MacBook Air vs iPad Air

Chip and memory

Apple lists an Apple M5 chip in the MacBook Air, with a 10-core CPU, a 16-core Neural Engine, and 153GB/s memory bandwidth. One configuration has an 8-core GPU. Others have a 10-core GPU. Apple lists 16GB of unified memory on the lower configurations, configurable to 24GB or 32GB. One configuration on each size starts at 24GB, configurable to 32GB. Storage on the entry configurations is a 512GB SSD, configurable to 1TB, 2TB, or 4TB. Some configurations start at 1TB.

Apple lists an Apple M4 chip in the iPad Air: an 8-core CPU with 3 performance cores and 5 efficiency cores, a 9-core GPU, a 16-core Neural Engine, 120GB/s memory bandwidth, and 12GB of unified memory. Capacity is 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB on both the 11-inch and 13-inch models.

Display

Apple lists a 13.6-inch (diagonal) MacBook Air display at 2560-by-1664 and 224 pixels per inch, at 500 nits. The 15-inch model is a 15.3-inch (diagonal) display at 2880-by-1864 and 224 pixels per inch, also at 500 nits. Apple says the screens measured as rectangles are 13.6 inches and 15.3 inches.

Apple lists an 11-inch iPad Air display at 2360-by-1640 and 264 pixels per inch, at 500 nits. Measured as a rectangle, that screen is 10.86 inches. The 13-inch model is 2732-by-2048 at 264 pixels per inch and 600 nits. Measured as a rectangle, that screen is 12.9 inches. Both support Apple Pencil Pro, Apple Pencil (USB-C), and Apple Pencil hover.

Battery

Apple rates both MacBook Air sizes for up to 18 hours of video streaming and up to 15 hours of wireless web. The 13-inch battery is 53.8 watt-hours. The 15-inch battery is 66.5 watt-hours. Apple rates every iPad Air model for up to 10 hours of surfing the web on Wi-Fi or watching video, and Wi-Fi + Cellular models for up to 9 hours on a cellular data network. The 11-inch battery is 28.93 watt-hours. The 13-inch battery is 36.59 watt-hours. Those tests are not the same, so the hour figures are not one ranking.

Weight, typing, and a second screen

The 13-inch MacBook Air weighs 2.7 pounds (1.23 kg) and is 0.44 inch (1.13 cm) high. The 15-inch model weighs 3.3 pounds (1.51 kg) and is 0.45 inch (1.15 cm) high. The 11-inch Wi-Fi iPad Air weighs 1.02 pounds (464 grams). The 11-inch Wi-Fi + Cellular model weighs 1.03 pounds (465 grams). The 13-inch Wi-Fi model weighs 1.36 pounds (616 grams), and the 13-inch Wi-Fi + Cellular model weighs 1.36 pounds (617 grams). Depth on both iPad Air sizes is 0.24 inch (6.1 mm).

Apple says the MacBook Air supports up to two external displays. Apple says the iPad Air supports one external display with up to 6K resolution at 60Hz.

Price

Apple lists MacBook Air from $1,299 to $3,719. The 13-inch starts at $1,299. The 15-inch starts at $1,499. Apple lists iPad Air from $749. Apple Pencil Pro is $129. Apple Pencil (USB-C) is $79. Magic Keyboard for iPad Air 11-inch (M4) is from $269. Magic Keyboard for iPad Air 13-inch (M4) is from $319. Check the current price. The keyboard and pencil are not included with the tablet.

Who should buy which

Buy the MacBook Air if the second device should be a laptop: long typing, macOS multitasking, and a keyboard that is already attached. Buy the iPad Air if the second device should be a tablet for handwritten notes, Apple Pencil, reading, and light creative work, and the Windows laptop still covers desktop software. Add the pencil and keyboard prices before you compare the totals.