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Updated January 10, 2024· Prices updated 24 hours ago
When choosing between the Apple MacBook Air (2022) and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3, consider the following tradeoffs: the MacBook Air generally offers higher performance, better build quality, improved speaker and webcam quality, longer battery life, and a quieter experience since it has no fans. It also comes with a backlit keyboard and is suitable for a wider range of color-intensive tasks due to its better screen color accuracy. However, it's usually slightly more expensive and less portable than the Surface Laptop Go 3. On the other hand, the Surface Laptop Go 3 is a bit more affordable, has a touchscreen, and can be a bit more portable due to its smaller size and weight, but it has a shorter battery life and lower overall performance. If your priority is performance, build quality, and longer work sessions without charging, you may prefer the MacBook Air. If affordability, touch capability, and portability are more critical, the Surface Laptop Go 3 might be your pick. Give Feedback
this description is based on the product variant with some specs and product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars and the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Advantages of the Apple MacBook Air (2022)
- Good for engineering and design
- Very good for software development
- Good overall display quality
- Best in class overall build quality
- Excellent battery life
- Best in class speakers
- Best in class keyboard
Advantages of the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3
- The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 has no clear advantages over the Apple MacBook Air (2022).
Key differences
General Use
7.9
7.2
2560 x 1664
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
486.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
337.0 nits
15.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
10.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
9.4/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
9.2/10
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) and Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 are both good for general use, though the Apple MacBook Air (2022) is somewhat better.
The MacBook Air, equipped with the Apple M2 processor, offers superior CPU performance and exceptional screen quality with higher brightness and more color coverage, leading to better overall performance and visual experience for general use, plus it has the advantage of a longer battery life and silent operation.
Engineering and Design
7.5
6.8
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.4/10
4.1/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) is good for engineering and design, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 is only fair.
PerfectRec’s Engineering and Design Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for graphic design and 3D rendering work.
Content Creation
7.9
7.3
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.4/10
2560 x 1664
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) and Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 are both good for content creation, though the Apple MacBook Air (2022) is somewhat better.
PerfectRec’s Content Creation Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for photo editing, video editing and other content creation tasks.
Software Development
8.0
7.1
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.4/10
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
2560 x 1664
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
10.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) is very good for software development, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 is good.
PerfectRec’s Software Development Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for software developers.
Screen Quality
7.6
6.8
13.6in
SIZE
12.4in
2560 x 1664
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
486.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
337.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Air has a better screen than the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 for general use, AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Apple MacBook Air offers a high-resolution display with vibrant colors and brightness, which enhances the viewing experience for general use and professional design tasks that require precise color accuracy. The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 provides a decent display that is bright and clear enough for everyday tasks and some engineering work where color fidelity is important, but not as critical. For 3D applications, both laptops fall short because they lack fast refresh rates that are crucial for smooth rendering and immersive visuals, making them less suitable for high-end gaming or intensive 3D modeling.
Battery
15.0 Hours
8.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Air has 15 hours of battery life. The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 has 8 hours of battery life.
Battery life estimate is based on a mix of common use patterns. More portable and higher performing laptops tend to have less battery life.
Build Quality
10.0
7.8
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) has best in class build quality, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
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Key similarities
Gaming and AI
6.4
6.1
4.1/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
2560 x 1664
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) and Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) with its M2 GPU delivers fair performance for 3D tasks and is limited by its 60 Hz screen refresh rate; however, it's not ideal for many popular games as they're not compatible with MacOS. In comparison, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 offers a fair gaming and 3D experience using its Intel Iris Xe GPU, and while it has a similar 60 Hz screen refresh rate, it runs Windows, which supports a wider range of popular games.
Portability
Excellent
Excellent
13.6in
SIZE
12.4in
2.7 lbs
WEIGHT
2.4 lbs
0.4in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) and Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 both have excellent portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$839
$797
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) has a price of $839 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 costs $797.
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How the Apple MacBook Air (2022) and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Apple MacBook Air (2022) | Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$839 | $797 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | July 1, 2022 | October 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12'' x 8.5'' x 0.44'' | 11'' x 8.1'' x 0.62'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 2.7 lbs | 2.49 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 11.97" | 10.95" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.46" | 8.12" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Apple M2 | Intel i5-1235U | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 8 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 256 GB | 256 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 15 Hours | 8 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 52.6 Wh | 41 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 13.6" | 12.4" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2560 x 1664 | 1536 x 1024 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 486 nits | 337 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 10/10 | 7.8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 9.4/10 | 9.3/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | Yes | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 10/10 | 7.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 10/10 | 7/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 10/10 | 8.4/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | Yes | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | No | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 0 | 1 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 1 | 1 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 3 | N/A | |
Shopping
Apple MacBook Air (2022)
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Andreas Osthoff | July 2022
"The Apple MacBook Air M2 Entry is a very good, but too expensive daily MacBook. The new MacBook Air M2 is undoubtedly once again a very good mobile companion, but we are still a little bit disappointed on a very high level, which is definitely connected with the increased price point. The new chassis is extremely slim and the front edge is no problem during typing, but the bezels are pretty wide for a modern device and in addition with the vertical space required for the notch, the new Air has larger footprint than some Windows rivals."
Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3
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PCMag
Joe Osborne | October 2023
"When it comes to affordably priced laptops, the numbers after the dollar sign are crucially important—more so than in any other price category. By increasing the starting price of its Laptop Go line by $200 and not changing much else, Microsoft irrevocably altered the calculus surrounding the decision of whether to buy the Surface Laptop Go 3. Sure, it has a newer processor and longer battery life, but don’t think for a second you’re not paying dearly for that extra RAM and SSD capacity at that new price."
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About Apple
Apple, an American technology company, is one of the world’s largest company in terms of market capitalization. Their MacBook laptops feature a slim, minimalistic design, class-leading battery life, and premium display and speaker quality. In 2020 Apple switched from using Intel processors to their own silicon chips which have excellent performance and efficiency. The macOS operating system is the second most widely used OS, after Windows.
About Microsoft
Microsoft is an American technology corporation. Microsoft is best known for their Windows operating system and Surface laptop series. The Surface Laptop is their standard notebook offering, while their Surface Go, Surface Pro, and Surface Studio are their 2-in-1/tablet offerings in order of increasing capability. Although Microsoft charges a premium price tag for their laptops, buyers can expect a well integrated and packaged device since Microsoft develops the Windows operating system.
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Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
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