Apple MacBook Air 15 (M5) vs Framework Laptop 12 (Intel Core Series 3)
65.5Performance30.7
29.8Display26.5
55.3Battery33.3
79.6Portability76.6
5 spec wins — Apple MacBook Air 15 (M5)1 spec wins — Framework Laptop 12 (Intel Core Series 3)
InnoReviews verdict
Apple MacBook Air 15 (M5) wins this laptop face-off, 56.9 to 38.5, pulling ahead mainly in performance (+35) and battery (+22). Framework Laptop 12 (Intel Core Series 3) 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 (M5)
- Stronger performance score: 66 vs 31
- Stronger display score: 30 vs 27
- Stronger battery score: 55 vs 33
- Stronger portability score: 80 vs 77
- 100% higher RAM: 16 GB vs 8 GB
Reasons to pick the Framework Laptop 12 (Intel Core Series 3)
- 14% lower weight: 1.3 kg vs 1.51 kg
- Lower launch price: $699 vs $1,299
Display
| Spec | Apple MacBook Air 15 (M5) | Framework Laptop 12 (Intel Core Series 3) |
|---|---|---|
| Screen size | 15.3 ″+25% | 12.2 ″ |
| Panel type | IPS (Liquid Retina) | LCD (glass, convertible touchscreen, MPP 2.0/USI 2.0 stylus support) |
| Resolution | 2880x1864 | 1920x1200 |
| Refresh rate | 60 Hz | 60 Hz |
| Peak brightness | 500 nits+25% | 400 nits |
Performance
| Spec | Apple MacBook Air 15 (M5) | Framework Laptop 12 (Intel Core Series 3) |
|---|---|---|
| Processor | Apple M5 (10-core) | Intel Core 3 304 |
| Graphics | Apple M5 10-core GPU | Intel Graphics (1 Xe3 core, up to 2.3GHz) |
| RAM | 16 GB+100% | 8 GB |
| RAM type | LPDDR5X (unified) | DDR5-6400 (SO-DIMM) |
| Storage | 512 GB | 512 GB |
| Storage type | SSD | M.2 2230 NVMe SSD |
Benchmarks
| Spec | Apple MacBook Air 15 (M5) | Framework Laptop 12 (Intel Core Series 3) |
|---|---|---|
| Geekbench 6 (single) | 4,195Top 11% | — |
| Geekbench 6 (multi) | 16,995Top 38% | — |
Battery
| Spec | Apple MacBook Air 15 (M5) | Framework Laptop 12 (Intel Core Series 3) |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 67 Wh+33% | 50 Wh |
| Charging | 60 W | 60 W |
Design
| Spec | Apple MacBook Air 15 (M5) | Framework Laptop 12 (Intel Core Series 3) |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 1.51 kg | 1.3 kg+14% |
| Thickness | 11.5 mm+38% | 18.5 mm |
| Material | Recycled Aluminum | Overmolded shock-absorbing TPU over plastic with an internal metal structure |
Connectivity
| Spec | Apple MacBook Air 15 (M5) | Framework Laptop 12 (Intel Core Series 3) |
|---|---|---|
| Ports | 2x Thunderbolt 4, MagSafe 3, 3.5mm | 4x swappable Expansion Cards (2x rear Thunderbolt 4, 2x front USB 3.2 Gen 2; USB-C/USB-A, HDMI, DisplayPort, Ethernet, microSD/SD options), 3.5mm combo jack |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 7 | Wi-Fi 7 (Intel BE213) |
| Bluetooth | 6 | 6.0 |
| Webcam | 12MP Center Stage | 1080p 30fps (2MP OmniVision OV02C sensor, 80° FOV), hardware privacy switch |
| Biometrics | Touch ID | None on this configuration — fingerprint reader is bundled only with the Core 5 320/Core 7 350 pre-built tiers, not Core 3 304 |
Software
| Spec | Apple MacBook Air 15 (M5) | Framework Laptop 12 (Intel Core Series 3) |
|---|---|---|
| Operating system | macOS Tahoe | Fedora 44 (KDE Plasma) (Windows 11 Home/Pro option available) |
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