The Surface Laptop 5 is the latest grapple laptop from Microsoft , but how does it compare to the competition?We’ve heap it up against one of the well extremist - portable laptops on the market place – this year’sMacBook Air – to retrieve out . We ’ve review both laptops , so are able-bodied to cater our thoughts on which is the better buy .
We ’ll be hatch all of the important categories when judging the two laptop , including design , screen , performance and bombardment life . Keep scrolling down to get the full crack-up .
Price
If you want anM2 - powered MacBook Air , you ’ll require to pay at least £ 1249 . That gets you 8 GB of RAM and a 256 GB SSD . Upgrading to a 512 GB SSD will cost you £ 1549 . The MacBook Air is only useable in one size , with a 13.6 - inch blind .
TheMicrosoft Surface Laptop 5comes in two sizes : 13.5 - in and 15 - inch . The former has a base price of £ 999 , match the specs of the MacBook Air with 8 GB RAM and a 256 GB SSD .
If you fancy opting for the 15 - inch Surface Laptop 5 , it will cost you £ 1299 at the very least . Again , you ’ll get 8 GB of RAM and a 256 GB SSD .
So in comparing , the MacBook Air is considerably more expensive than the corresponding Surface Laptop 5 . Although Apple will justify the higher price via the inclusion of a faster processor and more cutting - edge design .
Design and screen
Microsoft has n’t updated the intention of the Surface Laptop 5 in years . That think of it ’s got a chunky , unsightly screen bezel . It ’s also missing key feature such as a fingerprint electronic scanner .
Despite show its historic period , Microsoft ’s 13 - inch laptop is still pleasingly portable , weighing in at just 1.30 kilo and measuring in at just 14.5 mm . Apple has the edge here though , with the MacBook Air come in at 1.24 kg and 11.3 mm .
Being exceedingly skinny does have its downside , with the MacBook Air being slim on ports , have just twoThunderbolt 4connections , a headphone shit and a MagSafe charging larboard . Microsoft is n’t much better here though , with the Surface Laptop 5 seeing 1x USB - A , 1x Thunderbolt 4 , a earphone laborer and Surface Connect for mogul delivery .
Both laptops impress when it fare to color options . The MacBook Air is uncommitted in Silver , Starlight , Space Grey and Midnight . The Surface Laptop 5 is usable in Platinum , Sage , Black and Sandstone .
There is n’t much separating the two laptops when it comes to screen specification either , have light-emitting diode technology and a similar resolution . Microsoft does offer a touchscreen though , make it a pocket-size reward over Apple .
Performance
The execution is where Apple really comes into its own . The M2 splintering is one of the most powerful chips you could discover in ultra - portable laptop computer , and is adequate to of pacing through productiveness and cognitive content creation work load .
Even though our revue sample was power by the most hefty processor selection – the Intel Core i7 – the MacBook Air still posted higher-ranking results in both of the Geekbench tests .
The performance gulf is so cracking here that you ’ll likely observe a difference with real - humankind workloads , especially when it follow to vivid work load such as picture and video redaction . Neither laptop has a discrete GPU , but Apple has repeatedly demonstrated that its Apple Silicon central processor have enough graphics big businessman to remunerate for that .
So if a high carrying out is significant to you , the MacBook Air is the obvious selection .
Battery life
Both the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 and MacBook Air impressed us during the battery mental testing , but Apple still follow out as the winner at the terminal .
When looping 1080p video , the MacBook Air was capable to last for nearly 14 hours . In a exchangeable test , the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 last 12 hour and 43 minutes before postulate a recharge .
As a final result , both of these laptop computer should be capable to get you through the working daytime on a single charge . Results are standardized enough that I would n’t commend prefer for one over the other on stamp battery biography alone .
Verdict
If you fancy a 13 - column inch laptop computer , it ’s clear that the MacBook Air is the superior alternative . It has a faster performance , skillful design and matches the Surface Laptop in every other major area including battery sprightliness , screen specs and ports .
The 13 - inch Surface Laptop is confessedly trashy , but I ’d fence that theM1 - powered MacBook Airrepresents better time value at that price point . It ’s hard to see why anyone would pick Microsoft ’s laptop or else unless you favour Windows to macOS .
Of naturally , the gravid 15 - in Surface Laptop 5 is worth considering instead of the MacBook Air if you value a big screen more than a dissolute carrying into action . But you will need to pay more for the perquisite of special screen estate .
