Apple MacBook Air 13-inch M5 vs Apple MacBook Air 13.3-inch M1 (2020)

Buy the M5 Air if you want the longest useful life: it is faster, lighter, has a brighter 13.6-inch screen, Wi-Fi 7, MagSafe charging and a 12MP Center Stage camera. The M1 Air is the cheaper way into a Mac laptop and still handles writing, browsing and video calls well, but its 2020 design, thicker bezels and older wireless are the trade-offs. Owners of both praise the fanless quiet and battery life; reviewers say the M5 closes the gap to the MacBook Pro for everyday work.

• Choose the 13-inch MacBook Air M5 if you want a laptop that will stay fast for years, run Apple Intelligence features natively and handle photo or video editing without fan noise.
• Choose the MacBook Air M1 if your work is email, documents, streaming and light photo editing, and you would rather put the difference toward accessories or a larger external drive.