Apple MacBook Air 15 (M4) vs Microsoft Surface Laptop 13-inch (1st Edition)
VS
55.3Performance35.5
29.8Display27.3
72Battery69.5
79.6Portability82.8
7 spec wins — Apple MacBook Air 15 (M4)2 spec wins — Microsoft Surface Laptop 13-inch (1st Edition)
InnoReviews verdict
Apple MacBook Air 15 (M4) wins this laptop face-off, 57 to 49.5, pulling ahead mainly in performance (+20) and display (+3). 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 15 (M4)
- Stronger performance score: 55 vs 36
- 62% higher Geekbench 6 (single): 3,700 vs 2,287
- 56% higher charging: 70 W vs 45 W
- 33% higher capacity: 67 Wh vs 50 Wh
- 32% higher Geekbench 6 (multi): 14,700 vs 11,125
Reasons to pick the Microsoft Surface Laptop 13-inch (1st Edition)
- Stronger portability score: 83 vs 80
- 19% lower weight: 1.22 kg vs 1.51 kg
- Lower launch price: $900 vs $1,199
Display
| Spec | Apple MacBook Air 15 (M4) | Microsoft Surface Laptop 13-inch (1st Edition) |
|---|---|---|
| Screen size | 15.3 ″+18% | 13 ″ |
| Panel type | IPS (Liquid Retina) | PixelSense IPS LCD (touchscreen) |
| Resolution | 2880x1864 | 1920x1280 |
| Refresh rate | 60 Hz | 60 Hz |
| Peak brightness | 500 nits+18% | 425 nits |
Performance
| Spec | Apple MacBook Air 15 (M4) | Microsoft Surface Laptop 13-inch (1st Edition) |
|---|---|---|
| Processor | Apple M4 (10-core) | Qualcomm Snapdragon X Plus (X1P-42-100) |
| Graphics | Apple M4 10-core GPU | Qualcomm Adreno X1-45 |
| RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB |
| RAM type | LPDDR5X (unified) | LPDDR5x |
| Storage | 256 GB | 256 GB |
| Storage type | NVMe SSD | UFS 4.0 (removable) |
Benchmarks
| Spec | Apple MacBook Air 15 (M4) | Microsoft Surface Laptop 13-inch (1st Edition) |
|---|---|---|
| Geekbench 6 (single) | 3,700+62%Top 11% | 2,287Bottom 7% |
| Geekbench 6 (multi) | 14,700+32%Top 36% | 11,125Bottom 18% |
Battery
| Spec | Apple MacBook Air 15 (M4) | Microsoft Surface Laptop 13-inch (1st Edition) |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 67 Wh+33% | 50 Wh |
| Web browsing endurance | 15 h | 16 h+7% |
| Charging | 70 W+56% | 45 W |
Design
| Spec | Apple MacBook Air 15 (M4) | Microsoft Surface Laptop 13-inch (1st Edition) |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 1.51 kg | 1.22 kg+19% |
| Thickness | 11.5 mm+26% | 15.6 mm |
| Material | Aluminum | Aluminum |
Connectivity
| Spec | Apple MacBook Air 15 (M4) | Microsoft Surface Laptop 13-inch (1st Edition) |
|---|---|---|
| Ports | 2x Thunderbolt 4, MagSafe 3, 3.5mm | 2x USB-C (USB 3.2, DisplayPort 1.4a), USB-A, 3.5mm headphone jack |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 6E | Wi-Fi 7 |
| Bluetooth | 5.3 | Bluetooth 5.4 |
| Webcam | 12MP Center Stage | 1080p Full HD |
| Biometrics | Touch ID | Fingerprint (Windows Hello, in power button) |
Software
| Spec | Apple MacBook Air 15 (M4) | Microsoft Surface Laptop 13-inch (1st Edition) |
|---|---|---|
| Operating system | macOS Sequoia | Windows 11 Home (Arm) |
Related comparisons
Apple MacBook Air 15 (M4)vs Apple MacBook Air 15 (M5)VSApple MacBook Air 15 (M4)vs HP Googlebook 14VSApple MacBook Air 15 (M4)vs Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13VSApple MacBook Air 15 (M4)vs Acer Swift 14 AI (SF14-11)VSMicrosoft Surface Laptop 13-inch (1st Edition)vs Dell 14 Plus (DB14250)VSMicrosoft Surface Laptop 13-inch (1st Edition)vs ASUS ExpertBook P3 (PM3406)VSMicrosoft Surface Laptop 13-inch (1st Edition)vs HP EliteBook 8 G1i 14VSMicrosoft Surface Laptop 13-inch (1st Edition)vs Lenovo ThinkPad E14 Gen 7VS