Apple MacBook Air 13 (M5, 2026) vs Microsoft Surface Pro 13 12th Edition (2026)
Which Laptop Is Better?
Products
Tested using Methodology v0.9.1
Updated Sep 14, 2026 01:50 PM
SEE PRICE
Amazon
Tested using Methodology v0.9.1
Updated Sep 14, 2026 12:41 PM
SEE PRICE
Microsoft
Size
13.6"
Operating System
macOS
Size
13"
Operating System
Windows 11
Our Verdict
Apple MacBook Air 13 (M5, 2026)
Microsoft Surface Pro 13 12th Edition (2026)
The Microsoft Surface Pro 13 12th Edition (2026) and Apple MacBook Air 13 (M5, 2026) are premium ultraportables with very different designs. The Surface is more versatile thanks to its detachable form factor, touchscreen, and pen support, and all configurations have a smoother 120Hz display, with higher-end models also getting an OLED panel. It also offers a wider range of memory configurations. The MacBook Air provides a better traditional laptop experience, with a more stable, lap-friendly design, an excellent keyboard and touchpad, and a completely silent fanless design. The Surface runs Windows on ARM, which can cause compatibility issues with some apps and peripherals, while the MacBook runs macOS.
Variants
- MacBook Air 13 (MDHF4LL/A) (Midnight - M5 (10-core CPU, 10-core GPU)/16GB/1TB)
- MacBook Air 13 (MDHG4LL/A) (Midnight - M5 (10-core CPU, 10-core GPU)/24GB/1TB)
- Surface Pro 13 12th Edition (EP2-73276) (Black - LCD/Snapdragon X2 Plus/16GB/512GB)
- Surface Pro 13 12th Edition (EP2-65024) (Black - OLED/Snapdragon X Elite/16GB/1TB)
Main Differences for
General Productivity
General Productivity
Threshold
General Productivity
Full Comparison
Design
Style
Style Photo
Form Factor
Build Quality
Build Quality Photo
Hinge
Hinge Photo
Range
Stability
One Finger Lift
Portability
Dimensions Photo
Size
Thickness
Width
Depth
Volume
Weight
Charger Size
Charger Weight
Serviceability
Internals Photo
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
Screen-To-Body Ratio
Refresh Rate
Motion Blur
Refresh Rate
Variable Refresh Rate
Contrast
Contrast Photo
Native Contrast
Brightness
Maximum Brightness
Minimum Brightness
Reflections
Reflections Photo Off
Reflections Photo Max
Screen Finish
Total Reflections
Indirect Reflections
Calculated Direct Reflections
Black Uniformity
Black Uniformity Photo
Uniformity (Std. Dev.)
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
Flicker
Flicker Graph
Flicker-Free
Flicker Frequency
Flicker Active Below
Interface
Keyboard
Keyboard Photo
Typing Quality
Numpad
Backlighting
Key Switch Actuation Graph
Operating Force
Actuation Force
Pre-Travel
Total Travel
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
Capacity
Modules
Type
Speed
Storage
Advertised Capacity
Usable Capacity
Drive 1
Drive 1 Type
Drive 2
Drive 2 Type
Performance
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
Low Tier Graphics
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
mprep - Stress My GPU
High Tier Graphics
3DMark - Steel Nomad (DX12)
3DMark - Steel Nomad (Vulkan/Metal)
Basemark GPU (DX12)
Basemark GPU (Vulkan/Metal)
GFXBench - High Level Test (Vulkan/Metal)
Professional 3D (GPU Accelerated)
Blender - GPU (Avg)
Cinebench 2024 - GPU
CPU-Intensive Game Performance
Civilization VII - AI
Civilization VII - Graphics (Avg)
Civilization VII - Graphics (1% Low)
Total War: Warhammer III (Avg)
Baldur's Gate 3 (Avg)
Baldur's Gate 3 (1% Low)
Previous Methodology Score
Previous Methodology Score Converted
GPU-Intensive Game Performance
Cyberpunk 2077 (Avg)
Cyberpunk 2077 (Min)
Assassin's Creed Shadows (Avg)
Assassin's Creed Shadows (1% Low)
GTA V (Avg)
GTA V (1% Low)
Black Myth: Wukong (Avg)
Black Myth: Wukong (5% Low)
Resident Evil 4 (Avg)
Resident Evil 4 (1% Low)
Previous Methodology Score
Previous Methodology Score Converted
Ray Tracing Performance
Cyberpunk 2077 (Avg)
Cyberpunk 2077 (Min)
Assassin's Creed Shadows (Avg)
Assassin's Creed Shadows (1% Low)
Black Myth: Wukong (Avg)
Black Myth: Wukong (5% Low)
Storage Drive Performance
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
Performance Over Time
Performance Over Time Graph
CPU Temp (Cinebench)
CPU Perf. Loss (Cinebench)
GPU Temp (Heaven)
GPU Perf. Loss (Heaven)
Additional Features And Software
Apple MacBook Air 13 (M5, 2026)
Microsoft Surface Pro 13 12th Edition (2026)
Comments
Apple MacBook Air 13 (M5, 2026) vs Microsoft Surface Pro 13 12th Edition (2026): Main Discussion
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