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Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M5) vs Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M4)
Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M5) ($1,299) vs Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M4) ($803) — side-by-side specs, weight, pros and cons to help you pick the right ultraportable laptop.
Spec-by-spec
| Spec | Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M5) | Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M4) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $1,299 | $803 |
| Weight | 1230g | 1240g |
| Chip | M5 (up to 10-core CPU / 10-core GPU) | M4 |
| Display | 13.6" Liquid Retina, 500 nits | 13.6" Liquid Retina |
| Battery | Up to 18 hours | — |
| Cooling | Fanless | Fanless |
| Ports | 2× Thunderbolt, MagSafe 3, headphone | MagSafe 3, 2x Thunderbolt, headphone |
| Weight | 1.23 kg (2.7 lb) | 1240g (Apple published) |
| Camera | — | 12MP Center Stage |
Pros & Cons
Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M5)
- Fanless — silent under any load
- 1.23 kg genuinely sling-friendly
- 18-hour battery is real, not optimistic
- MagSafe frees a Thunderbolt port
- Longest software support in the class
- $200 more than the M4 it replaced
- Only two Thunderbolt ports
- Sustained heavy exports throttle without a fan
Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M4)
- M4 performance in a fanless 1240g body
- 12MP Center Stage camera
- Launched cheaper than the M3 did
- Excellent battery life
- Still throttles on sustained heavy work
- No ProMotion display
- Holds value, so used discounts are modest
Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M4) is the better value at $803. If weight matters most, Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M5) carries lighter at 1230g. Both are part of our curated ultraportable laptop index — tap through to check current pricing.
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