Comparison · Laptops · Desk research
MacBook Air 13-inch (M5) vs MacBook Air 13-inch (M3)
Quick Answer
MacBook Air 13-inch (M5, 2026) and MacBook Air 13-inch (M3, 2024) share the same 13.6-inch 2560×1664 Liquid Retina panel (500 nits) and Apple’s 18-hour video / 15-hour wireless-web battery claims. The hop is chip, memory floor, storage floor, radios, and camera. M5: 10-core CPU (4 super + 6 efficiency), 153 GB/s, 16 GB unified (24/32 configurable), 512 GB base SSD, 53.8 Wh, Wi-Fi 7 + N1, Bluetooth 6, 12MP Center Stage, 2.7 lb / 1.23 kg. M3: 8-core CPU (4.
The verdict
MacBook Air 13-inch (M5) or MacBook Air 13-inch (M3) — quote the two manufacturer sheets.
Why: Two-gen 13-inch Air hop. Both Support pages list a 13.6-inch Liquid Retina 2560×1664 panel at 224 ppi and 500 nits, MagSafe 3, and up to 18 hours video / 15 hours wireless web. M5 (2026) is a 10-core CPU (4 super + 6 efficiency), 8- or 10-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine, 153 GB/s, 16 GB unified floor (24/32 configurable), 512 GB base SSD, 53.8 Wh, Wi-Fi 7 + N1, Bluetooth 6, and a 12MP Center Stage camera. M3 (2024) is an 8-core CPU (4+4), 8- or 10-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine, 100 GB/s, 8 GB or 16 GB unified depending on config, 256 GB base SSD, 52.6 Wh, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3, and 1080p FaceTime HD. No independent benches on this page.
Buy MacBook Air 13-inch (M5) if
You want the current 13-inch Air: 16 GB unified starting point, 512 GB base SSD, M5 10-core CPU, Wi-Fi 7 with the N1 chip, Bluetooth 6, and 12MP Center Stage.
Buy MacBook Air 13-inch (M3) if
You already own a 13-inch M3 Air — or a leftover M3 at a dated street price — and you do not need the M5 RAM/SSD floors, N1/Wi-Fi 7, or Center Stage camera.
Spec comparison
OEM rows only. Caption lock: 13-inch vs 13-inch. M5 numbers are from Apple Support — MacBook Air (13-inch, M5) (year introduced 2026). M3 numbers are from Apple Support — MacBook Air (13-inch, M3, 2024). Cells Apple does not publish stay marked.
| Spec | 13-inch MacBook Air (M5) | 13-inch MacBook Air (M3) |
|---|---|---|
| Year introduced | 2026 | 2024 |
| Chip | Apple M5 | Apple M3 |
| CPU | 10-core (4 super + 6 efficiency) | 8-core (4 performance + 4 efficiency) |
| GPU | 8-core or 10-core (10-core configurable) | 8-core or 10-core (10-core configurable) |
| Neural Engine | 16-core | 16-core |
| Memory bandwidth | 153 GB/s | 100 GB/s |
| Other silicon notes | Neural Accelerators; hardware-accelerated ray tracing; AV1 decode | Hardware-accelerated ray tracing; AV1 decode |
| Unified memory (floors) | 16 GB; configurable 24 GB or 32 GB | 8 GB (configurable 16/24 GB) and 16 GB (configurable 24 GB) — both listed |
| Base SSD | 512 GB (configurable 1 TB / 2 TB / 4 TB) | 256 GB (configurable 512 GB / 1 TB / 2 TB) |
| Display | 13.6-inch Liquid Retina; 2560×1664; 224 ppi; 500 nits | 13.6-inch Liquid Retina; 2560×1664; 224 ppi; 500 nits |
| Battery — video | Up to 18 hours video streaming | Up to 18 hours Apple TV app movie playback |
| Battery — wireless web | Up to 15 hours | Up to 15 hours |
| Battery capacity | 53.8 Wh | 52.6 Wh |
| Wireless | Apple N1; Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be); Bluetooth 6; Thread | Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax); Bluetooth 5.3 |
| Camera | 12MP Center Stage with Desk View | 1080p FaceTime HD |
| Ports | MagSafe 3; 3.5 mm; two Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C) | MagSafe 3; 3.5 mm; two Thunderbolt / USB 4 |
| External displays | Up to two external (6K/60 or 4K/144; or one 8K/60) while keeping the built-in display | One external up to 6K/60; second external up to 5K/60 with lid closed |
| Size | 1.13 × 30.41 × 21.5 cm (0.44 × 11.97 × 8.46 in) | Same numbered size row |
| Weight | 2.7 lb / 1.23 kg | 2.7 lb / 1.24 kg |
| Included adapter (Support) | 40W Dynamic Power Adapter with 60W Max | 30W USB-C (8-core GPU) or 35W Dual USB-C Compact (10-core GPU and 512 GB) |
| Independent benches | Not published here | Not published here |
Who each Air is for
13-inch Air M5 is the current 13-inch Air. The Support-sheet reasons to jump are the 10-core CPU, 153 GB/s, 16 GB / 512 GB floors, N1 / Wi-Fi 7 / Bluetooth 6, Thunderbolt 4 with two-display support, and 12MP Center Stage.
13-inch Air M3 is the 2024 13-inch Air. Keep it when the 8-core M3, 256 GB base (or whatever SSD you configured), Wi-Fi 6E, and 1080p FaceTime HD still match the work. Leftover M3 units may still be 8 GB — read the config, do not assume the later 16 GB floor.
What’s shared (do not invent a panel war)
Same 13.6-inch 2560×1664 500-nit Liquid Retina class, MagSafe 3, 18-hour / 15-hour Apple battery claims, four-speaker Spatial Audio language, Touch ID Magic Keyboard, and essentially the same chassis size. The decision is silicon, floors, radios, camera, and display-output count.
Chip, RAM, and SSD floors
Copy Apple’s core names. M5 uses “super cores”; M3 uses “performance cores.” Memory bandwidth is 153 GB/s vs 100 GB/s on the Support pages. Table both M3 unified-memory floors. Base SSD is 512 GB (M5) vs 256 GB (M3). Configurable ceilings differ (M5 lists 4 TB; M3 lists 2 TB). No Cinebench row belongs here.
Radios, camera, and ports
M5: N1, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, Thread, 12MP Center Stage, two Thunderbolt 4. M3: Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3, 1080p FaceTime HD, two Thunderbolt / USB 4. External-display support is the other honest fork (two displays on M5 vs lid-closed second display on M3).
Battery
Both claim up to 18 hours video-class playback and 15 hours wireless web. Capacities are 53.8 Wh (M5) and 52.6 Wh (M3). Use Apple’s test footnotes (January 2026 vs January 2024) if you quote methodology. Do not invent a “real world” hour.
Price
These Support pages do not print a US start price in the excerpts cited. Date any apple.com or leftover-stock ticket. Heavily configured M3 vs base M5 is a checkout question, not a bench.
Frequently asked questions
Is this the 15-inch Air?
No. Both sides are locked at 13-inch. Apple Support 126320 is MacBook Air (13-inch, M5). Apple Support 118551 is MacBook Air (13-inch, M3, 2024). The 15-inch Air is a different slug.
Does every 13-inch M3 Air have 16 GB of unified memory?
No. Support 118551 lists both 8 GB unified memory (configurable to 16 GB or 24 GB) and 16 GB unified memory (configurable to 24 GB). Table both floors. M5 Support 126320 lists 16 GB unified, configurable to 24 GB or 32 GB.
Did the display change?
Not on the numbered rows that matter for this pair. Both 13-inch Support pages list a 13.6-inch Liquid Retina display, 2560-by-1664 at 224 ppi, and 500 nits. Do not invent a brightness or resolution gap.
Wi-Fi 7 on which Air?
13-inch M5 Support lists the Apple N1 wireless networking chip with Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be), Bluetooth 6, and Thread. 13-inch M3 Support lists Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax) and Bluetooth 5.3. Wi-Fi 7 availability is country/region gated in Apple’s footnote.
Is the M5 camera 12MP Center Stage?
Yes on Support 126320 (12MP Center Stage with Desk View). M3 Support 118551 lists a 1080p FaceTime HD camera — not 12MP Center Stage. Do not copy the M5 camera sentence onto M3.