Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M5) vs Apple MacBook Air 15-inch (M5)
Get the 13-inch MacBook Air. Unless you work mostly at a desk and want a bigger screen and better speakers.
Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M5)
The laptop most people should buy: fast, silent and light, with all-day battery and 512GB of storage to start.
Apple MacBook Air 15-inch (M5)
The MacBook Air with a big 15-inch screen and six speakers: the best big-screen laptop for working all day away from a charger.
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Both have the same M5 chip, memory and storage, and both are silent. The 15-inch adds a bigger screen and six speakers, but it's bigger to carry and costs more.
- —You carry it every day.
- —You work on trains, planes and sofas.
- —You'd rather spend the difference on more storage.
- —You work with two windows side by side.
- —You watch a lot of films on it.
- —It mostly stays on a desk.
Key differences
Pros and cons
- +Silent, fanless and fast
- +About 15 hours of battery in tests
- +16GB memory and 512GB to start
- −60Hz screen, so scrolling isn't as smooth as on a MacBook Pro.
- −The notch cuts into the top of the screen.
- −Memory and storage can't be upgraded later.
- −It slows down under long heavy loads, as it has no fan.
- +Big 15.3-inch screen
- +Six speakers, the best sound in a MacBook Air
- +Silent and fanless
- −60Hz screen.
- −Memory and storage can't be upgraded later.
- −The webcam has no Face ID.
- −Costs a good deal more than the 13-inch for the same chip.
Ready to choose?
- Is the MacBook Air 13 (M5) worth it?
- Is the MacBook Air 15 (M5) worth it?
- MacBook Neo vs MacBook Air 13 (M5)
- Best macbooks
How we reached this verdict
We compared independent expert reviews with the manufacturer's specifications, then checked it's sold at a major retailer where you live. We don't test products ourselves.
Sources: TechRadar, Expert Reviews, manufacturer specifications.