Products
Tested using Methodology v0.8.3
Updated Oct 14, 2026 02:43 PM
SEE PRICE
Amazon
Tested using Methodology v1.0
Updated Oct 15, 2026 04:18 PM
SEE PRICE
Apple.com
Screen Size
15.3"
Form Factor
Operating System
macOS
Touch Screen
Refresh Rate
Hz
Tested RAM Capacity
GB
Screen Size
16"
Form Factor
Traditional (Clamshell)
Operating System
macOS
Touch Screen
No
Refresh Rate
120 Hz
Tested RAM Capacity
36 GB
Our Verdict
Apple MacBook Air 15 (M4, 2025)
Apple MacBook Pro 16 (M5, 2026)
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (M5, 2026) and the Apple MacBook Air 15 (M4, 2025) target different workloads. The Pro is better suited to prolonged demanding tasks, with active cooling, more powerful chip options, and a wider port selection. Its 120Hz display also offers deeper blacks than the Air's 60Hz IPS panel. The Air is a better fit for everyday productivity if you prioritize portability and silence, as its fanless design produces no fan noise. However, that design also limits its sustained performance during demanding work.
Variants
- MacBook Air 15 (MW1L3LL/A) (Midnight - M4 (10-core CPU/10-core GPU)/16GB/256GB)
- MacBook Air 15 (MW1M3LL/A) (Midnight - M4 (10-core CPU/10-core GPU)/16GB/512GB)
- MacBook Pro 16 (Z1MV00032) (Silver - Nano-Texture/M5 Max(18-Core CPU, 32-Core GPU)/36GB/2TB)
- MacBook Pro 16 (Z1MV00033) (Silver - Nano-Texture/M5 Max(18-Core CPU, 40-Core GPU)/48GB/2TB)
Main Differences for
School
School
Threshold
School
Full Comparison
Design
Style
Style Photo
Form Factor
Chassis Quality
Style Photo
Chassis Quality Photo
Hinge
Hinge Photo
Stability
Form Factor
Range
Stability
One Finger Lift
Portability
Dimensions Photo
Screen Size
Thickness
Width
Depth
Volume
Weight
Charger Size
Charger Weight
Serviceability
Internals Photo
Operating System
Ease Of Access
RAM Slots
Storage Slots
Replaceable Battery
Replaceable Wireless Adapter
In The Box
In The Box Photo
Display
Screen Specs
Display Photo
Resolution
Aspect Ratio
Pixel Density
Panel Type
Touch Screen
Touch Pen Support
Screen-To-Body Ratio
Refresh Rate
Motion Blur
Refresh Rate
Variable Refresh Rate
Contrast
Contrast Photo
Native Contrast
Brightness
Maximum Brightness
Minimum Brightness
Out-Of-The-Box Color Accuracy
White Balance Screencap
Gamma Curve Screencap
Color Screencap
Avg. White Balance dE
Avg. Gamma
Avg. Color dE
Avg. Color Temperature
Color Gamut
Gamut SDR
sRGB xy
sRGB uv
Adobe RGB xy
Adobe RGB uv
Gamut HDR
DCI-P3 xy
DCI-P3 uv
Rec. 2020 xy
Rec. 2020 uv
Reflections
Reflections Photo Off
Reflections Photo Max
Screen Finish
Total Reflections
Indirect Reflections
Calculated Direct Reflections
Flicker
Flicker Graph
Flicker-Free
Flicker Frequency
Flicker Active Below
Black Uniformity
Black Uniformity Photo
Uniformity (Std. Dev.)
Battery
Battery
Capacity
Battery Life (Web Browsing)
Battery Life (Video Playback)
Battery Life (Gaming)
Charge Time
Interface
Keyboard
Keyboard Photo
Typing Quality
Numpad
Backlighting
Key Switch Actuation Graph
Peak Tactile Force
Actuation Force
Pre-Travel
Total Travel
Fingerprint Sensor
Touchpad
Touchpad Photo
Tracking Quality
Size
Material
Dedicated Buttons
Speakers
Frequency Response Plot
Max Volume
Standard Error @ Normal Vol. (65 dB)
Slope @ Normal Vol. (65 dB)
Bass Extension (Low-Frequency Ext.)
Treble Extension (High-Frequency Ext.)
Dynamic Range Compression @ Max Vol.
Webcam & Microphone
Webcam Video Sample
Video Quality
Resolution
Position
Privacy Cover
Face Unlock
Connectivity
Ports
Ports Photo
USB-A Ports
USB-C Ports
Thunderbolt
USB-C Charging
USB-C Display Out
HDMI
DisplayPort
3.5mm Jack
Card Reader
Ethernet
Proprietary Port
Security Lock
Wireless Communication
Wi-Fi
Bluetooth
Configuration
CPU
Brand
Model
Core Count
Thread Count
GPU
Brand
Model
Dedicated/Integrated
VRAM Size
GPU Total Graphics Power (TGP)
RAM
Tested RAM Capacity
Modules
Type
Speed
Storage
Advertised Capacity
Usable Capacity
Drive 1
Drive 1 Type
Drive 2
Drive 2 Type
Performance
Geekbench 5 (Synthetics)
Geekbench Image
CPU Single-Thread
CPU Multi-Thread
GPU Compute
CPU/RAM Performance
Cinebench 2024 - Single Core
Cinebench 2024 - Multi Core
Geekbench 6 - Single Core
Geekbench 6 - Multi Core
Blender - CPU (Avg)
PassMark PT - CPU Mark
PassMark PT - Memory Mark
PassMark PT - Memory Mark (Android)
Mozilla Kraken
Cinebench R23 (CPU Rendering)
Cinebench R23 Photo
Single-Thread
Multi-Thread
GPU Performance
Geekbench 6 - GPU Compute
Basemark Web 3.0
PassMark PT - 2D Mark
PassMark PT - 2D Mark (Android)
PassMark PT - 3D Mark
PassMark PT - 3D Mark (Android)
Novabench 5 - GPU
3DMark - Steel Nomad (DX12)
3DMark - Steel Nomad (Vulkan/Metal)
Basemark GPU (DX12)
Basemark GPU (Vulkan/Metal)
Blender - GPU (Avg)
Cinebench 2024 - GPU
Blender (3D Rendering)
Blender Image
CPU Render Time
GPU Render Time
GPU Render Time (Optix)
CPU-Intensive Game Performance
Civilization VII - AI
Civilization VII - Graphics (Avg)
Civilization VII - Graphics (1% Low)
Total War: Warhammer III (Avg)
Basemark GPU (Game Scene)
Basemark Image
Overall Score
GPU-Intensive Game Performance
Cyberpunk 2077 (Avg) (No Ray Tracing)
Cyberpunk 2077 (Min) (No Ray Tracing)
Cyberpunk 2077 (Avg) (With Ray Tracing)
Cyberpunk 2077 (Min) (With Ray Tracing)
Assassin's Creed Shadows (Avg) (Low Ray Tracing)
Assassin's Creed Shadows (1% Low) (Low Ray Tracing)
Assassin's Creed Shadows (Avg) (With Ray Tracing)
Assassin's Creed Shadows (1% Low) (With Ray Tracing)
GTA V (Avg)
GTA V (1% Low)
Resident Evil 4 (Avg)
Resident Evil 4 (1% Low)
Storage Drive Performance
Storage Performance Image
Sequential Write Speed
Sequential Read Speed
Random Write Speed
Random Read Speed
Battery
Capacity
Battery Life (Web Browsing)
Battery Life (Video Playback)
Battery Life (Gaming)
Charge Time
Thermals And Noise
Keyboard Temps Picture
Keyboard Temp While Idle
Keyboard Temp Under Load
Fan Noise While Idle
Fan Noise Under Load
Power & Fan Control App
Borderlands 3
Borderlands 3 Graph
Avg. FPS
1% Low
0.1% Low
1% Low Delta
0.1% Low Delta
Avg. FPS On Very Low
Civilization VI
Civilization VI Graph
Avg. FPS
1% Low
0.1% Low
1% Low Delta
0.1% Low Delta
Avg. FPS On Minimum
Avg. Turn Time
Performance Stability
Performance Stability Graph
CPU Temp (Cinebench)
CPU Perf. Loss (Cinebench)
GPU Temp (Heaven)
GPU Perf. Loss (Heaven)
Counter-Strike 2
CS2 Graph
Avg. FPS
1% Low
0.1% Low
1% Low Delta
0.1% Low Delta
Avg. FPS On Low
Shadow Of The Tomb Raider
SOTTR Graph
Avg. FPS
1% Low
0.1% Low
1% Low Delta
0.1% Low Delta
Avg. FPS On Lowest
Additional Features And Software
Apple MacBook Air 15 (M4, 2025)
Apple MacBook Pro 16 (M5, 2026)
Comments
Apple MacBook Air 15 (M4, 2025) vs Apple MacBook Pro 16 (M5, 2026): Main Discussion
What do you think of these products? Let us know below.
Looking for a personalized buying advice from the RTINGS.com experts? Members have direct access to buying advice on our member forum.