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InnoReviews

Apple MacBook Air 13 (M4) vs Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M5 Max)

Apple MacBook Air 13 (M4)
57.4Inno Score
VS
WINNER
Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M5 Max)
77.1Inno Score
55.2Performance91.1
29.8Display74.3
67.2Battery63.2
88Portability71
2 spec wins — Apple MacBook Air 13 (M4)9 spec wins — Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M5 Max)

InnoReviews verdict

Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M5 Max) wins this laptop face-off, 77.1 to 57.4, pulling ahead mainly in display (+45) and performance (+36). Apple MacBook Air 13 (M4) 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 (M4)

  • Stronger battery score: 67 vs 63
  • Stronger portability score: 88 vs 71
  • 27% lower thickness: 11.3 mm vs 15.5 mm
  • 23% lower weight: 1.24 kg vs 1.62 kg
  • Lower launch price: $999 vs $3,599

Reasons to pick the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M5 Max)

  • Stronger performance score: 91 vs 55
  • Stronger display score: 74 vs 30
  • 700% higher storage: 2,048 GB vs 256 GB
  • 220% higher Peak brightness: 1,600 nits vs 500 nits
  • 125% higher RAM: 36 GB vs 16 GB

Display

Display comparison: Apple MacBook Air 13 (M4) versus Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M5 Max)
SpecApple MacBook Air 13 (M4)Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M5 Max)
Screen size13.6 ″14.2 ″+4%
Panel typeIPS (Liquid Retina)Mini-LED (Liquid Retina XDR)
Resolution2560x16643024x1964
Refresh rate60 Hz120 Hz+100%
Peak brightness500 nits1,600 nits+220%

Performance

Performance comparison: Apple MacBook Air 13 (M4) versus Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M5 Max)
SpecApple MacBook Air 13 (M4)Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M5 Max)
ProcessorApple M4 (10-core)Apple M5 Max (18-core)
GraphicsApple M4 8-core GPUApple M5 Max 32-core GPU
RAM16 GB36 GB+125%
RAM typeLPDDR5X (unified)LPDDR5X (unified)
Storage256 GB2,048 GB+700%
Storage typeNVMe SSDSSD

Benchmarks

Benchmarks comparison: Apple MacBook Air 13 (M4) versus Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M5 Max)
SpecApple MacBook Air 13 (M4)Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M5 Max)
Geekbench 6 (single)3,700Top 21%4,322+17%Top 4%
Geekbench 6 (multi)14,600Top 46%29,415+101%Top 4%

Battery

Battery comparison: Apple MacBook Air 13 (M4) versus Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M5 Max)
SpecApple MacBook Air 13 (M4)Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M5 Max)
Capacity54 Wh72 Wh+35%
Web browsing endurance15 h—
Charging70 W96 W+37%

Design

Design comparison: Apple MacBook Air 13 (M4) versus Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M5 Max)
SpecApple MacBook Air 13 (M4)Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M5 Max)
Weight1.24 kg+23%1.62 kg
Thickness11.3 mm+27%15.5 mm
MaterialAluminumRecycled Aluminum

Connectivity

Connectivity comparison: Apple MacBook Air 13 (M4) versus Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M5 Max)
SpecApple MacBook Air 13 (M4)Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M5 Max)
Ports2x Thunderbolt 4, MagSafe 3, 3.5mm3x Thunderbolt 5, HDMI, SDXC, MagSafe 3, 3.5mm
Wi-FiWi-Fi 6EWi-Fi 7
Bluetooth5.36
Webcam12MP Center Stage12MP Center Stage
BiometricsTouch IDTouch ID

Software

Software comparison: Apple MacBook Air 13 (M4) versus Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M5 Max)
SpecApple MacBook Air 13 (M4)Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M5 Max)
Operating systemmacOS SequoiamacOS Tahoe

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