Microsoft has been releasing some neat products lately, however, it still makes some stupid decisions in some departments. A prime example would be how it included a USB Type-A port on the Surface Laptop 5 in 2022. Nevertheless, it still has many strong points that we’ll highlight below. But how does it compare to the other top laptop on the market today: the MacBook Air M2? This is Surface Laptop 5 vs. MacBook Air M2 — the battle between two 13-inch laptops of 2022. Browse this article:

Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 vs Apple MacBook Air M2 Specs

Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 Apple MacBook Air M2 processor

12th Gen Intel Corei5-1245U 12th Gen Intel Corei7-1265U

Graphics

Apple M2 (8-core GPU) Apple M2 (10-core GPU)

Body

12.1 x 8.8 x 0.57 inches 2.8 kg

11.97 x 8.46 x 0.44 inches 2.7 kg

Display

13.5-inch PixelSense display (2256 x 1504), touch support, Dolby Vision IQ support

13.6-inch Liquid Retina display (2560 x 1664), maximum brightness up to 500 nits, True Tone technology

ports

Thunderbolt 4 port USB Type-A port Headphone jack Surface Connect port

Two Thunderbolt 4 ports MagSafe 3 port Headphone jack

Storage memory battery

Up to 18 hours of typical use Charger 60W

Battery 52.6 Whr Up to 18 hours of video playback Charger 30W

Sound

Dual long-range studio microphones Omnisonic speakers with Dolby Atmos

Four-speaker sound system with large stereo sound and surround sound support when playing Dolby Atmos content

camera

Windows Hello Face Authentication 720 HD camera

Connectivity Color

Platinum Wise Black mat Sandstone

Silver Starlight Space Grey Midnight

Price

Design: Surface Laptop 5 is more colorful

When we buy a new device, its physical appearance is one of the first things that will catch our attention. This part is indeed mostly subjective, but there are some observations we can make regardless. From a distance, both laptops look modern and have futuristic designs fit for 2022. Likewise, both offer customers four different finishes to choose from. Personally, I find the colors of the Surface Laptop 5 more vibrant than those of the MacBook Air M2, but they are quite similar. As expected, the MacBook Air M2 is slightly thinner and lighter than the Surface Laptop 5, but the difference is minimal. Under their hoods, we see a notched display with rounded corners and a thick bezel display with sharp corners, respectively. Again, this depends on your taste, but I prefer the notch design and rounded screen edges with the MacBook Air. The similarities end when it comes to their ports, although they do have some in common. Starting with the Surface Laptop 5, you get Thunderbolt 4 ports, USB Type-A, a headphone jack, and Surface Connect. If you still have USB Type-A accessories, you might appreciate the presence of this prehistoric technology in a laptop of 2022. Otherwise, it will collect dust as many devices have moved to USB Type-C. Meanwhile, the MacBook Air provides two Thunderbolt 4 ports, three MagSafe 3 ports, and a headphone jack. You can charge your laptop via the included MagSafe cable or use USB Type-C on one of the other two ports. While creators may need to depend on dongles to make full use of these laptops, both offer a decent variety of port types.

Display: The MacBook Air is cleaner, but untouched

Now let’s move on to the second thing you’ll likely look at when buying a laptop: the screen. People spend most of their time looking at their screens — the screen is the focus and reflection of one’s work or studies. The good news is that both laptops have great displays, although there are key differences between the two. As we mentioned earlier, the Surface Laptop 5 has thicker bezels with squared off corners. Meanwhile, the MacBook Air M2 has a rounded screen with a notch in its top center. Having used the MacBook Air M2 for months now, I can assure you that the notch is not at all annoying. The slimmer bezels you get as a result are worth it. However, this Apple laptop doesn’t support touch input, so if you’re a digital illustrator, for example, you might find it lacking. Meanwhile, the Surface Laptop 5 has a touchscreen with Surface Pen support. This means you can use it as a laptop, tablet or a combination of both. If you already have a tablet or simply don’t need touch input on a large screen, the MacBook Air M2 is a solid choice with a higher pixel resolution. After all, both screens are about 13.5 inches wide and should perform as you’d expect.

Performance: Apple’s M2 chip is more efficient

In terms of performance, both laptops are great — but not top-tier. Starting with the included SSD storage, both start at 256GB, with the Surface Laptop 5 maxing out at 1TB. Meanwhile, the MacBook Air M2 supports up to a 2TB SSD. Likewise, both devices start at 8GB of RAM, with the Surface Laptop 5 maxing out at 32GB and the MacBook Air M2 at 24GB. If you need plenty of local storage, then the MacBook Air M2 offers a higher maximum capacity. If RAM is what you’re looking for, you can optionally get more memory on the Surface Laptop 5. If you’re concerned about RAM or performance, you should know that macOS Ventura isn’t as demanding as Windows 11. So while Microsoft’s laptop supports more RAM, it won’t necessarily handle tasks as smoothly as a MacBook . That’s not even mentioning how the Apple M2 chip is more powerful and more energy efficient than its Intel counterparts. Both companies claim that their devices can last up to 18 hours with average use. So they should get you through a working day on a single charge. Speaking of work, Microsoft’s front-facing camera – for whatever reason – only has a 720p resolution. If you tend to attend a lot of virtual meetings, then you might appreciate the 1080p webcam on the MacBook Air M2 more. However, the Surface Laptop 5 does offer facial recognition support. On the other hand, the Apple laptop supports Touch ID for authentication.

Bottom line: Similar products with different strengths

Since this is a buying guide, let’s start this section with pricing. Depending on your budget alone, you may be limited to one of these two computers. The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 starts at $999, while the Apple MacBook Air M2 costs $200 more at $1,199. If your budget is flexible, then let’s move on to the strengths of each device. The MacBook Air M2 performs better, has a slightly sleeker design, offers a cleaner webcam, supports more storage, and has a sharper screen. Meanwhile, the Surface Laptop 5 has a USB Type-A port (which some customers might consider pro), includes a touchscreen, supports the Surface Pen (sold separately), supports more RAM, and has some more vibrant colors. If you already own an iPhone, buying the MacBook Air M2 would make more sense for ecosystem reasons. Likewise, if you depend on an Android device, then your Windows laptop will play nicely with it. Ultimately, at this point, you know better which device meets your needs and which operating system you prefer. However, if you’re an ecosystem fighter, the pros and cons of either device could sway your decision.

The Surface Laptop 5 has a sleek design, runs Windows 11 and has a touch screen. It has some old ports, but it’s one of the best Windows laptops on the market right now.

The MacBook Air 2022 offers the M2 chip, a 13.6-inch screen and a redesigned frame with MagSafe support.