Apple MacBook Air 15 (M3) vs Apple MacBook Air 15 (M5)
41.4Performance65.5
29.8Display29.8
55.3Battery55.3
79.6Portability79.6
0 spec wins — Apple MacBook Air 15 (M3)5 spec wins — Apple MacBook Air 15 (M5)
InnoReviews verdict
Apple MacBook Air 15 (M5) wins this laptop face-off, 56.9 to 48.4, pulling ahead mainly in performance (+24). Apple MacBook Air 15 (M3) 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 15 (M3)
No decisive spec advantages — this side competes on price and preference.
Reasons to pick the Apple MacBook Air 15 (M5)
- Stronger performance score: 66 vs 41
- 100% higher RAM: 16 GB vs 8 GB
- 100% higher storage: 512 GB vs 256 GB
- 71% higher charging: 60 W vs 35 W
- 41% higher Geekbench 6 (multi): 16,995 vs 12,066
Display
| Spec | Apple MacBook Air 15 (M3) | Apple MacBook Air 15 (M5) |
|---|---|---|
| Screen size | 15.3 ″ | 15.3 ″ |
| Panel type | IPS (Liquid Retina) | IPS (Liquid Retina) |
| Resolution | 2880x1864 | 2880x1864 |
| Refresh rate | 60 Hz | 60 Hz |
| Peak brightness | 500 nits | 500 nits |
Performance
| Spec | Apple MacBook Air 15 (M3) | Apple MacBook Air 15 (M5) |
|---|---|---|
| Processor | Apple M3 (8-core) | Apple M5 (10-core) |
| Graphics | Apple M3 10-core GPU | Apple M5 10-core GPU |
| RAM | 8 GB | 16 GB+100% |
| RAM type | LPDDR5 (unified) | LPDDR5X (unified) |
| Storage | 256 GB | 512 GB+100% |
| Storage type | SSD | SSD |
Benchmarks
| Spec | Apple MacBook Air 15 (M3) | Apple MacBook Air 15 (M5) |
|---|---|---|
| Geekbench 6 (single) | 3,130Top 26% | 4,195+34%Top 11% |
| Geekbench 6 (multi) | 12,066Bottom 19% | 16,995+41%Top 38% |
Battery
| Spec | Apple MacBook Air 15 (M3) | Apple MacBook Air 15 (M5) |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 67 Wh | 67 Wh |
| Charging | 35 W | 60 W+71% |
Design
| Spec | Apple MacBook Air 15 (M3) | Apple MacBook Air 15 (M5) |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 1.51 kg | 1.51 kg |
| Thickness | 11.5 mm | 11.5 mm |
| Material | Recycled Aluminum | Recycled Aluminum |
Connectivity
| Spec | Apple MacBook Air 15 (M3) | Apple MacBook Air 15 (M5) |
|---|---|---|
| Ports | 2x Thunderbolt / USB 4, MagSafe 3, 3.5mm | 2x Thunderbolt 4, MagSafe 3, 3.5mm |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 6E | Wi-Fi 7 |
| Bluetooth | 5.3 | 6 |
| Webcam | 1080p FaceTime HD | 12MP Center Stage |
| Biometrics | Touch ID | Touch ID |
Software
| Spec | Apple MacBook Air 15 (M3) | Apple MacBook Air 15 (M5) |
|---|---|---|
| Operating system | macOS Sonoma | macOS Tahoe |
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