In depth comparison and review of Apple MacBook Air and Microsoft Surface Laptop 3. Compare sizes, performance, storage capacities, batteries and other important specifications and features to easily choose the right laptop for you. Our goal is to help you uncover differences between the products and find the laptop that will best fit your needs.
Advantages and disadvantages of Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 based on its technical characteristics, features, user experience, expert reviews and price level.
lightweight and portable
responsive touchscreen display
stylish aluminum design
fast charging support
solid performance benchmarks
limited port selection
no dedicated graphics
higher price point
average battery life
| DESIGN AND DIMENSIONS | Apple MacBook Air | Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 |
|---|
| Product Type | Notebook | Notebook |
|---|---|---|
| Dimensions (WxDxH) | 29.95 cm x 19.2 cm x 1.7 cm | 30.8 cm x 22.3 cm x 1.45 cm |
| Weight | 1.06 kg | 1.265 kg |
| Case Material | - | Aluminum |
| Colour | - | Platinum |
| DISPLAY | Apple MacBook Air | Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 |
|---|
| Screen Size (Type) | 11.6" | 13.5" |
|---|---|---|
| Touchscreen | - | Yes (10-point multi-touch) |
| LCD Backlight Technology | LED backlight | - |
| Screen Resolution | 1366 x 768 (HD) | 2256 x 1504 |
| Pixel Density (ppi) | - | 201 |
| Widescreen | Yes | Yes |
| Image Aspect Ratio | - | 3:2 |
| Features | Glossy | PixelSense |
| PROCESSOR | Apple MacBook Air | Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 |
|---|
| CPU | Intel Core 2 Duo 1.4 GHz | Intel Core i5 (10th Gen) 1035G7 / 1.2 GHz |
|---|---|---|
| Max Turbo Speed | - | 3.7 GHz |
| Number of Cores | Dual-Core | Quad-Core |
| Cache | L2 - 3 MB | 6 MB |
| Front Side Bus | 800 MHz | - |
| 64-bit Computing | Yes | Yes |
| MEMORY | Apple MacBook Air | Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 |
|---|
| RAM | 2 GB (provided memory is soldered) | 8 GB |
|---|---|---|
| RAM Type | DDR3 SDRAM | LPDDR4X SDRAM |
| Speed | 1066 MHz | - |
| STORAGE | Apple MacBook Air | Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 |
|---|
| Main Storage Size (HDD/SSD) | 64 GB SSD | 128 GB SSD M.2 - NVM Express (NVMe) |
|---|
| AUDIO & VIDEO | Apple MacBook Air | Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 |
|---|
| Graphics Processor (GPU) | NVIDIA GeForce GT 320M | Intel Iris Plus Graphics |
|---|---|---|
| Memory Allocation Technology | Shared Video Memory (UMA) | - |
| Max Allocated RAM Size | 256 MB | - |
| Camera | Yes | Yes - 720p |
| Camera Features | - | Windows Hello |
| Sound | Stereo speakers, microphone | Stereo speakers, two microphones |
| Compliant Standards | - | Dolby Audio Premium |
| COMMUNICATIONS | Apple MacBook Air | Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 |
|---|
| Wireless | 802.11a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 2.1 EDR | Bluetooth 5.0, 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax |
|---|---|---|
| Compliant Standards | - | Bluetooth 5.0, IEEE 802.11ax |
| BATTERY | Apple MacBook Air | Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 |
|---|
| Technology | Lithium polymer | - |
|---|---|---|
| Battery Capacity (Size) | 35 Wh | - |
| Battery Life | Up to 5 hours | Up to 11.5 hours |
| AC ADAPTER | Apple MacBook Air | Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 |
|---|
| Input | AC 100-240 V (50/60 Hz) | - |
|---|
| INPUT | Apple MacBook Air | Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 |
|---|
| Type | Keyboard, trackpad | Keyboard, trackpad |
|---|---|---|
| Keyboard Backlight | - | Yes |
| Features | Multi-touch touchpad | Multi-gesture trackpad, Alcantara material palm rest |
| CONNECTIONS & EXPANSIONS | Apple MacBook Air | Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 |
|---|
| Interfaces | 2 x USB 2.0 Headphone output Mini DisplayPort |
USB 3.0 USB-C Headphone output SurfaceConnect |
|---|
| SOFTWARE | Apple MacBook Air | Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 |
|---|
| Operating System (OS) | Apple MacOS X 10.6 | Windows 10 Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Software Included | Drivers & Utilities, Apple QuickTime, Apple iTunes, Apple Mac OS X Mail, Apple iChat, Apple iCal, Apple DVD Player, Apple Address Book, Apple Safari, Apple Dashboard, Apple Spotlight, Apple XCode Developer Tools, Front Row, Photo Booth, Apple Spaces, Apple Quick Look, Apple Time Machine, Apple iLife '11 | Microsoft 365 (30 days trial) |
| MISCELLANEOUS | Apple MacBook Air | Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 |
|---|
| Dockable | - | Yes |
|---|---|---|
| Included Accessories | - | Power adapter |
| Integrated Options | - | Ambient light sensor |
| Security | - | Trusted Platform Module (TPM 2.0) Security Chip |
| Features | Aluminum enclosure | - |
| SAR Value | - | 0.308 W/kg (body) |
| ENERGY STAR Certified | Yes | - |
| EPEAT Compliant | EPEAT Gold | - |
| Max Operating Temperature | 35 °C | - |
| Min Operating Temperature | 10 °C | - |
| Humidity Range Operating | 0 - 90% (non-condensing) | - |
| Manufacturer Warranty | Limited warranty - 1 year Technical support - phone consulting - 90 days |
Limited warranty - 1 year |