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Apple MacBook Air 13″ (M1) vs Apple MacBook Air 13″ (M5)

Every spec side by side, from each maker's published figures.

Better figure, where one is clearly better

AppleMacBook Air 13″ (M1)AppleMacBook Air 13″ (M5)
Overview
ReleasedNovember 2020March 2026
Display
Screen size13.3″13.6″
Resolution2560 × 16002560 × 1664
PanelIPS LCDIPS LCD
Refresh rate60 Hz60 Hz
Brightness400 nits500 nits
TouchscreenNoNo
Display typeRetina display; LED-backlit with IPS technologyLiquid Retina display; LED-backlit with IPS technology
Pixel density227 ppi224 ppi
Colour rangeWide colour (P3); millions of coloursWide colour (P3); 1 billion colours
Screen finishGlossy (Notebookcheck)–
Display featuresTrue Tone; 60 Hz refresh rate (Notebookcheck)True Tone
Performance
ProcessorApple M1Apple M5
CPU cores810
Graphics7-core GPU or 8-core GPU8-core GPU or 10-core GPU
Memory8 GB or 16 GB16 GB, 24 GB or 32 GB
Storage128 GB to 2 TB512 GB to 4 TB
CPU8-core CPU with 4 performance cores and 4 efficiency cores10-core CPU with 4 super cores and 6 efficiency cores
GPU7-core or 8-core GPUNeural Accelerators; hardware-accelerated ray tracing; Media Engine with H.264, HEVC, ProRes and ProRes RAW acceleration and AV1 decode
AI engine16-core Neural Engine16-core Neural Engine
Memory typeUnified memory, configurable to 16 GBUnified memory
Memory bandwidth–153 GB/s
Storage typeSSD; consumer models started at 256 GB, configurable to 512 GB, 1 TB or 2 TB. Apple's US education price list also lists an 8 GB / 128 GB model with a 7-core GPU.SSD, configurable up to 4 TB
CoolingFanlessFanless
Battery and size
Battery life (maker's claim)Up to 18 hoursUp to 18 hours
Battery capacity49.9 Wh53.8 Wh
Weight1.29 kg1.23 kg
Thickness16.1 mm11.3 mm
Width × depth304.1 × 212.4 mm304.1 × 215 mm
Battery life detailUp to 15 hours wireless web; lithium-polymer batteryUp to 15 hours wireless web; lithium-polymer battery
Charger30 W USB-C Power AdapterSold separately in the UK (30 W, 35 W dual-port or 70 W Apple USB-C adapters offered); needs at least 30 W over USB PD
Fast charging–With a 70 W or higher USB PD power source
Materials100% recycled aluminium enclosure100% recycled aluminium enclosure; 55% recycled content overall
ColoursGold, Silver, Space GreySky Blue, Silver, Starlight, Midnight
Connections
Ports2 × Thunderbolt 3, headphone jack2 × Thunderbolt 4, MagSafe 3, headphone jack
Wi-FiWi-Fi 6Wi-Fi 7
Bluetooth5.06
Webcam720p FaceTime HD12MP Center Stage
Operating systemmacOSmacOS
Port detailTwo Thunderbolt / USB 4 ports with charging, DisplayPort, Thunderbolt 3 and USB 4 up to 40 Gb/s, and USB 3.1 Gen 2 up to 10 Gb/s; 3.5 mm headphone jack2 × Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C) with charging, DisplayPort, Thunderbolt 4 and USB 4 (up to 40 Gb/s); MagSafe 3; 3.5 mm headphone jack with high-impedance headphone support
External displaysOne external display at up to 6K 60 Hz alongside the built-in displayUp to two at 6K 60 Hz or 4K 144 Hz, or one at up to 8K 60 Hz, 5K 120 Hz or 4K 240 Hz, alongside the built-in display
KeyboardBacklit Magic Keyboard; 78 (US) or 79 (ISO) keys with 12 function keys and inverted-T arrow keys; ambient light sensorBacklit Magic Keyboard, 78 (ANSI) or 79 (ISO) keys including 12 full-height function keys
TrackpadForce Touch trackpadForce Touch trackpad
SpeakersStereo speakers; wide stereo sound; Dolby Atmos playbackFour-speaker sound system; Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos
MicrophonesThree-mic array with directional beamformingThree-mic array with directional beamforming; Voice Isolation and Wide Spectrum modes
BiometricsTouch IDTouch ID
In the boxMacBook Air, 30 W USB-C Power Adapter, USB-C Charge Cable (2 m)13-inch MacBook Air, USB-C to MagSafe 3 Cable (2 m); power adapter sold separately

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