# Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M5, 2026) vs Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 13.8-inch (2024): specs and price compared

A sourced, side-by-side comparison of the Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M5, 2026) (Apple) and Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 13.8-inch (2024) (Microsoft) among laptops. Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 13.8-inch (2024) is the cheaper of the two at $999.

## Side by side

| Spec | Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M5, 2026) | Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 13.8-inch (2024) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| US price | $1099 | $999 |
| Brand | Apple | Microsoft |
| Released | 2026-03 | 2024-06 |
| Display (in) | 13.6 | 13.8 |
| Resolution | 2560x1664 | 2304x1536 |
| CPU | Apple M5 (10-core, 4 super + 6 efficiency) | Qualcomm Snapdragon X Plus (10-core, X1P-64-100) or X Elite (12-core, X1E-80-100) |
| GPU | Apple M5 integrated (8-core or 10-core) | Qualcomm Adreno (integrated) |
| RAM (GB) | 16 | 16 |
| Storage (GB) | 512 | 256 |
| Weight (kg) | 1.23 | 1.34 |
| Battery (Wh) | 53.8 | 54 |
| OS | macOS 26 | Windows 11 Home |
| Ports | MagSafe 3, 2x Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C), 3.5mm headphone jack | 2x USB-C (USB 3.2 / DisplayPort), 1x USB-A 3.2, 3.5mm headphone jack, Surface Connect, microSDXC (15-inch only) |

## Key differences

- Display (in): Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M5, 2026) 13.6 vs Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 13.8-inch (2024) 13.8
- Resolution: Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M5, 2026) 2560x1664 vs Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 13.8-inch (2024) 2304x1536
- CPU: Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M5, 2026) Apple M5 (10-core, 4 super + 6 efficiency) vs Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 13.8-inch (2024) Qualcomm Snapdragon X Plus (10-core, X1P-64-100) or X Elite (12-core, X1E-80-100)
- GPU: Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M5, 2026) Apple M5 integrated (8-core or 10-core) vs Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 13.8-inch (2024) Qualcomm Adreno (integrated)
- Storage (GB): Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M5, 2026) 512 vs Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 13.8-inch (2024) 256
- Weight (kg): Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M5, 2026) 1.23 vs Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 13.8-inch (2024) 1.34
- Battery (Wh): Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M5, 2026) 53.8 vs Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 13.8-inch (2024) 54
- OS: Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M5, 2026) macOS 26 vs Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 13.8-inch (2024) Windows 11 Home

## What reviewers say

**Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M5, 2026)** — Three whitelisted testers lab-reviewed the 13-inch MacBook Air (M5) (Tom's Hardware, TechRadar, Tom's Guide); all rate it the best mainstream ultraportable, praising fast M5 performance, roughly 15.5-hour battery life, and the doubled 512GB base storage with a much faster SSD. Shared gripes: a $100 price hike (no longer $999), an incremental update over the M4, and — noted by Tom's Hardware — the fanless chassis throttling under sustained load. (3 sourced reviews.)

**Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 13.8-inch (2024)** — Three whitelisted testers (Notebookcheck, Tom's Guide, PCWorld) hands-on-benchmarked this exact 13.8-inch Snapdragon X Elite model and broadly recommend it as Windows' first credible MacBook Air rival: fast Arm CPU, spectacular battery, premium build. All three flag weak gaming and x86-app-compatibility gaps under emulation; reviewers split on keyboard feel. (3 sourced reviews.)

## Sources

- Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M5, 2026): https://www.apple.com/macbook-air/specs/ (apple.com, verified 2026-06-15)
- Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 13.8-inch (2024): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surface_Laptop_7 (en.wikipedia.org, verified 2026-06-15)

Canonical: https://frontdeskreview.com/gear/laptops/apple-macbook-air-13-m5-vs-microsoft-surface-laptop-7-13/
Cite: Per The Front Desk Review, Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M5, 2026) ($1099) vs Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 13.8-inch (2024) ($999) — sourced spec-by-spec comparison at https://frontdeskreview.com/gear/laptops/apple-macbook-air-13-m5-vs-microsoft-surface-laptop-7-13/
License: CC BY 4.0.