Apple MacBook Pro 16 (M3 Max) vs Apple MacBook Air 13 (M5)
66.2Performance44
74.3Display29.8
77.1Battery94.7
53Portability85.7
5 spec wins — Apple MacBook Pro 16 (M3 Max)2 spec wins — Apple MacBook Air 13 (M5)
InnoReviews verdict
Apple MacBook Pro 16 (M3 Max) wins this laptop face-off, 68.2 to 59.1, pulling ahead mainly in display (+45) and performance (+22). Apple MacBook Air 13 (M5) 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 Pro 16 (M3 Max)
- Stronger performance score: 66 vs 44
- Stronger display score: 74 vs 30
- 220% higher Peak brightness: 1,600 nits vs 500 nits
- 125% higher RAM: 36 GB vs 16 GB
- 100% higher Refresh rate: 120 Hz vs 60 Hz
Reasons to pick the Apple MacBook Air 13 (M5)
- Stronger battery score: 95 vs 77
- Stronger portability score: 86 vs 53
- 43% lower weight: 1.24 kg vs 2.16 kg
- 38% higher Web browsing endurance: 18 h vs 13 h
- Lower launch price: $1,099 vs $3,499
Display
| Spec | Apple MacBook Pro 16 (M3 Max) | Apple MacBook Air 13 (M5) |
|---|---|---|
| Screen size | 16.2 ″+19% | 13.6 ″ |
| Panel type | Mini-LED (Liquid Retina XDR) | Liquid Retina IPS LCD |
| Resolution | 3456x2234 | 2560x1664 |
| Refresh rate | 120 Hz+100% | 60 Hz |
| Peak brightness | 1,600 nits+220% | 500 nits |
Performance
| Spec | Apple MacBook Pro 16 (M3 Max) | Apple MacBook Air 13 (M5) |
|---|---|---|
| Processor | Apple M3 Max (14-core) | Apple M5 (10-core) |
| Graphics | Apple M3 Max 30-core GPU | Apple M5 (10-core GPU) |
| RAM | 36 GB+125% | 16 GB |
| RAM type | LPDDR5 (unified) | — |
| Storage | 1,024 GB+100% | 512 GB |
| Storage type | NVMe SSD | — |
Benchmarks
| Spec | Apple MacBook Pro 16 (M3 Max) | Apple MacBook Air 13 (M5) |
|---|---|---|
| Geekbench 6 (single) | 3,120Top 15% | — |
| Geekbench 6 (multi) | 20,200Top 12% | — |
Battery
| Spec | Apple MacBook Pro 16 (M3 Max) | Apple MacBook Air 13 (M5) |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 100 Wh | — |
| Web browsing endurance | 13 h | 18 h+38% |
| Charging | 140 W | — |
Design
| Spec | Apple MacBook Pro 16 (M3 Max) | Apple MacBook Air 13 (M5) |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 2.16 kg | 1.24 kg+43% |
| Thickness | 16.8 mm | — |
| Material | Aluminum | Recycled Aluminum |
Connectivity
| Spec | Apple MacBook Pro 16 (M3 Max) | Apple MacBook Air 13 (M5) |
|---|---|---|
| Ports | 3x Thunderbolt 4, HDMI, SDXC, MagSafe 3, 3.5mm | — |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 6E | Wi-Fi 7 |
| Bluetooth | 5.3 | — |
| Webcam | 1080p FaceTime HD | — |
| Biometrics | Touch ID | Touch ID |
Software
| Spec | Apple MacBook Pro 16 (M3 Max) | Apple MacBook Air 13 (M5) |
|---|---|---|
| Operating system | macOS Sonoma | macOS |
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