Apple MacBook Air vs Samsung Galaxy Book5 Pro: Which is the better laptop?

Picture of Apple MacBook Air vs Samsung Galaxy Book5 Pro
Apple MacBook Air vs Samsung Galaxy Book5 Pro (Image via Apple | Samsung)

The Apple MacBook Air and Samsung Galaxy Book5 Pro are workstation-grade laptops that offer high performance in a thin and light package. Apple's MacBook laptops dominate the market in performance, battery life, and user experience.

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In comparison, the Samsung Galaxy Book5 Pro is relatively new on the market. But can it deliver more than the MacBook Air? And which one should you buy? Let's find out in this detailed comparison.


Apple MacBook Air vs Samsung Galaxy Book5 Pro: Detailed comparison

Specs comparison

Here are the specs of the Apple MacBook Air and Samsung Galaxy Book5 Pro:

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SpecificationsApple MacBook AirSamsung Galaxy Book5 Pro
Display13.6 or 15.6-inch Liquid Retina QHD+ screen with 60Hz refresh rate14 or 16-inch OLED 3K screen with 120Hz refresh rate
CPU
Apple M4
Intel Core Ultra 5 226V
Intel Core Ultra 7 256V
Memory
16GB LPDDR5X and above (Soldered)
16GB LPDDR5X (Soldered)
GPU
Apple M4 GPUIntel Arc 140V iGPU
Storage256GB/512GB/1TB/2TB PCIe Gen 4 SSD (Soldered)512GB/1TB PCIe Gen 4 SSD (Replaceable)
Battery52.6Wh63Wh
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Design, build quality, and display

The design of the Samsung Galaxy Book5 Pro (Image via Samsung)
The design of the Samsung Galaxy Book5 Pro (Image via Samsung)

In terms of build quality, the Apple MacBook Air wins, even though both laptops have an aluminum construction. That's because the MacBook features an aluminum unibody design, which makes the chassis more durable and minimizes flexing.

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The Samsung Galaxy Book5 Pro's clamshell design increases flexing near the keyboard, potentially causing the area to bend when typing heavily. However, the overall build quality is not far behind the MacBook.

When it comes to design, I prefer the MacBook Air, as the unibody design doesn't have any cracks, crevices, or gaps of any kind. Not even any ventilation holes are present, as this laptop doesn't have a fan. However, you can have a different design choice.

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In terms of portability, both laptops are incredibly thin and light. The difference in their weight thickness is quite marginal, and you won't notice it. As for the display, the Samsung Galaxy Book5 Pro wins hands down. Its AMOLED screen display has a higher resolution, deeper blacks, true HDR, and a faster, 120 Hz refresh rate. The Samsung laptop is miles ahead in the display category.

Moreover, the MacBook Air is available in 13 or 15-inch screen sizes, while the Galaxy Book5 Pro can be purchased in 14 or 16-inch sizes.

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Also read: 5 best gaming phones to buy in 2025


Productivity and performance

Apple MacBook Air is powered by the M4 chip (Image via Apple)
Apple MacBook Air is powered by the M4 chip (Image via Apple)

When it comes to performance, the MacBook Air wins by a great margin. Its M4 chip is significantly more powerful than the Intel Core Ultra 5 226V or even the Ultra 7 256V of the Samsung laptop. Both the CPU and GPU are faster, which will help in productivity and content creation workloads.

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The MacBook Air is completely fanless, so you will hear absolutely no noise. This is not the case with the Samsung Galaxy Book5 Pro, which can get quite loud under load.

Also, they run two completely different operating systems. Not everybody can switch OS quickly, so keep that in mind.


Battery, charging, and pricing

The contents of the Apple MacBook Air's box (Image via Apple)
The contents of the Apple MacBook Air's box (Image via Apple)

Battery life is another area where the Samsung Galaxy Book5 Pro wins. It can deliver around 18 hours on a single charge or more with lighter usage, such as watching movies or writing. However, expect only about 12-14 hours of battery life with a bit more mixed usage.

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In comparison, the MacBook is slightly behind, with around 15-16 hours with lighter usage and around 12 hours with mixed usage. When it comes to charging, the Samsung laptop wins again. It charges much faster, but the MagSafe charging can be more convenient.

The MacBook Air 2025 starts at ₹90,900 on Amazon, while the Samsung Galaxy Book5 Pro begins at ₹1,31,990. The latter is costlier.


Which laptop is better for you?

The answer will depend on your priorities. The MacBook Air provides higher build quality, better design, noiseless operation, and most importantly, superb performance. If these are your priorities, get the MacBook without a second thought and save some money.

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However, if the display, Windows OS, battery life, and charging are your priorities, then consider buying the Samsung Galaxy Book5 Pro.

Also read: 4TB Samsung SSD drops to the lowest price on Best Buy

Edited by Adarsh J Kumar