MacBook Air 13” 2017 vs. Surface Pro 5: Full specs comparison

Here is a comparison of the specs between MacBook Air 13” 2017 and Surface Pro 5, including CPU, RAM, storage, battery, display, and more.

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MacBook Air 13” 2017 image

MacBook Air 13” 2017

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Surface Pro 5

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MacBook Air 13” 2017 Pros

Reasons that MacBook Air 13” 2017 is better than Surface Pro 5.

8% larger display

MacBook Air 13” 2017 has a 13.3-inch screen size 8% larger than the 12.3-inch Surface Pro 5.

Display size
MacBook Air 13” 2017
13.3-inch
Surface Pro 5
12.3-inch

Surface Pro 5 Pros

Reasons that Surface Pro 5 is better than MacBook Air 13” 2017.

Significantly faster CPU performance

Intel Core i7-7660U inside Surface Pro 5 has a 29% better multi-core CPU performance score than the Intel Core i7-5650U inside MacBook Air 13” 2017.

Geekbench 5 multi-core score
Surface Pro 5 - Intel Core i7-7660U
1,992
Surface Pro 5 - Intel Core i5-7300U
1,777
MacBook Air 13” 2017 - Intel Core i7-5650U
1,538
MacBook Air 13” 2017 - Intel Core i5-5350U
1,350
Surface Pro 5 - Intel Core m3-7Y30
1,202
Supports larger memory

Surface Pro 5 supports a larger memory capacity than the MacBook Air 13” 2017. It supports up to 16GB versus 8GB of system memory on the MacBook Air 13” 2017.

Max system memory size
Surface Pro 5
16 GB
MacBook Air 13” 2017
8 GB
Supports faster memory

Surface Pro 5 supports a faster memory speed than the MacBook Air 13” 2017. It supports up to 1866MHz versus 1600MHz of system memory on the MacBook Air 13” 2017.

Memory type and speed
Surface Pro 5 - LPDDR3
1,866 MHz
MacBook Air 13” 2017 - LPDDR3
1,600 MHz
About 43% lighter

Surface Pro 5 weighed 1.69 pounds, 43% lighter than the 2.96 pounds MacBook Air 13” 2017.

WeightMacBook Air 13” 2017Surface Pro 5
Pound
2.96 lbs.
1.69 lbs.
Kilogram
1.34 kg
0.77 kg

Prices

Here are the latest price updates and offers for both devices.

MacBook Air 13” 2017 Price
Apple 13in MacBook Air (2017 Newest Version) 1.8GHz Core i5 CPU, 8GB RAM, 128GB SSD (Renewed)
 Apple 13in MacBook Air (2017 Newest Version) 1.8GHz Core i5 CPU, 8GB RAM, 128GB SSD (Renewed)
By Apple
$219.99
$249.00 12% OFF
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2017 Apple Macbook Air with 1.8GHz Intel Core i5 (13-inch, 8GB RAM, 128GB SSD Storage) (QWERTY English) Silver (Renewed)
 2017 Apple Macbook Air with 1.8GHz Intel Core i5 (13-inch, 8GB RAM, 128GB SSD Storage) (QWERTY English) Silver (Renewed)
By Apple
$228.85
$249.00 8% OFF
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Mid 2017 Apple MacBook Air with 1.8GHz Intel Core i5 (13-inch, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD) Silver (Renewed)
 Mid 2017 Apple MacBook Air with 1.8GHz Intel Core i5 (13-inch, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD) Silver (Renewed)
By Apple
$254.99
$279.00 9% OFF
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Surface Pro 5 Price
Microsoft Surface Pro 5 Tablet,12.3 inch (2736 x 1824), Intel Core i5-7300U 2.6 GHz, 8 GB RAM 256GB SSD, CAM, Win 10 Pro (Renewed)
 Microsoft Surface Pro 5 Tablet,12.3 inch (2736 x 1824), Intel Core i5-7300U 2.6 GHz, 8 GB RAM 256GB SSD, CAM, Win 10 Pro (Renewed)
By Microsoft
$319.00
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Microsoft Surface Pro 5 Tablet 12.3in 2K IPS Touchscreen Surface Laptop w/Backlitkey, Core i5-7300U, 8GB RAM, 128GB SSD, Mini DisplayPort, MicroSD XC Card Reader Windows 10 Pro (Renewed)
 Microsoft Surface Pro 5 Tablet 12.3in 2K IPS Touchscreen Surface Laptop w/Backlitkey, Core i5-7300U, 8GB RAM, 128GB SSD, Mini DisplayPort, MicroSD XC Card Reader Windows 10 Pro (Renewed)
By Microsoft
$314.00
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Microsoft Surface Pro (5th Gen) (Intel Core i5, 8GB RAM, 256GB) LTE (Renewed)
 Microsoft Surface Pro (5th Gen) (Intel Core i5, 8GB RAM, 256GB) LTE (Renewed)
By Microsoft
$337.00
See at Amazon

Specs Comparison

Availability

MacBook Air 13” 2017Surface Pro 5
Released20172017
Release Date
  • Available on June 6, 2017
  • Introduced: May 23, 2017
  • Pre-ordered: May 23, 2017
  • Released: June 15, 2017
Pricing
  • $999
    Intel Core i5 5350U | 8GB RAM | 128GB SSD
  • $1,199
    Intel Core i5 5350U | 8GB RAM | 256GB SSD
Starting at 799$
Generations

Exterior

MacBook Air 13” 2017Surface Pro 5
Dimensions12.8” x 8.94” x 0.11 - 0.68” (325 mm x 227 mm x 3 - 17 mm)11.50” x 7.9” x 0.33” (292 mm x 201 mm x 8.5 mm)
Width: 11.50” (292 mm)
Height: 7.9” (201 mm)
Thickness: 0.33” (8.5 mm)
WeightStarting at 2.96 pounds (1.35 kg)
  • Intel Core m3: 1.69 lbs (768 g)
  • Intel Core i5: 1.7 lbs (770 g)
  • Intel Core i7: 1.73 lbs (784 g)
Colors
Silver
Platinum
Keyboard and TrackpadFull-size backlit keyboard with:
  • 78 (U.S.) or 79 (ISO) keys, including 12 function keys and 4 arrow keys (inverted “T” arrangement) with ambient light sensor
  • Multi-Touch trackpad for precise cursor control; supports inertial scrolling, pinch, rotate, swipe, three-finger swipe, four-finger swipe, tap, double-tap, and drag capabilities
  • Surface Type Cover
    • Not included
    • Weight: 0.68 lb (310 g)
    • Dimension: 11.61 x 8.54 x 0.19 inches (295 mm x 216 mm x 5mm)
  • Keyboard:
    • Activation: Moving (mechanical) keys
    • Layout: QWERTY, full row of function keys (F1-F12)
    • 4 directional keys; Windows, Brightness and Media Controls Keys;
    • LED backlighting
  • Trackpad:
    • Precision glass trackpad.
    • Trackpad size: 4 x 2 inches (101.6 mm x 50.8 mm)
    • Supports a five-finger multitouch gesture.

Display

MacBook Air 13” 2017Surface Pro 5
Size13.3 Inches12.3 Inches
Info
  • Widescreen display
  • 13.3-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit glossy widescreen display with support for millions of colors
  • Supported resolutions: 1440 by 900 (native), 1280 by 800, 1152 by 720, and 1024 by 640 pixels at 16:10 aspect ratio and 1024 by 768 and 800 by 600 pixels at 4:3 aspect ratio
  • Resolution: 2736 x 1824 (5M Pixels)
  • Density: 267 PPI
  • PixelSense™ Display
  • Aspect ratio: 3:2
  • Inking: designed together with Surface Pen
  • Touch: 10 points multi-touch
  • Corning® Gorilla® Glass 4
  • 10nm Oleophobic Coating

Ports

MacBook Air 13” 2017Surface Pro 5
  • 1 x Thunderbolt 2 port
    Supports data transfers up to 20 Gbps.
  • 2 x USB 3.0 ports
    Supports data transfers up to 5 Gbps.
  • 1 x 3.5 mm headphone jack
  • 1 x SDXC card reader
  • 1 x MagSafe 2 power port
Surface Pro 5 Ports
Image Source: Microsoft
Left (1)
  • 1 x headphone jack
    Headphone/Microphone
Right (3)
  • 1 x Mini DisplayPort
  • 1 x USB-A
    USB 3.0 (5 Gbps)
  • 1 x Surface Connect
    Charging, Docking Station
Bottom (1)
  • 1 x Type Cover port
Under Kickstand (1)
  • 1 x microSD card slot

Internal Specs

MacBook Air 13” 2017Surface Pro 5
Processor
  1. 5th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-5350U
    2 cores, 4 threads, 1.80 → 2.90 GHz, 3MB Cache, 15W
  2. 5th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-5350U
    2 cores, 4 threads, 2.20 → 3.10 GHz, 4MB Cache, 15W
  1. 7th Gen Intel® Core™ m3-7Y30
    2 cores, 4 threads, 1.00 → 2.60 GHz, 4MB SmartCache, 4.5W
  2. 7th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-7300U
    2 cores, 4 threads, 2.60 → 3.50 GHz, 3MB SmartCache, 15W
  3. 7th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-7660U
    2 cores, 4 threads, 2.50 → 4.00 GHz, 4MB SmartCache, 15W
Integrated Graphics
  1. 5th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-5350U
    Intel® HD Graphics 6000
    48 Execution Units, 300 → 1000 MHz
  2. 5th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-5350U
    Intel® HD Graphics 6000
    48 Execution Units, 300 → 1000 MHz
  1. 7th Gen Intel® Core™ m3-7Y30
    Intel® HD Graphics 615
    24 Execution Units, 300 → 900 MHz
  2. 7th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-7300U
    Intel® HD Graphics 620
    24 Execution Units, 300 → 1100 MHz
  3. 7th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-7660U
    Intel® Iris® Plus Graphics 640
    48 Execution Units with 64 MB eDRAM side cache, 300 → 1100 MHz
Memory
4GB 8GB
 1600MHz LPDDR3 onboard memory
4GB 8GB 16GB
1866 MHz LPDDR3 RAM
Storage
128GB 256GB
Configurable to 512GB flash storage.
128 GB 256 GB 512 GB 1 TB
PCIe NVMe SSD

Connectivity

MacBook Air 13” 2017Surface Pro 5
Wi-Fi
  • 802.11ac Wi‑Fi wireless networking
  • IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n compatible
  • Wi-Fi 5: IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac compatible.
BluetoothBluetooth 4.0 wireless technology
  • Bluetooth Wireless 4.1 technology

Battery

MacBook Air 13” 2017Surface Pro 5
Size54 Wh lithium‑polymer battery45 Wh
Battery Life
  • Up to 12 hours wireless web
  • Up to 12 hours of iTunes movie playback
  • Up to 30 days standby time
Up to 13.5 hours of video playback
Power Supply45W MagSafe 2 Power Adapter
With cable management system; MagSafe 2 power port.
  • 44W power supply
    • USB-A output: 5W
    • Surface Connect: 39W

Software

MacBook Air 13” 2017Surface Pro 5
OSShipped with macOS MojaveWindows 10 Pro (Creators Update)
Built-in Apps
Photos iMovie GarageBand Pages Numbers Keynote Siri Safari Mail FaceTime Messages Maps News Stocks Home Voice Memos Notes Calendar Contacts Reminders Photo Booth Preview iTunes Books App Store Time Machine
Microsoft Office 365 30-days trial

Camera & Audio

MacBook Air 13” 2017Surface Pro 5
Camera720p FaceTime HD camera
  • Windows Hello face authentication camera (front-facing)
  • 5.0MP front-facing camera with 1080p Skype HD video
  • 8.0MP rear-facing autofocus camera with 1080p full HD video
Audio
  • Stereo speakers
  • Dual microphones
  • Headphone port
  • Support for Apple iPhone headset with remote and microphone
  • Dual microphones
  • 1.6W stereo speakers with Dolby® Audio™ Premium

Misc

MacBook Air 13” 2017Surface Pro 5
Inking-Supports Surface Pen
4096 levels of pressure
Tilt sensing
Best in class latency
Paper feel
0.1mm precision
magnetic storage
Sensors-
  • Ambient light sensor
  • Accelerometer
  • Gyroscope
Security-
  • HW TPM 2.0 chip for enterprise security
  • Enterprise-grade protection with Windows Hello face sign-in
In the box
  • MacBook Air 13″
  • Power adapter
  • AC wall plug
  • Power cord
  • Surface Pro (5th Gen)
  • Power supply
  • Quick Start Guide
  • Safety and warranty documents
WarrantyLimited Warranty and ServiceYour MacBook Air comes with 90 days of free telephone support and a one-year limited warranty. Purchase the AppleCare Protection Plan to extend your service and support to three years from your computer’s purchase date. Only the AppleCare Protection Plan provides you with direct telephone support from Apple technical experts and the assurance that repairs will be handled by Apple-authorized technicians using genuine Apple parts. For more information, visit Apple Support or call 800-823-2775.
  • One-year limited hardware warranty
  • Commercial: Advanced Exchange warranty service with expedited device replacement
MoreVideo Support
  • Simultaneously supports full native resolution on the built-in display and up to 3840-by-2160 resolution at 60Hz on an external display, both at millions of colors
    • Thunderbolt digital video output
    • Native Mini DisplayPort output
    • VGA, HDMI, DVI, and dual-link DVI output using adapters (sold separately)
  • Mechanical features: Signature unibody magnesium design with hidden perimeter venting
  • Kickstand with a full-friction multiposition hinge to 165 degrees
  • Magnetic attach for keyboard fold stability
  • Physical buttons: volumes, power

Key Features

MacBook Air 13” 2017Surface Pro 5
At Glance
Released in Mid
2017
16:10 WXGA+
13.3”
900p 60Hz
Weight
2.96 lb
1.34 kg
Up to
Intel Core i7-5650U
2C/4T, 2.20 → 3.10 GHz
Geekbench 5
737
Single Core
Geekbench 5
1,538
Multi-Core
With integrated
Intel® HD Graphics 6000
48 Execution Units, 300 → 1000 MHz
Up to
8GB
1600 MHz LPDDR3
Released in Mid
2017
3:2 2.7K
12.3”
1824p 60Hz
Weight
1.69 lb
0.77 kg
Up to
Intel Core i7-7660U
2C/4T, 2.50 → 4.00 GHz
Geekbench 5
877
Single Core
Geekbench 5
1,992
Multi-Core
With integrated
Intel® Iris® Plus Graphics 640
48 Execution Units with 64 MB eDRAM side cache, 300 → 1100 MHz
Configurable up to
16GB
1866 MHz LPDDR3
Surface Pro 5 Ports

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