Home / Ultraportable Laptop / Comparison
Apple MacBook Air 15-inch (M5) vs Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch (M5 Pro)
Apple MacBook Air 15-inch (M5) ($1,499) vs Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch (M5 Pro) ($2,999) — side-by-side specs, weight, pros and cons to help you pick the right ultraportable laptop.
Spec-by-spec
| Spec | Apple MacBook Air 15-inch (M5) | Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch (M5 Pro) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $1,499 | $2,999 |
| Weight | 1510g | 2140g |
| Chip | M5 (up to 10-core CPU / 10-core GPU) | M5 Pro |
| Display | 15.3" Liquid Retina, 500 nits | 16.2" Liquid Retina XDR, 1600 nits peak |
| Battery | Up to 18 hours | Longest of any Mac |
| Cooling | Fanless | — |
| Audio | Six speakers, force-cancelling woofers | — |
| Weight | 1.51 kg (3.3 lb) | 2.14 kg (4.7 lb) |
| Refresh | — | 120Hz ProMotion |
| Ports | — | 3× Thunderbolt, HDMI, SDXC, MagSafe 3 |
Pros & Cons
Apple MacBook Air 15-inch (M5)
- Real two-window workspace, still fanless
- Six-speaker audio beats most laptops outright
- Same 18-hour battery as the 13-inch
- Lightest 15-inch laptop worth owning
- 280 g heavier than the 13-inch
- $200 premium for screen area alone
- Still only two Thunderbolt ports
Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch (M5 Pro)
- The most performance available in a portable
- Longest battery life of any Mac
- 16-inch XDR is a genuine editing display
- Speakers rival dedicated desktop sets
- 2.14 kg dictates your entire bag choice
- $2,999 entry is professional-tier spend
- Overkill for anything short of pro media work
Apple MacBook Air 15-inch (M5) is the better value at $1,499. Both are part of our curated ultraportable laptop index — tap through to check current pricing.
More Ultraportable Laptop comparisons
Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M5) vs Apple MacBook Air 15-inch (M5)Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M5) vs Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch (M5)Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M5) vs Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch (M5 Pro)Apple MacBook Air 15-inch (M5) vs Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch (M5)Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch (M5) vs Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch (M5 Pro)Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch (M5 Pro) vs Framework Laptop 13 (DIY Edition)