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Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M5) vs Apple MacBook Air 15-inch (M4)
Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M5) ($1,299) vs Apple MacBook Air 15-inch (M4) ($989) — 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 15-inch (M4) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $1,299 | $989 |
| Weight | 1230g | 1510g |
| Chip | M5 (up to 10-core CPU / 10-core GPU) | M4 |
| Display | 13.6" Liquid Retina, 500 nits | 15.3" 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) | 1510g (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 15-inch (M4)
- Large silent laptop at 1510g
- M4 performance
- Six-speaker audio
- 1510g is real weight in a daypack
- No ProMotion
- Costs close to a 14-inch Pro used
Apple MacBook Air 15-inch (M4) is the better value at $989. 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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