Apple MacBook Air 15 (M4) vs Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M5 Max)
55.3Performance91.1
29.8Display74.3
72Battery63.2
79.6Portability71
3 spec wins — Apple MacBook Air 15 (M4)8 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, pulling ahead mainly in display (+45) and performance (+36). Apple MacBook Air 15 (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 15 (M4)
- Stronger battery score: 72 vs 63
- Stronger portability score: 80 vs 71
- 26% lower thickness: 11.5 mm vs 15.5 mm
- Lower launch price: $1,199 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
| Spec | Apple MacBook Air 15 (M4) | Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M5 Max) |
|---|---|---|
| Screen size | 15.3 ″+8% | 14.2 ″ |
| Panel type | IPS (Liquid Retina) | Mini-LED (Liquid Retina XDR) |
| Resolution | 2880x1864 | 3024x1964 |
| Refresh rate | 60 Hz | 120 Hz+100% |
| Peak brightness | 500 nits | 1,600 nits+220% |
Performance
| Spec | Apple MacBook Air 15 (M4) | Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M5 Max) |
|---|---|---|
| Processor | Apple M4 (10-core) | Apple M5 Max (18-core) |
| Graphics | Apple M4 10-core GPU | Apple M5 Max 32-core GPU |
| RAM | 16 GB | 36 GB+125% |
| RAM type | LPDDR5X (unified) | LPDDR5X (unified) |
| Storage | 256 GB | 2,048 GB+700% |
| Storage type | NVMe SSD | SSD |
Benchmarks
| Spec | Apple MacBook Air 15 (M4) | Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M5 Max) |
|---|---|---|
| Geekbench 6 (single) | 3,700Top 21% | 4,322+17%Top 4% |
| Geekbench 6 (multi) | 14,700Top 45% | 29,415+100%Top 4% |
Battery
| Spec | Apple MacBook Air 15 (M4) | Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M5 Max) |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 67 Wh | 72 Wh+9% |
| Web browsing endurance | 15 h | — |
| Charging | 70 W | 96 W+37% |
Design
| Spec | Apple MacBook Air 15 (M4) | Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M5 Max) |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 1.51 kg+7% | 1.62 kg |
| Thickness | 11.5 mm+26% | 15.5 mm |
| Material | Aluminum | Recycled Aluminum |
Connectivity
| Spec | Apple MacBook Air 15 (M4) | Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M5 Max) |
|---|---|---|
| Ports | 2x Thunderbolt 4, MagSafe 3, 3.5mm | 3x Thunderbolt 5, HDMI, SDXC, MagSafe 3, 3.5mm |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 6E | Wi-Fi 7 |
| Bluetooth | 5.3 | 6 |
| Webcam | 12MP Center Stage | 12MP Center Stage |
| Biometrics | Touch ID | Touch ID |
Software
| Spec | Apple MacBook Air 15 (M4) | Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M5 Max) |
|---|---|---|
| Operating system | macOS Sequoia | macOS Tahoe |
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