Which ultra-portable, AI-powered laptop should you buy?
The Microsoft Surface and MacBook are powerful, ultra-portable laptops with similar features.
This article assesses the two laptops to identify their similarities and differences to help you make an informed decision.
Overall Findings
Price: $999-$2,499.
Operating System: Windows 11 Home.
Speed: Faster for complex processing.
Battery Life: Up to 22 hours.
Weight: 2.96 - 3.67 pounds.
Screen Size: 13.8- and 15-inch
Price: $1,099-$2,499.
Operating System: macOS 15 Sequoia.
AI: Apple Intelligence.
Speed: Faster for simpler processing.
Battery Life: Up to 18 hours.
Weight: 2.7 - 3.3 pounds.
Screen Size: 13.6- and 15.3-inch.
The Microsoft Surface and MacBook Air are similar in many ways.
Both laptops even cost about the same.
As you’ll see throughout this comparison, the differences between the two laptops are marginal.
GPU: Qualcomm Adreno.
AI Subsystem: Qualcomm Hexagon with 45 TOPS.
AI Platform: Copilot.
Processor: M3 (8 core).
GPU: M3 (10 core).
AI Subsystem: 16-core Neural Engine.
AI Platform: Apple Intelligence.
Everyone wants a powerful laptop, especially in this age of processor-hungry artificial intelligence.
When comparing the Surface and MacBook in terms of their speed and AI features, both have their strengths.
Apple’s chips are renowned for delivering power while not burning too much battery life.
AI isn’t just about chips, though.
The actual software matters, too.
Memory and Storage: Even Options
RAM: 16GB, 32GB, 64GB.
Hard Drive: 256GB, 512GB, 1TB.
RAM: 8GB, 16GB, 24GB.
Hard Drive: 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, 2TB.
MemoryRAM to run programsand hard drive storage for programs and files are another key hardware comparison.
Again, the two laptops are pretty similar.
Meanwhile, the MacBook has moreand largeroptions for hard drive size.
Weight (13-inch model): 2.96 pounds.
Weight (15-inch model): 3.67 pounds.
Size (13-inch model): 11.85" x 8.67" x 0.69".
Size (15-inch model): 12.96" x 9.41" x 0.72".
Battery Life: up to 18 hours.
Weight (13-inch model): 2.7 pounds.
Weight (15-inch model): 3.3 pounds.
Size (13-inch model): 0.44" x 11.97" x 9.46".
Size (15-inch model): 0.45" x 13.40" x 9.35".
People often look for a small, light laptop with significant battery life.
In these areas, the MacBook Air has an edge.
Across both models of each laptop, the MacBook is lighter.
Both MacBook models are also at least 0.25 inches thinner than the Surface models.
The other key portability factor is battery life, which gets a little confusing.
However, those are just claims.
While not specifically related to portability, Apple is renowned for the physical quality and polish of its products.
That’s true in this comparison.
Screen: Only Surface Has a Touchscreen
Screen Size: 13.8- and 15-inch.
Resolution: 2304x1536 (13-inch model) and 2496x1664 (15-inch model).
Resolution: 2560x1664 (13-inch model) and 2880x1864 (15-inch model).
The screens on the Surface laptop and MacBook Air are roughly similar in most waysexcept one.
The only major difference is that the Surface has a touchscreen, and the MacBook Air doesn’t.
Other Features: Not Many Differences
Camera: User-facing, 1080p HD.
Speakers: Omnisonic speakers with Dolby Atmos.
Ports: 2 USB-C, 1 USB-A, 3.5mm headphone.
Security: Windows Hello facial recognition; more risk from viruses and hacks.
Networking: Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth.
Ports: 2 Thunderbolt/USB 4, 3.5mm headphone.
Security: Touch ID fingerprint scanner; more secure against viruses and hacks.
Networking: Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth.
Slight differences crop up in networking (the Surface supports the newer Wi-Fi 7 standard).
A key difference is security.
The other major difference is the speaker system, where Apple generally outperforms most laptops.
If you’re looking for great built-in audio playback, the MacBook Air is the choice.
Given all of that, we recommend choosing the laptop that best matches the devices you already have.
If you’ve had a Mac or an iPhone, the MacBook Air will make you happy.
Of course, that’s not a hard and fast rule.
Still, if you’re already established in one ecosystem, sticking with it probably makes sense.
If this is your first laptop, you could’t go wrong.
Go to your nearest Apple Store, Microsoft Store, or other electronics retailer and test both models.
