MacBook Air 13 vs 15-inch (M5): what the bigger one changes
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Short answer
The 13- and 15-inch MacBook Air (M5) are the same laptop in two sizes. The 15-inch is 13.4 in wide and 3.3 lb; the 13-inch is 11.97 in wide and 2.7 lb: 1.43 in wider, 0.89 in deeper and 0.6 lb heavier. The screen grows from 13.6 to 15.3 in, about 27% more area, and the battery from 53.8 to 66.5 Wh; Apple quotes the same battery life for both. Chip, memory options, ports, brightness and camera are the same. Buy the 13-inch to carry, the 15-inch to look at.
Key takeaways
- Size: 11.97 × 8.46 in vs 13.40 × 9.35 in; thickness is within 0.01 in.
- Weight: 2.7 lb vs 3.3 lb.
- Same: M5 chip, 16 to 32 GB memory, two Thunderbolt 4 ports, MagSafe 3, 500-nit screen.
- Different: screen area, battery capacity, and the base 13-inch has an 8-core GPU (the 15-inch starts with 10).
Apple sells the MacBook Air in two sizes with the same M5 chip, and its own specification page lists nearly identical lines for both. The differences are physical. All figures here are from Apple’s technical specifications for the M5 models, read on the date shown in the sources.
Side by side
| MacBook Air 13 (M5) | MacBook Air 15 (M5) | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Thin and light, clamshell, macOS | Thin and light, clamshell, macOS |
| Screen size | 13.6 in | 15.3 in |
| Screen options | 2560 × 1664 IPS 500 nits | 2880 × 1864 IPS 500 nits |
| Width × depth | 11.97 × 8.46 in (30.4 × 21.5 cm) | 13.4 × 9.35 in (34.0 × 23.7 cm) |
| Thickness | 0.44 in | 0.45 in |
| Weight (starting) | 2.7 lb | 3.3 lb |
| Processors | Apple M5 | Apple M5 |
| Graphics (maker's maximum power) | Integrated | Integrated |
| Memory | Unified (in the chip), up to 32 GB | Unified (in the chip), up to 32 GB |
| SSD slots | – | – |
| Battery | 53.8 Wh | 66.5 Wh |
| Charging | MagSafe 3, 70 W | MagSafe 3, 70 W |
| USB-C ports | 2 × USB-C, with Thunderbolt 4 | 2 × USB-C, with Thunderbolt 4 |
| USB-A ports | None | None |
| HDMI | None | None |
| Ethernet (RJ45) | None | None |
| Card reader | None | None |
| Numeric keypad | ✕ No | ✕ No |
| Keyboard backlight | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Fingerprint reader | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Touchscreen | ✕ No | ✕ No |
| Wi-Fi (best offered) | Wi-Fi 7 | Wi-Fi 7 |
| Mobile data (WWAN) | ✕ No | ✕ No |
| Check price | Amazon | Amazon |
Size and weight: 1.43 in wider, 0.6 lb heavier
The 15-inch Air is 13.4 in wide and 9.35 in deep, against 11.97 in and 8.46 in for the 13-inch. Thickness is almost the same (0.45 in vs 0.44 in). In a bag the difference is the footprint: the 13-inch is about an inch wider than a US Letter sheet, the 15-inch about 2.4 in wider.
At 3.3 lb, the 15-inch Air is still light for its class: it weighs less than any 16-inch laptop in our catalogue.
Screen: 27% more area, the same sharpness
| 13-inch | 15-inch | |
|---|---|---|
| Diagonal | 13.6 in | 15.3 in |
| Resolution | 2560 × 1664 | 2880 × 1864 |
| Pixel density | 224 per inch | 224 per inch |
| Brightness | 500 nits | 500 nits |
Both show P3 wide color with True Tone. Because the density is the same, the 15-inch shows more on screen at the default scaling: about 27% more area by the diagonals.
Battery: bigger cell, same claim
The 15-inch has a 66.5 Wh battery and the 13-inch 53.8 Wh. Apple quotes the same life for both, up to 18 hours of video streaming and up to 15 hours of wireless web, in its own tests on preproduction units. Those are Apple’s claims, not independent measurements. Both charge through MagSafe 3 or either Thunderbolt port, and Apple says both fast-charge with a 70 W or larger USB-C adapter.
What is identical
- Chip: M5 with a 10-core CPU. The base 13-inch has an 8-core GPU; other models have 10.
- Memory: 16, 24 or 32 GB, fixed at purchase. It can’t be upgraded later.
- Ports: two Thunderbolt 4, MagSafe 3, headphone jack. Up to two external displays.
- Wireless: Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6. Camera: 12MP Center Stage.
Which to buy
- 13-inch if you carry it daily, work on planes or in lecture halls, or will plug into a monitor at your desk.
- 15-inch if the laptop’s own screen is where you work most of the day, or you keep two windows side by side.
If you need more ports, a brighter 120 Hz screen or more memory than 32 GB, neither Air is the answer: see MacBook Neo vs Air vs Pro.
Frequently asked questions
What is the size difference between the MacBook Air 13 and 15?
The 13-inch is 11.97 in × 8.46 in and 0.44 in thick; the 15-inch is 13.4 in × 9.35 in and 0.45 in thick (Apple’s M5 specifications).
How much heavier is the 15-inch MacBook Air?
0.6 lb: 3.3 lb against 2.7 lb for the 13-inch, by Apple’s figures.
Does the 15-inch MacBook Air have better battery life than the 13-inch?
Not by Apple’s own figures: it quotes up to 18 hours of video streaming and 15 hours of wireless web for both. The 15-inch has a larger battery (66.5 Wh vs 53.8 Wh) to feed its larger screen.
Is the 15-inch MacBook Air faster than the 13-inch?
No. Both use the M5 chip with a 10-core CPU. The only difference is that the base 13-inch model has an 8-core GPU, while every 15-inch has the 10-core GPU.
Do the MacBook Air 13 and 15 have the same ports?
Yes: two Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C) ports, a MagSafe 3 charging port and a 3.5 mm headphone jack. Neither has HDMI, an SD card slot or Ethernet.
Is the MacBook Air 15 screen better than the 13?
It is larger, not better: 15.3 in at 2880 × 1864 against 13.6 in at 2560 × 1664, both 224 pixels per inch, 500 nits and P3 color.