Apple MacBook Air 13 (M5) vs Microsoft Surface Laptop 15-inch (8th Edition)
VS
44Performance44
29.8Display41.6
94.7Battery68
85.7Portability65.9
2 spec wins — Apple MacBook Air 13 (M5)3 spec wins — Microsoft Surface Laptop 15-inch (8th Edition)
InnoReviews verdict
Apple MacBook Air 13 (M5) wins this laptop face-off, 59.1 to 52.6, pulling ahead mainly in battery (+27) and portability (+20). Microsoft Surface Laptop 15-inch (8th 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 13 (M5)
- Stronger battery score: 95 vs 68
- Stronger portability score: 86 vs 66
- 29% higher Web browsing endurance: 18 h vs 14 h
- 25% lower weight: 1.24 kg vs 1.66 kg
- Lower launch price: $1,099 vs $1,550
Reasons to pick the Microsoft Surface Laptop 15-inch (8th Edition)
- Stronger display score: 42 vs 30
- 100% higher Refresh rate: 120 Hz vs 60 Hz
- 20% higher Peak brightness: 600 nits vs 500 nits
- 10% higher Screen size: 15 ″ vs 13.6 ″
Display
| Spec | Apple MacBook Air 13 (M5) | Microsoft Surface Laptop 15-inch (8th Edition) |
|---|---|---|
| Screen size | 13.6 ″ | 15 ″+10% |
| Panel type | Liquid Retina IPS LCD | HDR PixelSense LCD (touchscreen) |
| Resolution | 2560x1664 | 3270x2180 |
| Refresh rate | 60 Hz | 120 Hz+100% |
| Peak brightness | 500 nits | 600 nits+20% |
Performance
| Spec | Apple MacBook Air 13 (M5) | Microsoft Surface Laptop 15-inch (8th Edition) |
|---|---|---|
| Processor | Apple M5 (10-core) | Qualcomm Snapdragon X2 Plus (10-core) or Snapdragon X2 Elite (12-core) |
| Graphics | Apple M5 (8-core GPU) | Qualcomm Adreno |
| RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB |
| RAM type | — | LPDDR5x |
| Storage | 512 GB | 512 GB |
| Storage type | — | Gen 4 SSD (removable, M.2 2230) |
Battery
| Spec | Apple MacBook Air 13 (M5) | Microsoft Surface Laptop 15-inch (8th Edition) |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity | — | 66 Wh |
| Web browsing endurance | 18 h+29% | 14 h |
| Charging | — | 65 W |
Design
| Spec | Apple MacBook Air 13 (M5) | Microsoft Surface Laptop 15-inch (8th Edition) |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 1.24 kg+25% | 1.66 kg |
| Thickness | — | 18.3 mm |
| Material | Recycled Aluminum | Aluminum (100% recycled) |
Connectivity
| Spec | Apple MacBook Air 13 (M5) | Microsoft Surface Laptop 15-inch (8th Edition) |
|---|---|---|
| Ports | — | 2x USB-C/USB4, USB-A 3.2, 3.5mm headphone jack, Surface Connect, microSD |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 7 | Wi-Fi 7 |
| Bluetooth | — | Bluetooth 5.4 |
| Webcam | — | 1080p Full HD (Windows Studio Effects) |
| Biometrics | Touch ID | Facial recognition (Windows Hello) |
Software
| Spec | Apple MacBook Air 13 (M5) | Microsoft Surface Laptop 15-inch (8th Edition) |
|---|---|---|
| Operating system | macOS | Windows 11 Home (Arm) |
Related comparisons
Apple MacBook Air 13 (M5)vs Dell XPS 13 (2026)VSApple MacBook Air 13 (M5)vs ASUS ROG Strix G16 (2025)VSApple MacBook Air 13 (M5)vs ASUS Googlebook 14VSApple MacBook Air 13 (M5)vs ASUS ROG Strix G16 (2024)VSMicrosoft Surface Laptop 15-inch (8th Edition)vs COLORFIRE MEOW X16 Pro (2026)VSMicrosoft Surface Laptop 15-inch (8th Edition)vs Samsung Galaxy Book4 Pro 14VSMicrosoft Surface Laptop 15-inch (8th Edition)vs Framework Laptop 13 (Ryzen AI 300)VSMicrosoft Surface Laptop 15-inch (8th Edition)vs HP EliteBook X Flip 14 (G2i)VS