M1 MacBook Air vs. Surface Laptop Go 2: Full specs comparison

We have comprehensively analyzed the technical specifications for the M1 MacBook Air and Surface Laptop Go 2 models. Our report includes intricate details such as the CPU, memory, storage, battery life, display quality, and other features.

M1 MacBook Air Pros

Reasons that M1 MacBook Air is better than Surface Laptop Go 2.

Much faster CPU performance

Apple M1 (8C, 8G) inside M1 MacBook Air has a 86% better multi-core CPU performance score than the Intel Core i5-1135G7 inside Surface Laptop Go 2.

Geekbench 5 multi-core score
M1 MacBook Air - Apple M1 (8C, 7G)
7,414
M1 MacBook Air - Apple M1 (8C, 8G)
7,414
Surface Laptop Go 2 - Intel Core i5-1135G7
3,980
6% larger display

M1 MacBook Air has a 13.3-inch screen size 6% larger than the 12.45-inch Surface Laptop Go 2.

Display size
M1 MacBook Air
13.3-inch
Surface Laptop Go 2
12.45-inch

Surface Laptop Go 2 Pros

Reasons that Surface Laptop Go 2 is better than M1 MacBook Air.

Newer manufacturing

2022 vs. 2020

Upgradable storage

Surface Laptop Go 2 comes with a single removable M.2 SSD slot that you can replace and upgrade in the future.

SlotsM1 MacBook AirSurface Laptop Go 2
M.2
Onboard
Yes x1
About 12% lighter

Surface Laptop Go 2 weighed 2.48 pounds, 12% lighter than the 2.8 pounds M1 MacBook Air.

WeightM1 MacBook AirSurface Laptop Go 2
Pound
2.8 lbs.
2.48 lbs.
Kilogram
1.27 kg
1.12 kg
Has one more port and slot

Surface Laptop Go 2 has more ports and slots count than the M1 MacBook Air. It has four versus three amount of ports and slots on the M1 MacBook Air.

PortsM1 MacBook AirSurface Laptop Go 2
headphone jackYesYes
Surface ConnectNoYes
Thunderbolt 3Yes x2No
USB-ANoYes
USB-CNoYes
Total34
Slightly more versatile connectivity

Surface Laptop Go 2 has better versatile I/O connectivity than the M1 MacBook Air. It has three versus two commonly used ports and slots on the M1 MacBook Air.

PortsM1 MacBook AirSurface Laptop Go 2
headphone jackYesYes
Thunderbolt 3YesNo
USB-ANoYes
USB-CNoYes

Key Similars

Similar characteristics share between M1 MacBook Air and Surface Laptop Go 2.

Supports the same maximum memory size of up to 16GB

Both laptops supports up to 16GB of system memory.

Max system memory size
M1 MacBook Air
16 GB
Surface Laptop Go 2
16 GB

Prices

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

M1 MacBook Air Price
Late 2020 Apple MacBook Air with Apple M1 Chip (13.3 inch, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD) Space Gray (Renewed)
Late 2020 Apple MacBook Air with Apple M1 Chip (13.3 inch, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD) Space Gray (Renewed)
By Apple
$627.00
Late 2020 Apple MacBook Air with Apple M1 Chip (13.3 inch, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD) Space Gray (Renewed)
Late 2020 Apple MacBook Air with Apple M1 Chip (13.3 inch, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD) Space Gray (Renewed)
By Apple
$704.99
Late 2020 Apple MacBook Air with Apple M1 Chip (13.3 inch, 8GB RAM, 128GB SSD) Space Gray (Renewed)
Late 2020 Apple MacBook Air with Apple M1 Chip (13.3 inch, 8GB RAM, 128GB SSD) Space Gray (Renewed)
By Apple
$610.00
Surface Laptop Go 2 Price
Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2-12.4" Touchscreen - Intel Core i5 8GB Memory - 128 SSD - Ice Blue (Latest Model)
Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2-12.4" Touchscreen - Intel Core i5 8GB Memory - 128 SSD - Ice Blue (Latest Model)
By Microsoft
$479.00
$519.99 8% OFF
Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 12.4" Touch 8GB 256GB SSD Core™ i5-1135G7 2.4GHz Win10S, Platinum (Renewed), Silver
Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 12.4" Touch 8GB 256GB SSD Core™ i5-1135G7 2.4GHz Win10S, Platinum (Renewed), Silver
By Microsoft
$380.99
Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 12.4" Touchscreen Notebook - 1536 x 1024 - Intel Core i5 11th Gen i5-1135G7 Quad-core (4 Core) 2.40 GHz - 8 GB Total RAM - 8 GB On-Board Memory - 128 GB SSD - Sage -
Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 12.4" Touchscreen Notebook - 1536 x 1024 - Intel Core i5 11th Gen i5-1135G7 Quad-core (4 Core) 2.40 GHz - 8 GB Total RAM - 8 GB On-Board Memory - 128 GB SSD - Sage -
By Microsoft
$390.99
$450.00 13% OFF

Availability

M1 MacBook AirSurface Laptop Go 2
Released20202022
Release DateAnnounced on November 10th, 2020
  • Introduced: June 1, 2022
  • Pre-ordered: June 1, 2022
  • Released: June 7, 2022
Pricing
  • $999
    Apple M1 Chip (7 cores GPU) | 8GB RAM | 256GB SSD
  • $1,249
    Apple M1 Chip (8 cores GPU) | 8GB RAM | 512GB SSD
  • For Consumer (Windows 11 Home):
    • $599.99 - i5 | 4GB | 128GB SSD | Platinum Only
    • $699.99 - i5 | 8GB | 128GB SSD
    • $899.99 - i5 | 8GB | 256GB SSD
  • For Commercial (Windows 11 Pro):
    • $799.99 - i5 | 8GB | 128GB SSD
    • $999.99 - i5 | 8GB | 256GB SSD
    • $1,199.99 - i5 | 16GB | 256GB SSD | Platinum Only
Generations

Exterior

M1 MacBook AirSurface Laptop Go 2
Dimensions
  • Width: 11.97 inches (30.41 cm)
  • Depth: 8.36 inches (21.24 cm)
  • Height: 0.16–0.63 inch (0.41–1.61 cm)
10.95” x 8.12” x 0.62” (278.18mm x 206.2 mm x 15.7 mm)
WeightStarting at 2.8 pounds (1.29 kg)2.48 lbs. (1,127 g)
Colors
Gold Space Gray Silver
Sage Ice Blue Sandstone Platium
Keyboard and TrackpadBacklit Magic Keyboard with:
  • 78 (U.S.) or 79 (ISO) keys including 12 function keys and 4 arrow keys in an inverted-T arrangement
  • Ambient light sensor
  • Force Touch trackpad for precise cursor control and pressure-sensing capabilities; enables Force clicks, accelerators, pressure-sensitive drawing, and Multi-Touch gestures
  • Keyboard:
    • Full-size keyboard with a soft-touch feel and full 1.3mm travel.
  • Trackpad:
    • Larger size 115 mm x 76.66 mm, glass.
    • Supports up to Five-finger multitouch gesture.

Display

M1 MacBook AirSurface Laptop Go 2
Size13.3 Inches12.45 Inches
InfoRetina display
  • 13.3-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit display with IPS technology; 2560-by-1600 native resolution at 227 pixels per inch with support for millions of colors
  • Supported scaled resolutions:
    • 1680 by 1050
    • 1440 by 900
    • 1024 by 640
  • 16:10 aspect ratio
  • 400 nits brightness
  • Supports wide color (P3)
  • True Tone technology
  • Resolution: 1536 x 1024 (148 PPI)
  • PixelSense™ Display
  • Aspect ratio: 3:2
  • Touch: 10 points multi-touch

Ports

M1 MacBook AirSurface Laptop Go 2
M1 MacBook Air Ports
Image Source: Apple
Left (2)
  • 2 x Thunderbolt 3
    40 Gpbs, USB 4.0 (40 Gbps), Charging, DisplayPort
Right (1)
  • 1 x headphone jack
    Headphone/Microphone
Surface Laptop Go 2 Ports
Image Source: Microsoft
Left (3)
  • 1 x USB-C
    USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps), Power Delivery, DisplayPort
  • 1 x USB-A
    USB 3.0 (5 Gbps)
  • 1 x headphone jack
    Headphone/Microphone
Right (1)
  • 1 x Surface Connect
    Magnet Charging, Docking

Internal Specs

M1 MacBook AirSurface Laptop Go 2
Processor
  1. Apple M1 (7 GPU Cores)
    8 cores, 8 threads, 3.20 GHz, 10W
  2. Apple M1
    8 cores, 8 threads, 3.20 GHz, 10W
  1. 11th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-1135G7
    4 cores, 8 threads, 2.40 → 4.20 GHz, 8MB SmartCache, 28W
Integrated Graphics
  1. Apple M1 (7 GPU Cores)
    Apple M1 iGPU
    7 Graphics Cores, 1280 MHz
  2. Apple M1
    Apple M1 iGPU
    8 Graphics Cores, 1280 MHz
  1. 11th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-1135G7
    Intel® Iris® Xe Graphics
    80 Execution Units, 400 → 1300 MHz
Memory
  • 8GB
    unified memory
  • Configurable to 16GB
4GB 8GB 16GB
4267 MHz LPDDR4X RAM
Storage
  • 256GB 512GB
    SSD
  • Configurable to 1TB or 2TB
128 GB 256 GB
SSD
Fans Number-1

Connectivity

M1 MacBook AirSurface Laptop Go 2
Wi-Fi
  • 802.11ax Wi‑Fi 6 wireless networking
  • IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac compatible
Wi-Fi 6: IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax compatible.
BluetoothBluetooth 5.0 wireless technologyBluetooth Wireless 5.1 technology

Battery

M1 MacBook AirSurface Laptop Go 2
Size49.9 Wh lithium‑polymer battery41 Wh
Battery Life
  • Up to 15 hours wireless web
  • Up to 18 hours Apple TV app movie playback
Up to 13.5 hours of typical device usage
Power Supply30W USB‑C Power Adapter
  • 39W power supply
  • Supports Fast Charge (0-80% in just over one hour)

Software

M1 MacBook AirSurface Laptop Go 2
OSShipped with macOS Big Sur
  • For Consumer: Windows 11 Home
  • For Commercial: Windows 10 Pro, Windows 11 Pro
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 Music Podcasts TV Books App Store Time Machine Find My QuickTime Player
Consumer
  • Microsoft 365 Apps
  • Microsoft 365 Family 1-month trial
  • Xbox App
  • Xbox Game Pass Ultimate 1-month trial
Commerial
  • Microsoft 365 Apps
  • Microsoft 365 Business Standard, Microsoft 365 Business Premium, or Microsoft 365 Apps 30-day trial

Camera & Audio

M1 MacBook AirSurface Laptop Go 2
Camera720p FaceTime HD camera720p HD f2.0 front-facing video camera
Audio
  • Stereo speakers
  • Wide stereo sound
  • Support for Dolby Atmos playback
  • Three-mic array with directional beamforming
  • 3.5 mm headphone jack
  • Dual far-field Studio Mics
  • OmniSonic stereo speakers with Dolby® Audio™ Premium

Misc

M1 MacBook AirSurface Laptop Go 2
Inking-Not Support
Sensors
  • Touch ID sensor
  • Ambient light sensor
  • Ambient light sensor
Security
  • Touch ID sensor
  • Apple T2 Security Chip
Consumer
  • Firmware TPM
  • Enterprise-grade protection with Windows Hello sign-in
  • One-Touch sign in with FingerPrint Reader Power button
Note Surface Laptop Go 2 i5/4GB/128 GB does not include Fingerprint Power Button.
Commercial
  • Discrete hardware TPM
  • Enterprise-grade protection with Windows Hello sign-in
  • One-Touch sign in with FingerPrint Reader Power button
Note Surface Laptop Go 2 i5/4GB/128 GB does not include Fingerprint Power Button.
In the box
  • MacBook Air
  • 30W USB‑C Power Adapter
  • USB-C Charge Cable (2 m)
  • Surface Laptop Go 2
  • 39W Power supply
  • Quick Start Guide
  • Safety and warranty documents
WarrantyYour MacBook Air comes with 90 days of complimentary technical support and a one-year limited warranty. Purchase AppleCare+ to extend your coverage to three years from your AppleCare+ purchase date and add up to two incidents of accidental damage coverage, each subject to a service fee of $99 for screen damage or external enclosure damage, or $299 for other repairable damage, plus applicable tax.
  • One-year limited hardware warranty
MoreVideo Support
  • Simultaneously supports full native resolution on the built-in display at millions of colors and:
    • One external display with up to 6K resolution at 60Hz
  • Thunderbolt 3 digital video output
    • Native DisplayPort output over USB‑C
    • VGA, HDMI, DVI, and Thunderbolt 2 output supported using adapters (sold separately)
-

Key Features

M1 MacBook AirSurface Laptop Go 2
At Glance
Released in Late
2020
16:10 QHD
13.3”
1600p 60Hz
Weight
2.8 lb
1.27 kg
Up to
Apple M1 (8C, 8G)
8C/8T, 3.20 GHz
Geekbench 5
1,705
Single Core
Geekbench 5
7,414
Multi-Core
With integrated
Apple M1 iGPU
8 Graphics Cores, 1280 MHz
Configurable up to
16GB
Unified Memory
M1 MacBook Air Ports
Starting at
$999
M1 (7 GPU Cores), 8GB, 256GB SSD
Up to
18 Hours
Battery Life
Built-in
Touch ID
With T2 Chip
Dual
USB-C
USB4 & Thunderbolt 3
Wi-Fi 6
Bluetooth 5.0
Released in Mid
2022
3:2 1.5K
12.45”
1024p 60Hz
Weight
2.48 lb
1.12 kg
Powered By
Intel Core i5-1135G7
4C/8T, 2.40 → 4.20 GHz
Geekbench 5
1,195
Single Core
Geekbench 5
3,980
Multi-Core
With integrated
Intel® Iris® Xe Graphics
80 Execution Units, 400 → 1300 MHz
Configurable up to
16GB
4267 MHz LPDDR4X
Surface Laptop Go 2 Ports
Starting at
$599.99
i5, 4GB, 128GB SSD, No Fingerprint
Up to
13.5 Hours
Battery Life
Optional
Fingerprint Reader
On Power Button
Single
USB-A
USB 3.0
Single
USB-C
w/ DP & PD
Wi-Fi 6
Bluetooth 5.1

Comments

Ask questions or share your thought and experience about the comparison between M1 MacBook Air and Surface Laptop Go 2.

Loading Comments...