Bottom 18%

Battery

Battery comparison: Apple MacBook Air 13 (M3) versus Microsoft Surface Laptop 13-inch (1st Edition)
SpecApple MacBook Air 13 (M3)Microsoft Surface Laptop 13-inch (1st Edition)
Capacity53 Wh+5%50 Wh
Web browsing endurance15 h16 h+7%
Charging35 W45 W+29%

Design

Design comparison: Apple MacBook Air 13 (M3) versus Microsoft Surface Laptop 13-inch (1st Edition)
SpecApple MacBook Air 13 (M3)Microsoft Surface Laptop 13-inch (1st Edition)
Weight1.24 kg1.22 kg+2%
Thickness11.3 mm+28%15.6 mm
MaterialAluminumAluminum

Connectivity

Connectivity comparison: Apple MacBook Air 13 (M3) versus Microsoft Surface Laptop 13-inch (1st Edition)
SpecApple MacBook Air 13 (M3)Microsoft Surface Laptop 13-inch (1st Edition)
Ports2x Thunderbolt 3 / USB 4, MagSafe 3, 3.5mm2x USB-C (USB 3.2, DisplayPort 1.4a), USB-A, 3.5mm headphone jack
Wi-FiWi-Fi 6EWi-Fi 7
Bluetooth5.3Bluetooth 5.4
Webcam1080p FaceTime HD1080p Full HD
BiometricsTouch IDFingerprint (Windows Hello, in power button)

Software

Software comparison: Apple MacBook Air 13 (M3) versus Microsoft Surface Laptop 13-inch (1st Edition)
SpecApple MacBook Air 13 (M3)Microsoft Surface Laptop 13-inch (1st Edition)
Operating systemmacOS SonomaWindows 11 Home (Arm)

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