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MacBook Air (15-inch, M5) vs MacBook Air (15-inch, M3, 2024)

MacBook Air (15-inch, M5)1MacBook Air (15-inch, M3, 2024)2

Quick look

Quick look: MacBook Air M5 against MacBook Air M3
FigureMacBook Air M51MacBook Air M32
Price£1,4993Apple UK store£1,2994launch price
ChipM5chipM3chip
CPU10-coreCPU8-coreCPU
GPU10-coreGPU10-coreGPU
Memory16GBunified memory, base8GB5unified memory, base
Storage512GBstorage, base256GBstorage, base
Battery lifeUp to18 hrsvideo playback, claimedUp to18 hrsvideo playback, claimed
Released11 March 20266ReleasedIn Apple Stores; pre-order from 4 March 2026.8 March 20244ReleasedIn Apple Stores; orderable online from 4 March 2024.
Security updatesNot available7Security updatesNot available7Security updates
Price
The MacBook Air M5 is £1,499 on Apple’s UK store; the MacBook Air M3 is £1,299 at launch, per Apple Newsroom (UK).

True to scale

MacBook Air (15-inch, M5) · 340.4 × 237.6 mm footprintMacBook Air (15-inch, M3, 2024) · 340.4 × 237.6 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 (15-inch, M3, 2024)
SpecificationMacBook Air M51MacBook Air M32
Dimensions11.5 x 340.4 x 237.6 mm11.5 x 340.4 x 237.6 mm
Weight1.51 kg1.51 kg
ColoursSky Blue, Silver, Starlight, MidnightSilver, Starlight, Space Grey, Midnight
PortsTwo Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C) ports, MagSafe 3 charging port, 3.5mm headphone jackTwo Thunderbolt / USB 4 ports, MagSafe 3 port, 3.5mm headphone jack
Thunderbolt ports822
Thunderbolt versionThunderbolt 4Thunderbolt 3
USB-A portsNo USB-A ports.9No USB-A ports.10
HDMINo HDMI port.11No HDMI port.12
SD card slotNo SD card slot.11No SD card slot.12
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 (15-inch, M3, 2024)
SpecificationMacBook Air M51MacBook Air M32
Display size15.3 in15.3 in
Resolution2880 x 18642880 x 1864
Pixel density224 ppi224 ppi
Display typeLiquid Retina displayLiquid Retina display
Brightness500 nits500 nits
Wide colour (P3)YesYes
Nano-texture optionNo nano-texture display option.11No nano-texture display option.12

Chip and memory

Chip and memory: Apple MacBook Air (15-inch, M5) against Apple MacBook Air (15-inch, M3, 2024)
SpecificationMacBook Air M51MacBook Air M32
ChipApple M5 chipApple M3 chip
Apple siliconYesYes
CPU cores108
Super cores413Not available14
Performance coresNot available154
Efficiency cores6134
GPU cores1010
Neural Engine cores1616
Chip optionsM5 with 10-core CPU and 10-core GPUM3 with 8-core CPU and 10-core GPU
Memory (base)16GB8GB5
Memory (maximum)32GB24GB5
Memory options16GB, 24GB or 32GB8GB, 16GB or 24GB5
Memory upgradeable by userNo, as Apple documents16No, as Apple documents16
Memory bandwidth153 GB/s100 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 engine

Battery and power

Battery and power: Apple MacBook Air (15-inch, M5) against Apple MacBook Air (15-inch, M3, 2024)
SpecificationMacBook Air M51MacBook Air M32
Battery capacity66.5 Wh66.5 Wh
Rated charge cycles1,000 cycles171,000 cycles17
Video playback (claimed)1818 h18 h
Wireless web (claimed)15 h15 h
Included power adapterNo power adapter in the box.1135 W
Fast chargingYesYes

Connectivity

Connectivity: Apple MacBook Air (15-inch, M5) against Apple MacBook Air (15-inch, M3, 2024)
SpecificationMacBook Air M51MacBook Air M32
Wi-FiWi‑Fi 7 (802.11be)Wi‑Fi 6E (802.11ax)
Bluetooth65.3
EthernetNo Ethernet port.11No Ethernet port.12
External displays (base)2119

Camera and audio

Camera and audio: Apple MacBook Air (15-inch, M5) against Apple MacBook Air (15-inch, M3, 2024)
SpecificationMacBook Air M51MacBook Air M32
Camera12MP Center Stage camera with support for Desk View1080p FaceTime HD camera
Camera resolution12 MPNot available20
SpeakersSix-speaker sound system with force-cancelling woofersSix-speaker sound system with force-cancelling woofers
MicrophonesThree-mic array with directional beamformingThree-mic array with directional beamforming

Platform

Platform: Apple MacBook Air (15-inch, M5) against Apple MacBook Air (15-inch, M3, 2024)
SpecificationMacBook Air M51MacBook Air M32
Newest macOSmacOS 27 Golden Gate21macOS 27 Golden Gate21
Model identifierMac17,422Mac15,1322
Model year20262024

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 (15-inch, M3, 2024) - Tech Specs · Default for MacBook Air M3 · 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 unveils the new 13- and 15-inch MacBook Air with the powerful M3 chip · Apple’s figure · read 14 Sep 2026

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  5. Apple Support (UK) — MacBook Air (15-inch, M3, 2024) - Tech Specs · Apple’s figure · read 2 Oct 2026

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

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

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  8. Different Thunderbolt generations. MacBook Air M5: Thunderbolt 4. MacBook Air M3: Thunderbolt 3.

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  9. 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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  10. MacBook Air (15-inch, M3, 2024): No USB-A ports. Checked: Apple Support (UK) — MacBook Air (15-inch, M3, 2024) - Tech Specs. Read 14 Sep 2026

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  11. 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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  12. MacBook Air (15-inch, M3, 2024): No HDMI port. No SD card slot. No nano-texture display option. No Ethernet port. Checked: Apple Support (UK) — MacBook Air (15-inch, M3, 2024) - Tech Specs. Read 9 Oct 2026

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

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

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

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

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

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  18. Two different Apple tests. MacBook Air M5: Video streaming. MacBook Air M3: Apple TV app movie playback.

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  19. Apple Support (UK) — MacBook Air (15-inch, M3, 2024) - Tech Specs · Apple’s figure · read 11 Oct 2026

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  20. Not published by Apple (Apple states resolution: 1080p FaceTime HD camera)

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

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  22. Apple Support (UK) — Identify your MacBook Air model · Apple’s figure · read 14 Sep 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 M3. Apple doesn’t publish for this Mac: refresh rate, storage upgradeable by user, the macOS it shipped with. Geekbench 7: the Mac chart has no entry for this Mac, so no figures are shown (chart read 10 Oct 2026). Pages checked: Apple Support (UK) — MacBook Air (15-inch, M3, 2024) - Tech Specs; Apple Support (UK) — Identify your MacBook Air model; Apple Newsroom (UK) — Apple unveils the new 13- and 15-inch MacBook Air with the powerful M3 chip; 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 M3 (15-inch, 2024)?

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