If you want a large display but you do n’t require to carry around a threatening laptop , then the fragile - and - light15 - column inch laptopcategory is for you . These machines tend to be fast enough for demanding productiveness user , but they do n’t have the discrete GPUs that make many larger laptop computer good for gambling and originative applications .

TheMicrosoft Surface Laptop 7has ruled the roost as the good object lesson since it was introduced in 2024 . TheApple MacBook Air 15received an upgrade to the M4 chipset in other 2025 , and it ’s a unattackable contender . Which one is better for you ?

Specs and configurations

The MacBook Air 15 starts at $ 1,199 for a 10 - nitty-gritty CPU/10 - center GPU M4 ( the only pick ) , 16 GB of RAM , and a 256 GB SSD . The 15.3 - inch informatics display is also the only option . For $ 200 you may upgrade to 24 GB of RAM and for $ 400 you may get 32 GB . repositing pick include 512 GB for $ 200 , 1 TB for $ 400 , and 2 TB for $ 800 . That makes the most expensive configuration with 32 GB of RAM and a 1 TB SSD cost $ 2,399 .

The Surface Laptop 7 list cost starts at $ 1,299 for a 12 - nitty-gritty Snapdragon X elect chipset , 16 GB of RAM , a 256 GB SSD , and a 15.0 - inch informatics display ( again , the only option along with the chipset ) . Upgrading to a 512 GB SSD is $ 200 and to a 1 TB SSD is $ 400 . The most expensive configuration is $ 2,499 with 64 GB of RAM and a 1 TB SSD .

That makes the MacBook Air 15 slenderly less expensive for most adequate conformation . However , while Apple rarely invest its current devices on sale and so you ’ll have to find a third - party trafficker to get a discount , Microsoft does put sale prices on its Surface gadget . mighty now , the Surface Laptop 7 is on sale at prices that are slightly lower than the MacBook Air 15 .

Design

It ’s easygoing enough to debate that Apple and Microsoft make the most well - designed and solidly construct laptop today . That ’s not really to knock the like of HP , Dell , Lenovo , and others who also make adept laptop . It ’s just that Apple and Microsoft have a dissimilar kind of focus — Apple with its penchant for meticulousness and Microsoft wanting to make flagship products to show off specific Windows feature . It ’s no surprise that both companies make comparatively expensive laptop .

The MacBook Air 15 and Surface Laptop 7 are two examples . Both receive high scores in our reexamination , and both reviewer — myself with the MacBook Air 15 — deal them among the best laptop computer you may buy today . Both are made extremely well , with character materials and stringent tolerances . They just look and experience like high - quality product . Both are also attractive , with shiny color options and logical , refined designs that are now recognisable . I ’d say they ’re every bit good look .

The MacBook Air 15 is a great deal thin and promiscuous , though . The Surface Laptop 7 feel hefty by comparing , and it really is . In fact , the MacBook Air 15 palpate a lot more like a slight - and - light laptop computer than the Surface Laptop 7 , which arguably falls just out of doors of that category . Both have similar display bezels , but the MacBook Air 15 ’s showing is slightly larger so it ’s full . The Surface Laptop 7 has a tall 3:2 aspect ratio , so it ’s deeper . have got them in hand , and the MacBook Air 14 just feel like the smaller laptop computer .

Both laptop have very good keyboard , but I would value Apple ’s Magic Keyboard as superior . First , its keycaps are larger and its spacing is more comfortable . Second , the switches are idle and snappish . If I have to typecast something very long , I ’d prefer the MacBook Air 15 — or , really , any MacBook , because the keyboard are indistinguishable on all of them .

Both laptops also have very good haptic touchpads . The MacBook Air 15 ’s is substantially large but they ’re both very responsive , and the Surface Laptop 7 ’s version has a circle of customization pick . Apple ’s Force Touch tactual touchpad also has the Force Click feature where beseech a little “ harder ” invokes extra functionality . I use that feature quite a mo , so I prefer the MacBook Air 15 ’s . Note that the Surface Laptop 7 display is touch- and pen - enabled , which will be a huge advantage for some people and irrelevant for others .

Connectivity slightly favors the Surface Laptop 7 , thanks to a USB - A port to go with two fast USB4 ports . The MacBook Air 15 has only two USB - C interface with Thunderbolt 4 . Both have proprietary charger that keep the ports uncommitted while plug in . The Surface also has more up - to - escort wireless connectivity .

Finally , the MacBook Air 15 has a higher - solvent 12MP webcam with backing for Apple ’s Center Stage and Desk View features . The first automatically centers the exploiter in the concealment as they move around , and the latter allows sharing one ’s desktop with player and showing a picture - in - picture video along with it . Both feature work great . The Surface Laptop 7 digest Microsoft ’s various Copilot+ PC AI characteristic , which tally some Studio Effects videoconferencing function . Both laptops have riotous AI Saratoga chip , with the MacBook Air 15 ’s Neural Engine ( NE ) hail in at 38 tera operations per 2d ( TOPS ) and the Surface Laptop 7 ’s Neural Processing Unit ( NPU ) hit 40 top . It remains to be seen how important these features turn out to be .

Performance

The Surface Laptop 7 uses the 12 - meat Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite X1E-80 - 100 chipset , which is shoot for at combing carrying into action with better efficiency than former generation Windows laptops . Graphics are powered by the Adreno unified GPU . The MacBook Air 15 has Apple ’s late M4 chipset , with 10 CPU heart and soul and 10 GPU cores . It , too , train to fuse top executive with efficiency .

In our bench mark , the M4 come out in the lead . It ’s around 60 % quicker in single - nucleus labor , which will weigh more for simple productiveness . It ’s also faster in multi - core tasks , although only slimly . Overall , the MacBook Air 15 will be snappier and more responsive , and thanks to central processor optimizations for thing like video encryption , it will be better at running originative applications programme like video redaction .

Neither of these are gaming laptops , but the MacBook Air 15 is well faster in sheer graphic mightiness . However , macOS remains a limited play political program , so your gaming experience will do down to whether your favorite title of respect break away natively on macOS .

Display and audio

Both laptops have IPS display that look slap-up . The MacBook Air 15 has a 15.3 - inch 16:10 board at 2880 x 1864 and running at 60Hz . The Surface Laptop 7 has a 15.0 - inch 3:2 dialog box at 2496 x 1664 run at 120Hz . Both are sharp , and the Microsoft exhibit will scat more smoothly .

fit in to our colorimeter , the presentation have similar colour width and accuracy . The Surface Laptop 7 ’s display is brighter and has higher contrast . You ’ll like using either one of these display , but the Surface Laptop 7 ’s is slenderly better . They ’re both above norm for IPS presentation .

The Surface Laptop 7 has stereo speakers hidden underneath the keyboard , and the sound is all right for YouTube television and common system sound . The MacBook Air 15 has quad speakers with force - invalidate woofer . It ’s a lot better , specially in term of overall volume and the amount of sea bass . you could enjoy a mountain more on the MacBook Air 15 without plugging in earphone .

Portability

The MacBook Air 15 is noticeably more portable , being well light and thinner . But the Surface Laptop 7 is n’t too much to carry around .

In terms of battery life sentence , we saw the same form of public presentation from the Surface Laptop 7 as we ’ve seen with other Qualcomm - equip laptops . Its shelling life is much better with less - demanding tasks like loop our trial picture than it is with more demanding tasks like vane browse . The MacBook Air 15 consequence are likely lower than they might have been — I had to use a dissimilar tool for benchmarking and it might have burned more power . And when I start the Cinebench R24 bench mark on the MacBook Air 15 to test barrage fire life under duress , it lasted for an fantabulous 4.5 hours . Qualcomm laptop do n’t typically crack two hours , although we did n’t run that examination on the Surface Laptop specifically .

The net consequence is that the MacBook Air 15 is run to last you a mickle longer , especially when you ’re doing real employment . The Surface Laptop 7 is good than many erstwhile Windows machines , but not nearly as strong .

The MacBook Air 15 is just … better

These are two of the best laptop computer you may grease one’s palms today on any platform . Most likely , the Surface Laptop 7 is ripe at the top among its Windows competitors . But , the MacBook Air 15 is just a little well in almost everything , and a fortune better in performance and battery life .

You ’ll spend around the same money for adequate configurations of each laptop , which is to say , you ’ll be paying a premium damage . My recommendation is that unless you just have to have Windows , go for the MacBook Air 15 . It ’s just a better laptop computer .