MacBook Air 13 or 15?
Identical chip, identical memory, identical storage, identical battery life in practice. You are buying 1.4 inches of screen and better speakers for $200, and paying for it in 270 grams. Nothing else changes.
Prices checked August 27, 2026. We hold no affiliate links, so this page earns nothing whichever one you buy.
$1,099
Apple MacBook Air 13-inch
Take the 13-inch if the machine leaves the house most days, or if it lives on a desk with an external monitor.
$1,299
Apple MacBook Air 15-inch
Take the 15-inch if this is your only screen and you work in two windows side by side.
If you were going to spend the $200 on the 15-inch anyway, spend it on 24 GB of memory in the 13-inch instead. Memory ages worse than screen size.
Rows in red are where they actually differ
| Apple MacBook Air 13-inch | Apple MacBook Air 15-inch | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $1,099 | $1,299 |
| Price basis | manufacturer's own store | manufacturer's own store |
| Configuration | Apple M5, 16 GB unified memory, 512 GB SSD | Apple M5, 16 GB unified memory, 512 GB SSD |
| Chip | Apple M5 (10-core CPU) | Apple M5 (10-core CPU) |
| Graphics | Apple M5 10-core GPU (integrated) | Apple M5 10-core GPU (integrated) |
| Memory | 16 GB, soldered | 16 GB, soldered |
| Storage | 512 GB, soldered | 512 GB, soldered |
| Display | 13.6-inch 2560 x 1664 IPS, 500 nits | 15.3-inch 2880 x 1864 IPS, 500 nits |
| Weight | 1.24 kg | 1.51 kg |
| System | macOS | macOS |
| Ports | Thunderbolt, 3.5 mm headphone jack | Thunderbolt, 3.5 mm headphone jack |
Apple MacBook Air 13-inch
- The 2 TB storage tier — Apple charges more for it than an external drive plus a spare.
Apple MacBook Air 15-inch
- AppleCare if you already have a card or renter's policy that covers accidental damage.
This page compares two machines. Your shortlist compares all of them.
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