Apple MacBook Air with Retina display vs. Microsoft Surface Laptop SE

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 SE. 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 SE Review

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

affordable price

lightweight design

integrated with windows 11

good battery life

simple user interface

limited storage capacity

basic display quality

minimal connectivity options

lower performance levels

Laptop Comparison and Tests

Difference between Apple MacBook Air with Retina display and Microsoft Surface Laptop SE
72 % - Design
64 % - Display
45 % - Performance
65 % - Connectivity
75 % - Battery

Laptop Specifications Comparison

Apple MacBook Air with Retina display vs. Microsoft Surface Laptop SE Comparison Chart
DESIGN AND DIMENSIONS Apple MacBook Air with Retina display Microsoft Surface Laptop SE
Product Type Notebook Notebook
Dimensions (WxDxH) 30.41 cm x 21.24 cm x 1.56 cm 28.37 cm x 19.305 cm x 1.758 cm
Weight 1.25 kg 1.1124 kg
Case Material Aluminum Plastic
Colour Space grey | Gold | Silver Glacier
DISPLAY Apple MacBook Air with Retina display Microsoft Surface Laptop SE
Screen Size (Type) 13.3" - IPS 11.6"
LCD Backlight Technology LED backlight -
Screen Resolution 2560 x 1600 (WQXGA) 1366 x 768 (HD)
Pixel Density (ppi) 227 135
Widescreen Yes Yes
Image Aspect Ratio 16:10 16:9
Features BFR/PVC-free, Mercury free, beryllium free, arsenic free, Retina display -
PROCESSOR Apple MacBook Air with Retina display Microsoft Surface Laptop SE
CPU Intel Core i5 (8th Gen) 1.6 GHz Intel Celeron N4020 / 1.1 GHz
Max Turbo Speed 3.6 GHz 2.8 GHz
Number of Cores Dual-Core Dual-Core
Cache L3 - 4 MB 4 MB
64-bit Computing Yes -
Features Intel Turbo Boost Technology Intel Burst Technology
MEMORY Apple MacBook Air with Retina display Microsoft Surface Laptop SE
RAM 8 GB (provided memory is soldered) 4 GB
RAM Type LPDDR3 SDRAM DDR4 SDRAM
Speed 2133 MHz -
STORAGE Apple MacBook Air with Retina display Microsoft Surface Laptop SE
Main Storage Size (HDD/SSD) 128 GB SSD soldered PCIe 64 GB eMMC
AUDIO & VIDEO Apple MacBook Air with Retina display Microsoft Surface Laptop SE
Graphics Processor (GPU) Intel UHD Graphics 617 Intel UHD Graphics 600
Camera Yes - 720p Yes - 720p
Resolution - 1 Megapixel (front)
Camera Features FaceTime HD camera 30 frames per second
Sound Stereo speakers, three microphones Stereo speakers, microphone
COMMUNICATIONS Apple MacBook Air with Retina display Microsoft Surface Laptop SE
Wireless 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.2 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0
Features - Dual stream (2x2)
BATTERY Apple MacBook Air with Retina display Microsoft Surface Laptop SE
Technology Lithium polymer -
Battery Capacity (Size) 50.3 Wh -
Battery Life Up to 12 hours Up to 16 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 SE
Input AC 100-240 V (50/60 Hz) -
Output 30 Watt -
INPUT Apple MacBook Air with Retina display Microsoft Surface Laptop SE
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 SE
Interfaces 2 x USB-C 3.1 Gen 2 (supports Thunderbolt 3, DisplayPort Alt Mode) (Power Delivery)
Headphone output
USB-C
USB
Headphone/microphone combo jack
SOFTWARE Apple MacBook Air with Retina display Microsoft Surface Laptop SE
Operating System (OS) Apple macOS Big Sur 11.0 Windows 11 SE
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 for Education (requires licence or subscription)
MISCELLANEOUS Apple MacBook Air with Retina display Microsoft Surface Laptop SE
Included Accessories USB-C power adapter Power adapter
Cables Included USB-C charge cable -
Integrated Options - Hall sensor
Security Apple T2 Security Chip, fingerprint reader Firmware Trusted Platform Module (TPM) Security Chip
Security Slot Type - Kensington nano security slot
Theft/Intrusion Protection - Security lock slot (cable lock sold separately)
Features T2 Security Chip Bulk packaging
SAR Value 0.71 W/kg (body) -
Repairability Index 6.1 (out of 10) -
ENERGY STAR Certified Yes Yes
EPEAT Compliant EPEAT Gold 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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