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2026 comparison
Updated Jan 6, 2026
|Sources: Amazon, ManufacturerApple MacBook Air 13-inch (M3, 2024) vs Acer Aspire 5 15 Laptop Core i7-1355U)
For most users, the Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M3, 2024) is the better buy, thanks to its blazing fast M3 chip that crushes the performance of Acer Aspire 5 15 Laptop Core i7-1355U's Intel i7 processor. You'll appreciate the MacBook's stunning 13.6" Liquid Retina display with 500 nits brightness, compared to the Aspire 5's washed-out 15.6" display at 250 nits.
📱 Display: 13.6" vs 15.6"⚖️ Weight: 43.74 oz vs 62.79 oz💾 RAM: 8 GB vs 16 GB
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Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M3, 2024)
★4.9
(2,424)•Best Buy
Processor:Apple M3 (8-core CPU: 4 performance + 4 efficiency)
Graphics:Apple M3 (8-core or 10-core GPU, depending on config)
AI Engine:16-core Neural Engine
Cooling:Passive (Fanless silent design)
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Acer Aspire 5 15 Laptop Core i7-1355U)
★4.3
(107)•Amazon
Processor:Intel Core i7-1355U (Raptor Lake, 10 cores, up to 5.0 GHz)
Graphics:Intel Iris Xe Graphics (Integrated)
AI Engine:No (Not supported)
Cooling:Air (Single fan with TwinAir cooling design)
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Key spec differences
Only the specs that differ are shown here. Winners are highlighted when the data is clear.
Winner= clear advantage
Spec
Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M3, 2024)
Acer Aspire 5 15 Laptop Core i7-1355U)
Display1 specs
Display SizeKey
Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M3, 2024)
13.6"
Acer Aspire 5 15 Laptop Core i7-1355U)
15.6"Winner
Performance2 specs
RAMKey
Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M3, 2024)
8 GB, 16 GB, or 24 GB Unified Memory
Acer Aspire 5 15 Laptop Core i7-1355U)
16 GB LPDDR5 (4800 MHz)Winner
Storage
Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M3, 2024)
256 GB, 512 GB, 1 TB, or 2 TB SSD
Acer Aspire 5 15 Laptop Core i7-1355U)
512 GB PCIe Gen4 NVMe SSDWinner
Battery1 specs
Battery CapacityKey
Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M3, 2024)
52.6 Wh (Lithium-polymer)
Acer Aspire 5 15 Laptop Core i7-1355U)
50 Wh (3-cell Li-ion)
Design1 specs
Weight
Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M3, 2024)
1,240 g (2.7 lbs)Winner
Acer Aspire 5 15 Laptop Core i7-1355U)
1,780 g (3.92 lbs)
Software1 specs
Operating System
Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M3, 2024)
macOS (Sonoma or later)
Acer Aspire 5 15 Laptop Core i7-1355U)
Windows 11 Home
Connectivity1 specs
Connectivity
Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M3, 2024)
Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax); Bluetooth 5.3
Acer Aspire 5 15 Laptop Core i7-1355U)
Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax); Bluetooth 5.1
+Full specs, pros, and cons
Everything side-by-side with ratings and the full spec list.
Expand
Full specs, pros, and cons
Everything side-by-side with ratings and the full spec list.
Comparison: Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M3, 2024) vs Acer Aspire 5 15 Laptop Core i7-1355U)
Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M3, 2024)
★4.9(2,424)Best Buy
Acer Aspire 5 15 Laptop Core i7-1355U)
★4.3(107)Amazon
| Criterion | Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M3, 2024) | Acer Aspire 5 15 Laptop Core i7-1355U) |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | ★4.9(2,424)Best Buy | ★4.3(107)Amazon |
Processor | Apple M3 (8-core CPU: 4 performance + 4 efficiency) | Intel Core i7-1355U (Raptor Lake, 10 cores, up to 5.0 GHz) |
Graphics | Apple M3 (8-core or 10-core GPU, depending on config) | Intel Iris Xe Graphics (Integrated) |
AI Engine | 16-core Neural Engine | No (Not supported) |
Cooling | Passive (Fanless silent design) | Air (Single fan with TwinAir cooling design) |
RAM | 8 GB, 16 GB, or 24 GB Unified Memory | 16 GB LPDDR5 (4800 MHz) |
RAM Upgrade | No (Unified Memory architecture) | No (Soldered) |
Storage | 256 GB, 512 GB, 1 TB, or 2 TB SSD | 512 GB PCIe Gen4 NVMe SSD |
Storage Upgrade | No (Soldered) | Yes (1x M.2 slot; user replaceable) |
Display Size | 13.6" | 15.6" |
Resolution | 2560 x 1664 (Native) | 1920 x 1080 (FHD) |
Aspect Ratio | 16:10 (plus additional height for menu bar/notch) | 16:9 |
Screen Type | Liquid Retina (IPS; LED-backlit) | IPS (Anti-glare, ComfyView) |
Refresh Rate | 60 Hz | 60 Hz |
Brightness | 500 nits | 250 nits (Typical) |
Color Gamut | Wide color (P3) | 45% NTSC (approx. 60% sRGB) |
Keyboard Layout | US English (Magic Keyboard) | US English (ANSI) with NumPad |
Keyboard Backlight | Yes (Ambient light sensor) | Yes |
Biometrics | Touch ID (Fingerprint reader) | Fingerprint reader (Integrated in touchpad) |
Webcam | 1080p FaceTime HD camera | 1080p FHD webcam with Temporal Noise Reduction |
USB Ports | 2x Thunderbolt / USB 4 (Up to 40Gb/s; Charging; DisplayPort) | 1x Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C); 2x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 |
Video Ports | USB-C DisplayPort (Supports 1 external display up to 6K@60Hz; OR 2 external displays with lid closed) | 1x HDMI 2.1 (Supports 4K@60Hz via Thunderbolt 4 or HDMI) |
Audio Ports | 1x 3.5mm Headphone jack (Advanced support for high-impedance headphones) | 1x 3.5mm Headphone/Mic combo jack |
Connectivity | Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax); Bluetooth 5.3 | Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax); Bluetooth 5.1 |
Battery | 52.6 Wh (Lithium-polymer) | 50 Wh (3-cell Li-ion) |
Charger | 30W (Base 8-core GPU model) or 35W Dual Port / 70W Fast Charger (Higher configs) | 65 W barrel-pin adapter |
Weight | 1,240 g (2.7 lbs) | 1,780 g (3.92 lbs) |
Build Material | 100% Recycled Aluminum enclosure | Aluminum (Lid) / Plastic (Chassis) |
Operating System | macOS (Sonoma or later) | Windows 11 Home |
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As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. | Check Price on Amazon→ | Check Price on Amazon→ |
Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M3, 2024)
Rating:★4.9(2,424)Best Buy
Processor:Apple M3 (8-core CPU: 4 performance + 4 efficiency)
Graphics:Apple M3 (8-core or 10-core GPU, depending on config)
AI Engine:16-core Neural Engine
Cooling:Passive (Fanless silent design)
RAM:8 GB, 16 GB, or 24 GB Unified Memory
RAM Upgrade:No (Unified Memory architecture)
Storage:256 GB, 512 GB, 1 TB, or 2 TB SSD
Storage Upgrade:No (Soldered)
Display Size:13.6"
Resolution:2560 x 1664 (Native)
Aspect Ratio:16:10 (plus additional height for menu bar/notch)
Screen Type:Liquid Retina (IPS; LED-backlit)
Refresh Rate:60 Hz
Brightness:500 nits
Color Gamut:Wide color (P3)
Keyboard Layout:US English (Magic Keyboard)
Keyboard Backlight:Yes (Ambient light sensor)
Biometrics:Touch ID (Fingerprint reader)
Webcam:1080p FaceTime HD camera
USB Ports:2x Thunderbolt / USB 4 (Up to 40Gb/s; Charging; DisplayPort)
Video Ports:USB-C DisplayPort (Supports 1 external display up to 6K@60Hz; OR 2 external displays with lid closed)
Audio Ports:1x 3.5mm Headphone jack (Advanced support for high-impedance headphones)
Connectivity:Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax); Bluetooth 5.3
Battery:52.6 Wh (Lithium-polymer)
Charger:30W (Base 8-core GPU model) or 35W Dual Port / 70W Fast Charger (Higher configs)
Weight:1,240 g (2.7 lbs)
Build Material:100% Recycled Aluminum enclosure
Operating System:macOS (Sonoma or later)
✓ Pros:
- • Significantly faster M3 chip with hardware-accelerated ray tracing
- • First MacBook Air to natively support two external monitors (in clamshell mode)
- • Completely silent fanless operation
- • Exceptional build quality with a bright 500-nit P3 display
- • MagSafe 3 charging frees up both Thunderbolt ports for peripherals
✗ Cons:
- • Base model starts with only 8GB RAM and 256GB storage (slow SSD speeds on 256GB)
- • Limited to 60Hz refresh rate (no ProMotion 120Hz)
- • Zero user-upgradeability for RAM or storage
- • Thermal throttling can occur under sustained heavy workloads due to lack of fans
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Check Price on Amazon→
Acer Aspire 5 15 Laptop Core i7-1355U)
Rating:★4.3(107)Amazon
Processor:Intel Core i7-1355U (Raptor Lake, 10 cores, up to 5.0 GHz)
Graphics:Intel Iris Xe Graphics (Integrated)
AI Engine:No (Not supported)
Cooling:Air (Single fan with TwinAir cooling design)
RAM:16 GB LPDDR5 (4800 MHz)
RAM Upgrade:No (Soldered)
Storage:512 GB PCIe Gen4 NVMe SSD
Storage Upgrade:Yes (1x M.2 slot; user replaceable)
Display Size:15.6"
Resolution:1920 x 1080 (FHD)
Aspect Ratio:16:9
Screen Type:IPS (Anti-glare, ComfyView)
Refresh Rate:60 Hz
Brightness:250 nits (Typical)
Color Gamut:45% NTSC (approx. 60% sRGB)
Keyboard Layout:US English (ANSI) with NumPad
Keyboard Backlight:Yes
Biometrics:Fingerprint reader (Integrated in touchpad)
Webcam:1080p FHD webcam with Temporal Noise Reduction
USB Ports:1x Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C); 2x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1
Video Ports:1x HDMI 2.1 (Supports 4K@60Hz via Thunderbolt 4 or HDMI)
Audio Ports:1x 3.5mm Headphone/Mic combo jack
Connectivity:Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax); Bluetooth 5.1
Battery:50 Wh (3-cell Li-ion)
Charger:65 W barrel-pin adapter
Weight:1,780 g (3.92 lbs)
Build Material:Aluminum (Lid) / Plastic (Chassis)
Operating System:Windows 11 Home
✓ Pros:
- • Includes Thunderbolt 4 port (rare in this price bracket)
- • Sharp 1080p webcam is an upgrade over typical 720p budget cams
- • Aluminum lid gives a premium feel to the exterior
- • Decent performance for office tasks with Core i7-1355U
- • Wi-Fi 6E support for faster wireless connectivity
✗ Cons:
- • RAM is soldered and cannot be upgraded (limited to 16GB)
- • Display has limited color coverage (45% NTSC), appearing washed out
- • Only one M.2 storage slot (no secondary drive support)
- • Battery life is average with a 50Wh capacity
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Check Price on Amazon→
Which one is better?
Grab the Acer Aspire 5 if you need a larger display and more storage, as it offers 512GB SSD versus the MacBook's 256GB.
Who should buy each?
Choose the Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M3, 2024) if: you need excellent battery life, you value high performance for tasks like video editing, or you appreciate a premium display quality. (13.6" display, 43.74 oz weight)
Choose the Acer Aspire 5 15 Laptop Core i7-1355U) if: you require a bigger screen, you want more storage for files, or you're on a tighter budget. (15.6" display, 62.79 oz weight)
Conclusion
With the key differences outlined, the decision should be clearer. Both options deliver quality—choose the one that fits your priorities.
Frequently Asked Questions
+Which has better value?
Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M3, 2024) excels if you value significantly faster m3 chip with hardware-accelerated ray tracing. Acer Aspire 5 15 Laptop Core i7-1355U) is better if you prioritize includes thunderbolt 4 port (rare in this price bracket). Pick based on your budget and daily use.
+Is this an independent review?
Yes. We use affiliate links for monetization, but recommendations are research-driven and unbiased.
+Do newer models exist?
Check release timelines from the manufacturers and compare pricing before you buy. We refresh this page when major updates land.
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