Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M5) vs Apple MacBook Air 13" M3 (2024)

Both are 13-inch MacBook Airs with the same 18-hour battery claim, the same 2.7 lb aluminum body and the same 512GB SSD, so the real split is chip and memory. The M5 Air has a 10-core CPU, 16GB of memory and a 12MP Center Stage camera; the M3 Air has an 8-core CPU, 8GB of memory and a 1080p camera. Reviewers call the M5 more chip than the laptop needs and note the design is unchanged, and owners on both sides praise speed, build and quiet running. Buy the M5 for heavy multitasking, AI work and keeping the machine for years; buy the M3 if your workload is browsing, writing and streaming and you want the lighter spend.

• Choose the MacBook Air M5 if you keep many apps and browser tabs open, run local AI or photo and video work, or want 16GB of memory so the laptop stays useful for years.
• Choose the MacBook Air M3 if your day is email, documents, video calls and streaming, and 8GB of memory covers what you actually run.