MBA M5 13" or 15"

[punkwood]

As others have suggested, chose the size you think is best for you. Look at both sizes in person at an Apple Store or Best Buy.

I have a 13" M1 MBP, but normally at home it's connected to a 27" monitor for my "real" work. But when I need to disconnect and take it with me, I really appreciate the small size.

The 15" MBA is a small laptop. The two laptops weigh almost the exact same and the thinness is almost the exact same. Are people really finding that the two inches of space are adding friction to their travels and commutes with the laptop?

Further, what about actually using the laptop? We tend to focus on the measurements on the spec sheet in these discussions (and some perceived way that the two inches will stop you from using it the same way as your 13"), but what about actually using the screen? A 15" screen is quite noticeable when it comes to real estate and being cramped when doing actual computing. Which, to me, is more important than two extra inches in my backpack walking from my car in the parking lot through the front door of the coffee shop or my office (OP has not indicated that they do serious travel/commuting/subway/train/flights etc. with their laptop, but have mentioned that they will barely take it outside, so I doubt it).

I have loved my 13" macbook pro and am on my 10th year of using it. I had a 15" before that and a 17" before that. I will own a 15" MBA next. When I owned a 15" and 17" (back when they were thicker and heavier than a 15" MBA is today), nothing about those sizes stopped me from using them just as easily as my 13" when it came to travel. But when I opened the lids to do actual work, I really enjoyed what the larger screens gave me as soon as the laptop was stationary and being used.

In short, I think these conversations should really focus on actual computing use cases and the benefits that screen real estate brings to the table, unless you are always on the go and especially if you are always on cramped tables such as on planes or trains.

 

[CalMin]

There are no right or wrong answers to this. It's a preference thing.

I've had both. The 13" is amazing for how small and light it is. The 15" is beefier for sure but for me it's worth the trade-off because I find it hard to multitask on the smaller screen and I rarely use the Air docked to my external displays.

Seems to me your use case fits the 13". Just know that if you switch to a life where you're using it undocked more often, depending on your workflow, the 13" can be a little cramped if you have lots of windows open and are used to a larger display.

 

[punkwood]

There are no right or wrong answers to this. It's a preference thing.

I've had both. The 13" is amazing for how small and light it is. The 15" is beefier for sure but for me it's worth the trade-off because I find it hard to multitask on the smaller screen and I rarely use the Air docked to my external displays.

Seems to me your use case fits the 13". Just know that if you switch to a life where you're using it undocked more often, depending on your workflow, the 13" can be a little cramped if you have lots of windows open and are used to a larger display.

That's definitely what makes the difference for me. Docked? Doesn't matter what size it is. Undocked? 13" is fine for quick, casual use. As soon as you start wanting to do more prolonged and in-depth work with a lot of multi-tasking, well you might be glad for the 15".

So perhaps a look into how you might be using the laptop when undocked could help you make your decision as it seems that the actual form factor might be irrelevant for your use-case.

 

[Fallforward]

No brainer 13 inch is better for travel. When using the monitor you can have widgets on the laptop screen for weather, calendar, do list, etc. They disappear when the monitor isn't connected. Use the price difference to get a wide 34 inch wide flat non-gamer monitor that provides the screen area of two terminals in one.

 

[ThailandToo]

I always think what’s the size I want when traveling. The weight matter but so does usability. For me, I need the 16” version to not hate using it. But then again I hate the weight of it. With the MBA it’s less important as the weight isn’t too bad for either. Since you’re using 90% of the time plugged into a monitor, I would lean towards 13” but the other 10% are you using it on an airplane or in meetings or what? I think that matters most. The use case determines it. Cheers and best luck choosing what works for you.

 

[cheesygrin]

One other difference between the two is that the 15" has a six-speaker setup with improved subwoofers - the 13" uses a standard 4-speaker setup. If sound quality is important to you, that may also influence the decision.

Otherwise, it just comes down to the screen real estate - 15" is slightly higher resolution, as well as being bigger. It may in part also depend on what other devices you own - I already have an 11" iPad for basic, portable tasks, so will likely go for the 15" M5 so I have something noticeably bigger to use if I need it.

 

[Ctrlos]

I still think 11" is the ideal size for a laptop so the 13" I see as massive. In my head 15" =/= portable. I reckon 13" is the way to go if you're going to have it plugged into a bigger monitor anyway.

 

[TechnoMonk]

Try both, buy at Costco and you get 90 days. I have stopped using 13 inch laptops over decade ago.

 

[Allen_Wentz]

Hi
I'm thinking getting the next Macbook Air M5, as my main computer
Not sure if I should get the 13" or the 15"..

I love light portable laptops
I will 90% of the time be using it like a Mac Mini: plugged into my external monitor with external keyboard and mouse and not use the laptop itself as it is, only sometimes on trips

Many say "get the 15". you won't regret it"
Well I lean towards the 13" because it's so small, light and handy

Any advice or thoughts on this?

The 13" MBA is pretty sweet. It just depends on how important the visuals and sound are when using it mobile. If they are really important or you need RAM, spend for a MacBook Pro.

Personally I want the largest mobile display I can get. But your MMV...