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MacBook Air 13 (2024)
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Laptop 13 (2023)
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Advantages of the Apple MacBook Air 13 (2024)
  • Very good for general use
  • Very good for engineering and design
  • Very good for software development
  • Very good for content creation
  • Best in class overall build quality
  • Excellent portability
  • Excellent battery life
  • Best in class speakers
  • Best in class keyboard
Advantages of the Framework Laptop 13 (2023)
  • The Framework Laptop 13 (2023) has no clear advantages over the Apple MacBook Air 13 (2024).

Key differences

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General Use

8.5
MacBook Air 13 (2024)
Laptop 13 (2023)
7.9
2560 x 1664
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
486.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
472.0 nits
15.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.5 Hours
10.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
9.4/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.8/10
The Apple MacBook Air 13 (2024) is very good for general use, while the Framework Laptop 13 (2023) is good.

Content Creation

8.4
MacBook Air 13 (2024)
Laptop 13 (2023)
7.8
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.2/10
2560 x 1664
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Apple MacBook Air 13 (2024) is very good for content creation, while the Framework Laptop 13 (2023) is good.

Software Development

8.4
MacBook Air 13 (2024)
Laptop 13 (2023)
7.9
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.2/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1664
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
10.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The Apple MacBook Air 13 (2024) is very good for software development, while the Framework Laptop 13 (2023) is good.

Screen Quality

7.6
MacBook Air 13 (2024)
Laptop 13 (2023)
7.4
13.6in
SIZE
13.5in
2560 x 1664
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
486.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
472.0 nits
The MacBook Air 13 has a better screen than the Framework Laptop 13 for general use, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.

Battery

15.0 Hours
MacBook Air 13 (2024)
Laptop 13 (2023)
8.5 Hours
The MacBook Air 13 has 15 hours of battery life. The Framework Laptop 13 has 8.5 hours of battery life.

Portability

Excellent
MacBook Air 13 (2024)
Laptop 13 (2023)
Very Good
13.6in
SIZE
13.5in
2.7 lbs
WEIGHT
2.9 lbs
0.4in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Apple MacBook Air 13 (2024) has excellent portability, while the Framework Laptop 13 (2023) has very good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.

Build Quality

10.0
MacBook Air 13 (2024)
Laptop 13 (2023)
7.8
The Apple MacBook Air 13 (2024) has best in class build quality, while the Framework Laptop 13 (2023) has good build quality.

Cost

$1,299
MacBook Air 13 (2024)
Laptop 13 (2023)
$1,499
Product image
Product image

$500

$1,000

$1,500

$2,000

$2,500

The Apple MacBook Air 13 (2024) has a price of $1,299 and the Framework Laptop 13 (2023) costs $1,499.
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Key similarities

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Gaming and AI

6.7
MacBook Air 13 (2024)
Laptop 13 (2023)
6.5
4.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.8/10
2560 x 1664
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
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 13 (2024) and Framework Laptop 13 (2023) are both only fair for gaming and AI.

Engineering and Design

8.0
MacBook Air 13 (2024)
Laptop 13 (2023)
7.7
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.2/10
4.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Apple MacBook Air 13 (2024) to be very good for engineering and design, while the Framework Laptop 13 (2023) is good.

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How the Apple MacBook Air 13 (2024) and the Framework Laptop 13 (2023) compare to other laptops

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Spec Comparison

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Apple MacBook Air 13 (2024)Framework Laptop 13 (2023)
Apple MacBook Air 13 (2024)Framework Laptop 13 (2023)

GENERAL

Price
$1,299
$1,499
Release Date
February 1, 2024May 1, 2023
Overall Dimensions
12'' x 8.5'' x 0.44''11.7'' x 9'' x 0.62''
Weight
2.7 lbs2.95 lbs
Width
11.97"11.7"
Depth
8.46"9.01"

INTERNAL

Processor
Apple M3Intel i7-1360P
RAM
16 GB16 GB
DDR Memory Version
54
RAM Slots
02
Storage
512 GB512 GB

BATTERY

Battery Life
15 Hours8.5 Hours
Battery Capacity
52.6 Wh61 Wh

SCREEN

Diagonal Size
13.6"13.5"
Display Technology
IPSIPS
Resolution
2560 x 16642256 x 1504
Refresh Rate
60Hz60Hz
Display Brightness
486 nits472 nits

RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS

Build Quality Score
10/107.8/10
Portability Score
9.4/108.8/10
Gaming Laptop Appearance
NoNo
Premium Business Laptop
YesNo
Fan Noise Score
10/107.5/10

HARDWARE FEATURES

Keyboard Quality Score
10/108.5/10
Speaker Quality Score
10/108/10
Webcam
1080p1080p
Fingerprint Reader
YesYes
Backlit Keyboard
YesYes
Number Pad
NoNo

CONNECTIVITY

USB Type-A
01
USB-C ports
22
USB-C Charging
YesYes
Display Outputs
12
Thunderbolt Version
34

Shopping

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Framework Laptop 13 (2023)

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Dig into reviews and images

Wired

Scott Gilbertson | July 2023
"If you’re thinking of investing in your first Framework, now is the time. The kinks and rough edges have all been smoothed out and this is a very nice machine with a bright, upgradable future. The only reason I can think of to wait is the AMD model, which I’ll be sure to test as soon as I can get my hands on one."

Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Air 13 (2024) or the Framework Laptop 13 (2023)

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 Framework

Framework is a new American laptop manufacturer, specializing in modular and repairable laptops with the goals of promoting longevity and reducing electronic waste. They are a strong proponent of the right to repair movement. Framework laptops have replaceable RAM, storage, ports, keyboards, display bezels, mainboards, and more, making them a great choice for repairability-oriented individuals.

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Why trust us

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This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec laptops team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest laptop information and makes it digestible for you.

By the numbers

380
Laptops evaluated
48,640
Laptops stats compiled
13
Proprietary Laptops ratings developed
125,595
Recommendations made
27,213
Consumer hours saved

About the laptop team

Joe Golden, Ph.D

CEO and Laptops Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.

Jason Lew

Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.

Chandradeep Chowdhury

Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.

Craig Russell

Laptops Expert
Craig is a UK-based laptops expert. Craig works in IT, where he recommends and supports laptops and PCs for clients and has been recommending laptops on Reddit for five years.

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