Apple MacBook Air 15 (M5) vs Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 (13.8-inch)
65.5Performance39.9
29.8Display41.6
55.3Battery59.6
79.6Portability76.7
6 spec wins — Apple MacBook Air 15 (M5)4 spec wins — Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 (13.8-inch)
InnoReviews verdict
Apple MacBook Air 15 (M5) wins this laptop face-off, 56.9 to 51.3, pulling ahead mainly in performance (+26) and portability (+3). Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 (13.8-inch) 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 40
- 100% higher storage: 512 GB vs 256 GB
- 73% higher Geekbench 6 (single): 4,195 vs 2,430
- 34% lower thickness: 11.5 mm vs 17.5 mm
- 31% higher Geekbench 6 (multi): 16,995 vs 13,000
Reasons to pick the Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 (13.8-inch)
- Stronger display score: 42 vs 30
- Stronger battery score: 60 vs 55
- 100% higher Refresh rate: 120 Hz vs 60 Hz
- 20% higher Peak brightness: 600 nits vs 500 nits
- 11% lower weight: 1.34 kg vs 1.51 kg
- Lower launch price: $999 vs $1,299
Display
| Spec | Apple MacBook Air 15 (M5) | Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 (13.8-inch) |
|---|---|---|
| Screen size | 15.3 ″+11% | 13.8 ″ |
| Panel type | IPS (Liquid Retina) | IPS (PixelSense Flow) |
| Resolution | 2880x1864 | 2304x1536 |
| Refresh rate | 60 Hz | 120 Hz+100% |
| Peak brightness | 500 nits | 600 nits+20% |
Performance
| Spec | Apple MacBook Air 15 (M5) | Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 (13.8-inch) |
|---|---|---|
| Processor | Apple M5 (10-core) | Qualcomm Snapdragon X Plus (X1P-64-100) |
| Graphics | Apple M5 10-core GPU | Qualcomm Adreno |
| RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB |
| RAM type | LPDDR5X (unified) | LPDDR5X |
| Storage | 512 GB+100% | 256 GB |
| Storage type | SSD | NVMe SSD (removable) |
Benchmarks
| Spec | Apple MacBook Air 15 (M5) | Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 (13.8-inch) |
|---|---|---|
| Geekbench 6 (single) | 4,195+73%Top 11% | 2,430Bottom 21% |
| Geekbench 6 (multi) | 16,995+31%Top 38% | 13,000Bottom 39% |
Battery
| Spec | Apple MacBook Air 15 (M5) | Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 (13.8-inch) |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 67 Wh+23% | 54 Wh |
| Web browsing endurance | — | 13 h |
| Charging | 60 W | 65 W+8% |
Design
| Spec | Apple MacBook Air 15 (M5) | Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 (13.8-inch) |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 1.51 kg | 1.34 kg+11% |
| Thickness | 11.5 mm+34% | 17.5 mm |
| Material | Recycled Aluminum | Aluminum |
Connectivity
| Spec | Apple MacBook Air 15 (M5) | Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 (13.8-inch) |
|---|---|---|
| Ports | 2x Thunderbolt 4, MagSafe 3, 3.5mm | 2x USB4, USB-A 3.1, Surface Connect, 3.5mm |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 7 | Wi-Fi 7 |
| Bluetooth | 6 | 5.4 |
| Webcam | 12MP Center Stage | 1080p + IR |
| Biometrics | Touch ID | IR face (Windows Hello) |
Software
| Spec | Apple MacBook Air 15 (M5) | Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 (13.8-inch) |
|---|---|---|
| Operating system | macOS Tahoe | Windows 11 (Arm) |
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