Apple MacBook Air 15 M5 vs Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6
Apple MacBook Air 15 M5 wins 7 of the 12 categories we compared, against 2 for Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 (3 tied) — including overall score (7/10 vs 5.6/10).
Apple MacBook Air 15 M5 vs Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6: our verdict
Go with the MacBook Air if you want the fastest performance, the longest battery life, and a sharper 2880 x 1864 resolution display, all while spending less than you would on its main rival. If your priority is the best keyboard and input experience or a more premium-feeling design, skip it.
The ThinkPad T14s makes the most sense for professionals who care first about a robust, business-focused design and a top-tier typing experience.
Summarised from our video comparison of these two laptops.
Watch the video comparison
Apple MacBook Air 15 M5 vs Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6: Overall Score
| Spec |
 Apple MacBook Air 15 M5
|
 Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall score | 7/10 | 5.6/10 |
Apple MacBook Air 15 M5 vs Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6: Build & Design
| Spec |
Apple MacBook Air 15 M5
|
Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6
|
|---|---|---|
| Portability score | 8.1/10 | 8.9/10 |
| Weight | 1.51 kg | 1.24 kg |
| Thickness | 11.5 mm | 16.9 mm |
| Fingerprint reader | Yes | Yes |
| Vapor chamber cooling | No | No |
| Numeric keypad | No | No |
| Windows Precision touchpad | No | Yes |
| Facial recognition | No | Yes |
| Build material | Aluminum | Carbon fiber |
| Available colors | Black, Silver, Gold, Blue | Black |
| Keyboard | Backlit, Island | Backlit, Island |
| Key travel | 1 mm | 1.5 mm |
| Cooling system | Passive | Active |
| Dimensions | 340.4 x 237.6 x 11.5 mm | 313.6 x 219.4 x 16.9 mm |
| Footprint | 809 cm2 (125.3 inches2) | 688 cm2 (106.7 inches2) |
| Touchpad size | — | 11.5 x 7.4 cm |
| Touchpad surface | Glass | Plastic |
Apple MacBook Air 15 M5 vs Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6: Benchmarks
| Spec |
Apple MacBook Air 15 M5
|
Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6
|
|---|---|---|
| Performance score | 8.1/10 | 6.4/10 |
| Cinebench (multi-core) | 1162 | 878 |
| Cinebench (single-core) | 202 | 102 |
| Geekbench (multi-core) | 17463 | 13498 |
| Geekbench (single-core) | 4121 | 2279 |
Apple MacBook Air 15 M5 vs Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6: CPU
| Spec |
Apple MacBook Air 15 M5
|
Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6
|
|---|---|---|
| CPU threads | 10 | 12 |
| CPU | Apple M5 (10-Core) | Snapdragon X Elite |
| CPU cores | 10 (4P + 6E) | 12 |
| CPU base frequency | 4.61 GHz | 3.4 GHz |
| CPU manufacturing process | 3 nm | 4 nm |
| CPU configurations available | Apple M5 (10-Core) | X1E-78-100 |
Apple MacBook Air 15 M5 vs Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6: GPU
| Spec |
Apple MacBook Air 15 M5
|
Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6
|
|---|---|---|
| GPU compute | 4.1 TFLOPS | 3.8 TFLOPS |
| GPU | Apple M5 GPU (10-Core) | Adreno X1-85 |
| GPU type | Integrated | Integrated |
| Integrated GPU | Apple M5 GPU (10-core) | Qualcomm Adreno X1-85 |
| GPU VRAM | System Shared | System Shared |
| GPU memory type | LPDDR5X | LPDDR5X |
| GPU memory bus | 128 bit | — |
| GPU base clock | — | 300 MHz |
| GPU boost clock | 1620 MHz | 1250 MHz |
| GPU power (TGP) | — | 80 W |
| GPU configurations available | Apple M5 GPU (10-Core) | Adreno X1-85 |
Apple MacBook Air 15 M5 vs Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6: Memory
| Spec |
Apple MacBook Air 15 M5
|
Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6
|
|---|---|---|
| RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB |
| RAM upgradable | No | No |
| RAM type | LPDDR5X | LPDDR5X |
| RAM clock speed | 9600 MHz | 8448 MHz |
| RAM slots | — | 1 |
| RAM channels | 2x8 GB | 2x8 GB |
| RAM configurations available | 16GB|24GB|32GB | 16GB|32GB|64GB |
Apple MacBook Air 15 M5 vs Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6: Storage
| Spec |
Apple MacBook Air 15 M5
|
Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6
|
|---|---|---|
| Storage | 512 GB | 256 GB |
| NVMe storage | Yes | Yes |
| Storage upgradable | No | Yes |
| Storage type | SSD (M2) | SSD (M2) |
| Storage interface | Custom | PCI-E Gen 4.0 (4x) |
| Storage configurations available | 512GB, 1 TB, 2 TB, 4 TB | 256GB, 512GB, 1 TB |
Apple MacBook Air 15 M5 vs Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6: Display
| Spec |
Apple MacBook Air 15 M5
|
Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6
|
|---|---|---|
| Display score | 5.4/10 | 3.8/10 |
| Display size | 15.3 in | 14 in |
| Refresh rate | 60 Hz | 60 Hz |
| Brightness | 500 nits | 400 nits |
| Pixel density | 224 ppi | 162 ppi |
| Touchscreen | No | No |
| Display type | IPS LCD | IPS LCD |
| Resolution | 2880 x 1864 | 1920 x 1200 |
| Screen coating | Glossy | Matte |
| Aspect ratio | 16:10 | 16:10 |
| Contrast ratio | 1223:1 | 1000:1 |
| sRGB coverage | 100% | 100% |
| Response time | 27 ms | — |
| Screen-to-body ratio | ~83.9% | ~82.6% |
| Side bezels | 5.4 mm | 6.1 mm |
| Maximum opening angle | 130° | — |
Apple MacBook Air 15 M5 vs Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6: Battery
| Spec |
Apple MacBook Air 15 M5
|
Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6
|
|---|---|---|
| Battery score | 8.6/10 | 7.8/10 |
| Battery capacity | 66.5 Wh | 58 Wh |
| Charging speed | 35 W | 65 W |
| Wireless charging | No | No |
| Charging port | USB-C | USB-C |
| Proprietary charging | Yes | No |
| Battery type | Li-Po | Li-Po |
Apple MacBook Air 15 M5 vs Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6: Network & Connectivity
| Spec |
Apple MacBook Air 15 M5
|
Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6
|
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 7.9/10 | 7/10 |
| Wi-Fi generation | 7 | 7 |
| Bluetooth version | 6 | 5.3 |
| Ethernet port | No | No |
| HDMI port | No | Yes |
| DisplayPort | No | No |
| SD card reader | No | No |
| USB-A ports | No | 2x USB 3.2 |
| USB-C ports | 2x USB 4.0 | 2x USB 4.0 |
Apple MacBook Air 15 M5 vs Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6: Audio
| Spec |
Apple MacBook Air 15 M5
|
Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6
|
|---|---|---|
| Dolby Atmos | Yes | Yes |
| Speaker configuration | 2.4 (2 tweeters and 4 woofers) | 2.0 |
| Audio chip | — | Qualcomm WCD9385 |
| Speaker loudness | ~84.8 dB | — |
| Speaker power | — | 2x2W |
Apple MacBook Air 15 M5 vs Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6: OS & Software
| Spec |
Apple MacBook Air 15 M5
|
Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6
|
|---|---|---|
| Operating system | macOS | Windows 11 |
Apple MacBook Air 15 M5 vs Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6: Extras & Features
| Spec |
Apple MacBook Air 15 M5
|
Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6
|
|---|---|---|
| 2-in-1 convertible | No | No |
| Webcam | 1080p FHD | 1080p FHD |
| Webcam position | Above the display | Above the display |
Where each laptop wins
Apple MacBook Air 15 M5
- Overall score: 7/10 (vs 5.6/10)
- Performance score: 8.1/10 (vs 6.4/10)
- Battery score: 8.6/10 (vs 7.8/10)
- Display score: 5.4/10 (vs 3.8/10)
- Connectivity score: 7.9/10 (vs 7/10)
- Cinebench (multi-core): 1162 (vs 878)
- Cinebench (single-core): 202 (vs 102)
- Geekbench (multi-core): 17463 (vs 13498)
- Geekbench (single-core): 4121 (vs 2279)
- GPU compute: 4.1 TFLOPS (vs 3.8 TFLOPS)
- Storage: 512 GB (vs 256 GB)
- Display size: 15.3 in (vs 14 in)
- Brightness: 500 nits (vs 400 nits)
- Pixel density: 224 ppi (vs 162 ppi)
- Battery capacity: 66.5 Wh (vs 58 Wh)
- Thickness: 11.5 mm (vs 16.9 mm)
- Bluetooth version: 6 (vs 5.3)
Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6
- Portability score: 8.9/10 (vs 8.1/10)
- CPU threads: 12 (vs 10)
- Storage upgradable
- Charging speed: 65 W (vs 35 W)
- Weight: 1.24 kg (vs 1.51 kg)
- Windows Precision touchpad
- Facial recognition
- HDMI port
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Frequently Asked Questions
Which is better, the Apple MacBook Air 15 M5 or the Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6?
Apple MacBook Air 15 M5 wins 7 of the 12 categories we compared, against 2 for Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 (3 tied) — including overall score (7/10 vs 5.6/10).
Which is cheaper, the Apple MacBook Air 15 M5 or the Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6?
The Apple MacBook Air 15 M5 costs around $1299, $367 less than the Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 at around $1666.
What are the main differences between the Apple MacBook Air 15 M5 and the Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6?
The biggest gaps are in overall score (7/10 on the Apple MacBook Air 15 M5 vs 5.6/10); performance score (8.1/10 on the Apple MacBook Air 15 M5 vs 6.4/10); portability score (8.9/10 on the Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 vs 8.1/10).