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MacBook Air (15-inch, M5) vs MacBook Air (13-inch, M4, 2025)

MacBook Air (15-inch, M5)1MacBook Air (13-inch, M4, 2025)2

Quick look

Quick look: MacBook Air M5 against MacBook Air M4
FigureMacBook Air M51MacBook Air M42
Price£1,4993Apple UK store£9994launch price
ChipM5chipM4chip
CPU10-coreCPU10-coreCPU
GPU10-coreGPU8-coreGPU
Memory16GBunified memory, base16GBunified memory, base
Storage512GBstorage, base256GBstorage, base
Battery lifeUp to18 hrsvideo playback, claimedUp to18 hrsvideo playback, claimed
Released11 March 20265ReleasedIn Apple Stores; pre-order from 4 March 2026.12 March 20254ReleasedIn Apple Stores; pre-order from 5 March 2025.
Security updatesNot available6Security updatesNot available6Security updates
Price
The MacBook Air M5 is £1,499 on Apple’s UK store; the MacBook Air M4 is £999 at launch, per Apple Newsroom (UK).

True to scale

MacBook Air (15-inch, M5) · 340.4 × 237.6 mm footprintMacBook Air (13-inch, M4, 2025) · 304.1 × 215 mm footprint

Footprints from above, from Apple’s published dimensions, drawn to one scale and superposed. Corner rounding is our drawing convention, not a measurement.

Specifications

Each figure is from the source marked by its Mac’s name unless it carries its own small number, which links to where that figure was read.

Body

Body: Apple MacBook Air (15-inch, M5) against Apple MacBook Air (13-inch, M4, 2025)
SpecificationMacBook Air M51MacBook Air M42
Dimensions11.5 x 340.4 x 237.6 mm11.3 x 304.1 x 215 mm
Weight1.51 kg1.24 kg
ColoursSky Blue, Silver, Starlight, MidnightSky Blue, Silver, Starlight, Midnight
PortsTwo Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C) ports, MagSafe 3 charging port, 3.5mm headphone jackTwo Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C) ports, MagSafe 3 charging port, 3.5mm headphone jack
Thunderbolt ports22
Thunderbolt versionThunderbolt 4Thunderbolt 4
USB-A portsNo USB-A ports.7No USB-A ports.8
HDMINo HDMI port.9No HDMI port.10
SD card slotNo SD card slot.9No SD card slot.10
Headphone jackYesYes
MagSafeYesYes
KeyboardBacklit Magic Keyboard with Touch IDBacklit Magic Keyboard with Touch ID
Touch IDYesYes

Display

Display: Apple MacBook Air (15-inch, M5) against Apple MacBook Air (13-inch, M4, 2025)
SpecificationMacBook Air M51MacBook Air M42
Display size15.3 in13.6 in
Resolution2880 x 18642560 x 1664
Pixel density224 ppi224 ppi
Display typeLiquid Retina displayLiquid Retina display
Brightness500 nits500 nits
Wide colour (P3)YesYes
Nano-texture optionNo nano-texture display option.9No nano-texture display option.10

Chip and memory

Chip and memory: Apple MacBook Air (15-inch, M5) against Apple MacBook Air (13-inch, M4, 2025)
SpecificationMacBook Air M51MacBook Air M42
ChipApple M5 chipApple M4 chip
Apple siliconYesYes
CPU cores1010
Super cores411Not available12
Performance coresNot available134
Efficiency cores6116
GPU cores108
Neural Engine cores1616
Chip optionsM5 with 10-core CPU and 10-core GPUM4 with 10-core CPU and 8-core GPU or 10-core GPU
Memory (base)16GB16GB
Memory (maximum)32GB32GB
Memory options16GB, 24GB or 32GB16GB, 24GB or 32GB
Memory upgradeable by userNo, as Apple documents14No, as Apple documents14
Memory bandwidth153 GB/s120 GB/s
Storage (base)512GB256GB
Storage (maximum)4TB2TB
Storage options512GB, 1TB, 2TB or 4TB256GB, 512GB, 1TB or 2TB
Media engineHardware-accelerated H.264, HEVC, ProRes and ProRes RAWvideo decode enginevideo encode engineProRes encode and decode engineAV1 decodeHardware-accelerated H.264, HEVC, ProRes and ProRes RAWvideo decode enginevideo encode engineProRes encode and decode engineAV1 decode

Battery and power

Battery and power: Apple MacBook Air (15-inch, M5) against Apple MacBook Air (13-inch, M4, 2025)
SpecificationMacBook Air M51MacBook Air M42
Battery capacity66.5 Wh53.8 Wh
Rated charge cycles1,000 cycles151,000 cycles15
Video playback (claimed)18 h18 h
Wireless web (claimed)15 h15 h
Included power adapterNo power adapter in the box.930 W
Fast chargingYesYes

Connectivity

Connectivity: Apple MacBook Air (15-inch, M5) against Apple MacBook Air (13-inch, M4, 2025)
SpecificationMacBook Air M51MacBook Air M42
Wi-FiWi‑Fi 7 (802.11be)Wi‑Fi 6E (802.11ax)
Bluetooth65.3
EthernetNo Ethernet port.9No Ethernet port.10
External displays (base)22

Camera and audio

Camera and audio: Apple MacBook Air (15-inch, M5) against Apple MacBook Air (13-inch, M4, 2025)
SpecificationMacBook Air M51MacBook Air M42
Camera12MP Center Stage camera with support for Desk View12MP Center Stage camera with support for Desk View
Camera resolution12 MP12 MP
SpeakersSix-speaker sound system with force-cancelling woofersFour-speaker sound system
MicrophonesThree-mic array with directional beamformingThree-mic array with directional beamforming

Platform

Platform: Apple MacBook Air (15-inch, M5) against Apple MacBook Air (13-inch, M4, 2025)
SpecificationMacBook Air M51MacBook Air M42
Newest macOSmacOS 27 Golden Gate16macOS 27 Golden Gate16
Model identifierMac17,417Mac16,1217
Model year20262025

Benchmarks

Benchmarks: Apple MacBook Air (15-inch, M5) against Apple MacBook Air (13-inch, M4, 2025)
SpecificationMacBook Air M51MacBook Air M42
Geekbench 7 (CPU, single-core)3,585183,20618
Geekbench 7 (CPU, multi-core)17,1691815,07618
Geekbench 7 (Metal)71,2071847,65718

Sources

  1. Apple Support (UK) — MacBook Air (15-inch, M5) - Tech Specs · Default for MacBook Air M5 · Apple’s figure · read 14 Sep 2026

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  2. Apple Support (UK) — MacBook Air (13-inch, M4, 2025) - Tech Specs · Default for MacBook Air M4 · Apple’s figure · read 14 Sep 2026

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  3. Apple UK store — 15-inch MacBook Air M5, 10-core CPU, 10-core GPU — From £1,499 · Apple’s figure · read 22 Sep 2026

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  4. Apple Newsroom (UK) — Apple introduces the new MacBook Air with the M4 chip and a sky blue colour · Apple’s figure · read 14 Sep 2026

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  5. Apple Newsroom (UK) — Apple introduces the new MacBook Air with M5 · Apple’s figure · read 14 Sep 2026

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  6. Security updates: no end date published. Checked: endoflife.date. Read 22 Sep 2026

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  7. MacBook Air (15-inch, M5): No USB-A ports. Checked: Apple Support (UK) — MacBook Air (15-inch, M5) - Tech Specs. Read 14 Sep 2026

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  8. MacBook Air (13-inch, M4, 2025): No USB-A ports. Checked: Apple Support (UK) — MacBook Air (13-inch, M4, 2025) - Tech Specs. Read 14 Sep 2026

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  9. MacBook Air (15-inch, M5): No HDMI port. No SD card slot. No nano-texture display option. No power adapter in the box. No Ethernet port. Checked: Apple Support (UK) — MacBook Air (15-inch, M5) - Tech Specs. Read 9 Oct 2026

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  10. MacBook Air (13-inch, M4, 2025): No HDMI port. No SD card slot. No nano-texture display option. No Ethernet port. Checked: Apple Support (UK) — MacBook Air (13-inch, M4, 2025) - Tech Specs. Read 9 Oct 2026

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  11. Apple Support (UK) — MacBook Air (15-inch, M5) - Tech Specs · Apple’s figure · read 2 Oct 2026

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  12. Doesn’t apply: this chip has no super cores

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  13. Apple names this chip’s cores differently: 4 super cores, 6 efficiency cores

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  14. Apple Support (UK) — MacBook Pro: how to remove or install memory · Apple’s figure · read 18 Oct 2026

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  15. Apple Support (UK) — Determine battery cycle count for Mac laptops · Apple’s figure · read 15 Oct 2026

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  16. Apple Support (UK) — macOS 27 Golden Gate is compatible with these computers · Apple’s figure · read 22 Sep 2026

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  17. Apple Support (UK) — Identify your MacBook Air model · Apple’s figure · read 14 Sep 2026

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  18. Geekbench Browser (Primate Labs) · third-party figure · read 11 Oct 2026

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Not published by Apple

MacBook Air M5. Apple doesn’t publish for this Mac: refresh rate, storage upgradeable by user, the macOS it shipped with. Pages checked: Apple Support (UK) — MacBook Air (15-inch, M5) - Tech Specs; Apple Support (UK) — macOS 27 Golden Gate is compatible with these computers; Apple Support (UK) — Identify your MacBook Air model; Apple Newsroom (UK) — Apple introduces the new MacBook Air with M5, read 9 Oct 2026.

MacBook Air M4. Apple doesn’t publish for this Mac: refresh rate, storage upgradeable by user, the macOS it shipped with. Pages checked: Apple Support (UK) — MacBook Air (13-inch, M4, 2025) - Tech Specs; Apple Support (UK) — Identify your MacBook Air model; Apple Newsroom (UK) — Apple introduces the new MacBook Air with the M4 chip and a sky blue colour; Apple Support (UK) — macOS 27 Golden Gate is compatible with these computers, read 9 Oct 2026.

If you own one of them

Whether to move is a different question from which is better. Each Mac has a page on it: what its successor changes (the newest Mac in its line where Apple sells one, otherwise the Mac this site treats as its replacement, which can be in another line), what it fetches and whether it still gets updates. Should I upgrade my MacBook Air M5 (15-inch)? · Should I upgrade my MacBook Air M4 (13-inch, 2025)?

The pairs a buyer of either Mac would also weigh. Any two Macs in the catalogue can be compared from the chooser.