Microsoft recently announced upgrades to some of its most iconic laptop series, including the latest Surface Laptop 5.
But when a new laptop comes out, we have to ask how it compares to the other options on the market, like the Apple MacBook Air M2. Read on to find out the key differences between the two devices.
Intel processor vs Apple M2 chip
The latest Surface Laptop 5 features 12th-generation Intel processors, with the option between an i5 and i7 U-Series CPU. Since we haven’t tested this laptop yet we can’t make any definitive comments on its performance, although we expect that it will work fluidly during productivity tasks and have a high performance.
The Surface Laptop 5 comes with Intel Iris Xe Graphics, which should work well for media content and low-level editing, although it likely won’t be powerful enough for gamers or creative professionals.
Apple, meanwhile, has been moving away from third-party chips over the last few years and has started using Apple Silicon in its devices. The M2 chip – which is housed inside the MacBook Air – is a follow-up to the M1 chip and features an 8-core CPU and an 8-core GPU, alongside a 16-core Neural Engine. It also comes in a 10-core GPU variation.
Our review claims that this laptop is one of the most capable devices available for its size due to the performance of the M2 chipset, which can easily run software like Adobe’s Premiere Pro or Apple’s Final Cut Pro for 4K editing.
The Surface Laptop 5 comes with USB-A ports
Both of these laptops feature a fairly limited port selection. The MacBook Air comes with a MagSafe 3 charging port, alongside a 3.5mm headphone jack and two USB-C Thunderbolt 4 ports.
The Surface Laptop 5 comes with a similar selection; one USB-C port with Thunderbolt 4 support, a 3.5mm headphone jack, one Surface Connect port and one USB-A 3.1 port.
While this may seem like a small difference, anyone who owns older peripherals (such as a wired mouse or keyboard) will benefit from the USB-A port. A lot of recent laptops are phasing out the use of USB-A ports and bringing in USB-C since it boasts better connectivity and more bandwidth. However, it means that connecting older peripherals or USB sticks can be more cumbersome.
Microsoft apparently has better battery life
Microsoft claims that the 13.5-inch variation of the Surface Laptop 5 can last up to 18 hours during typical use, while the 15-inch model can last up to 17 hours during typical use.
Apple claims the MacBook Air M2 can last up to 15 hours when browsing the web. This indicates that the Microsoft Surface Laptops have the edge when it comes to stamina.
However, we’ve found that laptop companies like to exaggerate battery life, so we’re remaining skeptical about Microsoft’s claims until we can test the laptops ourselves.