Apple MacBook Air 13″ (M5) vs Apple MacBook Air 15″ (M2)

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

Better figure, where one is clearly better

MacBook Air 13″ (M5) compared with MacBook Air 15″ (M2)
AppleMacBook Air 13″ (M5)AppleMacBook Air 15″ (M2)
Overview
ReleasedMarch 2026June 2023
Display
Screen size13.6″15.3″
Resolution2560 × 16642880 × 1864 (better)
PanelIPS LCDIPS LCD
Refresh rate60 Hz60 Hz
Brightness500 nits500 nits
TouchscreenNoNo
Display typeLiquid Retina display; LED-backlit with IPS technologyLiquid Retina display; LED-backlit with IPS technology
Pixel density224 ppi224 ppi
Colour rangeWide colour (P3); 1 billion coloursWide colour (P3); 1 billion colours
Display featuresTrue ToneTrue Tone; 60 Hz refresh rate (Tom's Guide)
Performance
ProcessorApple M5Apple M2
CPU cores108
Graphics8-core GPU or 10-core GPU10-core GPU
Memory16 GB, 24 GB or 32 GB (better)8 GB, 16 GB or 24 GB
Storage512 GB to 4 TB (better)256 GB to 2 TB
CPU10-core CPU with 4 super cores and 6 efficiency cores8-core CPU with 4 performance cores and 4 efficiency cores
GPUNeural Accelerators; hardware-accelerated ray tracing; Media Engine with H.264, HEVC, ProRes and ProRes RAW acceleration and AV1 decode10-core GPU; media engine with hardware-accelerated H.264, HEVC, ProRes and ProRes RAW, video encode/decode and ProRes encode/decode engines
AI engine16-core Neural Engine16-core Neural Engine
Memory typeUnified memoryUnified memory; 8 GB, configurable to 16 GB or 24 GB
Memory bandwidth153 GB/s100 GB/s
Storage typeSSD, configurable up to 4 TBSSD, configurable to 512 GB, 1 TB or 2 TB
CoolingFanlessFanless
Battery and size
Battery life (maker's claim)Up to 18 hoursUp to 18 hours
Battery capacity53.8 Wh66.5 Wh (better)
Weight1.23 kg (better)1.51 kg
Thickness11.3 mm (better)11.5 mm
Width × depth304.1 × 215 mm340.4 × 237.6 mm
Battery life detailUp to 15 hours wireless web; lithium-polymer batteryUp to 15 hours wireless web; lithium-polymer battery
ChargerSold 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 PD35 W Dual USB-C Port Power Adapter
Fast chargingWith a 70 W or higher USB PD power sourceWith the 70 W USB-C Power Adapter
Materials100% recycled aluminium enclosure; 55% recycled content overall100% recycled aluminium enclosure
ColoursSky Blue, Silver, Starlight, MidnightSilver, Starlight, Space Grey, Midnight
Connections
Ports2 × Thunderbolt 4, MagSafe 3, headphone jack2 × Thunderbolt 3, MagSafe 3, headphone jack
Wi-FiWi-Fi 7Wi-Fi 6
Bluetooth65.3
Webcam12MP Center Stage1080p FaceTime HD
Operating systemmacOSmacOS
Port detail2 × 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 supportTwo Thunderbolt / USB 4 ports supporting charging, DisplayPort, Thunderbolt 3 and USB 4 up to 40 Gb/s, and USB 3.1 Gen 2 up to 10 Gb/s; MagSafe 3; 3.5 mm headphone jack with high-impedance headphone support
External displaysUp 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 displayOne external display up to 6K 60 Hz alongside the built-in display
KeyboardBacklit Magic Keyboard, 78 (ANSI) or 79 (ISO) keys including 12 full-height function keysBacklit Magic Keyboard; 78 (US) or 79 (ISO) keys with 12 full-height function keys; ambient light sensor
TrackpadForce Touch trackpadForce Touch trackpad
SpeakersFour-speaker sound system; Spatial Audio with Dolby AtmosSix-speaker sound system with force-cancelling woofers; Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos
MicrophonesThree-mic array with directional beamforming; Voice Isolation and Wide Spectrum modesThree-mic array with directional beamforming
BiometricsTouch IDTouch ID
In the box13-inch MacBook Air, USB-C to MagSafe 3 Cable (2 m); power adapter sold separately15-inch MacBook Air, 35 W Dual USB-C Port Power Adapter, USB-C to MagSafe 3 Cable (2 m)

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