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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) is equipped with Apple's M2 chipset and a larger 15.3-inch screen, providing a high-quality display and powerful performance suitable for a variety of tasks including some engineering applications, though it's not designed for intensive gaming. Its fanless design means it operates silently. The Framework Laptop 13 (2023), on the other hand, is built with upgradability and repairability in mind with its modular components, has an Intel i5 processor, and a slightly smaller 13.5-inch screen. While the Framework offers a solid performance for general use and a degree of future-proofing due to its upgradable nature, its integrated graphics may not handle engineering software or 3D work as effectively as the MacBook Air. The MacBook is also recognized for having a superior build quality and battery life but at the cost of being slightly heavier and less portable. Both devices are similarly priced and offer a premium build, but your choice should depend on whether you prioritize performance and battery life (MacBook Air) or portability and upgradability (Framework Laptop). 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 15 (2023)
- Very good for software development
- Very good for content creation
- Best in class overall build quality
- 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 15 (2023).
Key differences
Screen Quality
7.8
7.4
15.3in
SIZE
13.5in
2880 x 1864
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
501.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
472.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Air 15 has a better screen than the Framework Laptop 13 for general use, AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Apple MacBook Air with its superior resolution and brightness offers a crisp and vivid display that’s beneficial for everyday tasks and detailed enough for engineering and design work, where color accuracy for wider color gamuts is essential. However, it lacks a high refresh rate, making it less suitable for 3D applications where smooth motion is key. Conversely, the Framework Laptop offers decent display quality for both everyday and professional design tasks, but similarly falls short for gaming and 3D due to its lower refresh rate.
Battery
15.0 Hours
7.5 Hours
The Apple MacBook Air 15 has 15 hours of battery life. The Framework Laptop 13 has 7.5 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 15 (2023) has best in class build quality, while the Framework Laptop 13 (2023) has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,299
$1,079
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) has a price of $1,299 and the Framework Laptop 13 (2023) costs $1,079.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.9
7.5
2880 x 1864
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
501.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
472.0 nits
15.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
7.5 Hours
10.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
8.9/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.8/10
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) and Framework Laptop 13 (2023) are both good for general use.
The Apple MacBook Air 15 with its M2 chip and 8GB RAM delivers smooth performance for everyday tasks, and its 15.3-inch IPS display offers high-quality visuals and a larger screen area, making it good for general use; it also excels in portability with a thin design and long battery life. On the other hand, the Framework Laptop 13 stands out with its Intel Iris Xe graphics and customization options, a slightly smaller and lighter build enhancing its portability, and a 13.5-inch IPS display with an unusual aspect ratio for productivity, accompanied by solid performance for general use owing to a similar memory capacity.
Gaming and AI
6.5
6.3
4.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
2880 x 1864
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 15 (2023) and Framework Laptop 13 (2023) are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Apple MacBook Air 15's fair capability for 3D tasks is limited by its GPU, which is not as powerful as dedicated gaming GPUs, and a screen refresh rate that's standard for productivity but not ideal for fast-paced gaming. In contrast, the Framework Laptop 13, while also having a GPU that's not top-tier for gaming, runs on Windows, supporting more games and can handle 3D work adequately, but still suffers from a standard refresh rate resulting in less fluid visuals in games.
Engineering and Design
7.6
7.3
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.8/10
4.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) and Framework Laptop 13 (2023) are both good for engineering and design.
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) is well-suited for engineering and design due to its efficient M2 processor, high-resolution IPS display with wide color coverage, and silent operation, yet it is less customizable compared to the Framework Laptop 13 (2023), which offers decent performance with its Intel i5 processor and Iris Xe graphics, and is geared towards users who value repairability and upgradeability, despite its slightly lower screen quality and shorter battery life.
Content Creation
8.0
7.5
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.8/10
2880 x 1864
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) to be very good for content creation, while the Framework Laptop 13 (2023) is good.
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
8.1
7.6
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.8/10
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
2880 x 1864
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
10.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) to be very good for software development, while the Framework Laptop 13 (2023) 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.
Portability
Very Good
Very Good
15.3in
SIZE
13.5in
3.3 lbs
WEIGHT
2.9 lbs
0.4in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) and Framework Laptop 13 (2023) both have very good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
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How the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) and the Framework Laptop 13 (2023) compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) | Framework Laptop 13 (2023) |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,299 | $1,079 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | June 1, 2023 | May 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 13.4'' x 9.4'' x 0.45'' | 11.7'' x 9'' x 0.62'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.3 lbs | 2.95 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 13.4" | 11.7" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.35" | 9.01" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Apple M2 | Intel i5-1340P | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 8 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 256 GB | 256 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 15 Hours | 7.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 66.6 Wh | 55 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.3" | 13.5" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2880 x 1864 | 2256 x 1504 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 501 nits | 472 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 10/10 | 7.8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 9/10 | 8.8/10 | |
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 | 8.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 10/10 | 8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | Yes | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 0 | 1 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 1 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 3 | 4 | |
Shopping
Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023)
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NotebookCheck
Andreas Osthoff | June 2023
"The Apple MacBook Air 15 is boringly good. The new MacBook Air 15 is a very good, but also boring device, because apart from the larger screen and the higher price, there are no differences compared to the smaller MacBook Air M2 from last year. No new processor, no additional ports, just the usual basic hardware - but the overall package is extremely good and it simply works. Above all, the lack of fans is an aspect that should not be underestimated in everyday use. In our opinion, the Air could be a lot better, but Apple goes easy on itself here."
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 15 (2023) 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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