Apple MacBook Air with Retina display vs. Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2

Laptop Comparison, Reviews and Tests
Apple MacBook Air with Retina display
Apple MacBook Air with Retina display

In depth comparison and review of Apple MacBook Air with Retina display and Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2. 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.

Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 Review

Advantages and disadvantages of Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 based on its technical characteristics, features, user experience, expert reviews and price level.

lightweight and portable

affordable price point

stylish design

solid build quality

good everyday performance

limited hardware upgrades

average battery life

no backlit keyboard

modest display resolution

Laptop Comparison and Tests

Difference between Apple MacBook Air with Retina display and Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2
81 % - Design
72 % - Display
72 % - Performance
75 % - Connectivity
72 % - Battery

Laptop Specifications Comparison

Apple MacBook Air with Retina display vs. Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 Comparison Chart
DESIGN AND DIMENSIONS Apple MacBook Air with Retina display Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2
Product Type Notebook Notebook
Dimensions (WxDxH) 30.41 cm x 21.24 cm x 1.56 cm 27.82 cm x 20.62 cm x 1.57 cm
Weight 1.25 kg 1.127 kg
Case Material Aluminum Aluminum, polycarbonate
Colour Space grey | Gold | Silver Platinum
DISPLAY Apple MacBook Air with Retina display Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2
Screen Size (Type) 13.3" - IPS 12.4"
Touchscreen - Yes (10-point multi-touch)
LCD Backlight Technology LED backlight -
Screen Resolution 2560 x 1600 (WQXGA) 1536 x 1024
Pixel Density (ppi) 227 148
Widescreen Yes Yes
Image Aspect Ratio 16:10 3:2
Features BFR/PVC-free, Mercury free, beryllium free, arsenic free, Retina display PixelSense
PROCESSOR Apple MacBook Air with Retina display Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2
CPU Intel Core i5 (8th Gen) 1.6 GHz Intel Core i5 (11th Gen) 1135G7
Max Turbo Speed 3.6 GHz 4.2 GHz
Number of Cores Dual-Core Quad-Core
Cache L3 - 4 MB 8 MB
64-bit Computing Yes -
Features Intel Turbo Boost Technology -
MEMORY Apple MacBook Air with Retina display Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2
RAM 8 GB (provided memory is soldered) 8 GB
RAM Type LPDDR3 SDRAM LPDDR4X SDRAM
Speed 2133 MHz -
STORAGE Apple MacBook Air with Retina display Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2
Main Storage Size (HDD/SSD) 128 GB SSD soldered PCIe 128 GB SSD
AUDIO & VIDEO Apple MacBook Air with Retina display Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2
Graphics Processor (GPU) Intel UHD Graphics 617 Intel Iris Xe Graphics
Camera Yes - 720p Yes - 720p
Camera Features FaceTime HD camera Windows Hello
Sound Stereo speakers, three microphones Stereo speakers, two microphones
Compliant Standards - Dolby Audio Premium
Audio Features - Omnisonic speakers
COMMUNICATIONS Apple MacBook Air with Retina display Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2
Wireless 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.2 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax, Bluetooth 5.1
BATTERY Apple MacBook Air with Retina display Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2
Technology Lithium polymer -
Battery Capacity (Size) 50.3 Wh 41 Wh
Battery Life Up to 12 hours Up to 13.5 hours
Battery Run Time Web browsing over Wi-Fi: up to 12 hours
Video playback: up to 13 hours
Standby time: up to 30 days
-
AC ADAPTER Apple MacBook Air with Retina display Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2
Input AC 100-240 V (50/60 Hz) -
Output 30 Watt 39 Watt
INPUT Apple MacBook Air with Retina display Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2
Type Keyboard, Force Touch trackpad Keyboard, touchpad
Keyboard Backlight Yes -
Features Pressure sensitivity, multi-touch touchpad, Multi-Touch Gesture Recognition, ambient light sensor, force click, Touch ID sensor -
CONNECTIONS & EXPANSIONS Apple MacBook Air with Retina display Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2
Interfaces 2 x USB-C 3.1 Gen 2 (supports Thunderbolt 3, DisplayPort Alt Mode) (Power Delivery)
Headphone output
USB-C
USB
Headphone output
SurfaceConnect
SOFTWARE Apple MacBook Air with Retina display Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2
Operating System (OS) Apple macOS Big Sur 11.0 Windows 11 Pro
Software Included iTunes, Apple iMovie, Apple Safari, Apple GarageBand, Photo Booth, Apple Time Machine, Apple FaceTime, Apple Preview, Mail, Maps, Photos, Reminders, App Store, Contacts, Stocks, Notes, Calendar, Siri, Messages, Apple iBooks, Apple Keynote, Apple Pages, Apple Numbers, News, Voice Memos, Home Microsoft 365 Business Standard, Business Premium or Microsoft 365 Apps (30 days trial), Microsoft 365 Apps (requires licence or subscription)
MISCELLANEOUS Apple MacBook Air with Retina display Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2
Dockable - Yes
Included Accessories USB-C power adapter Power adapter
Cables Included USB-C charge cable -
Integrated Options - Ambient light sensor
Security Apple T2 Security Chip, fingerprint reader Trusted Platform Module (TPM) Security Chip, fingerprint reader
Features T2 Security Chip -
SAR Value 0.71 W/kg (body) -
Repairability Index 6.1 (out of 10) -
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
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