NEW DELHI: The MacBook Air with Apple's M5 chip starts at Rs 1,49,900 in India and the 14-inch MacBook Pro with the same M5 chip starts at Rs 2,39,900, on Apple's India online store. That is a gap of Rs 90,000 for two laptops that share a processor. Both prices are Apple's store price as of 24 October 2026, 12:20 AM IST, including taxes.
So what does the extra money buy? Mostly a better screen, more ports, longer battery life and double the base storage. Here is how the two line up, using Apple's buy pages and official spec sheets.
| MacBook Air 13-inch (M5) | MacBook Pro 14-inch (M5) | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Rs 1,49,900 | Rs 2,39,900 |
| Base memory and storage | 16GB, 512GB | 16GB, 1TB |
| CPU and GPU | 10-core CPU, 8-core GPU | 10-core CPU, 10-core GPU |
| Display | 13.6-inch Liquid Retina, 500 nits | 14.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR, up to 120Hz |
| Battery (video streaming) | Up to 18 hours | Up to 24 hours |
| Ports | 2 Thunderbolt 4, MagSafe 3, headphone jack | 3 Thunderbolt 4, HDMI, SDXC, MagSafe 3, headphone jack |
| Weight | 1.23 kg | 1.5 kg |
| Where to buy | Apple India online store, Apple Store app and Apple retail stores | |
MacBook Air and MacBook Pro prices in India
MacBook Air 13-inch, M5 with 10-core CPU and 8-core GPU: Rs 1,49,900 with 16GB memory and 512GB storage. MacBook Air 13-inch, M5 with 10-core GPU: Rs 1,61,900. MacBook Air 15-inch, M5 with 10-core GPU: Rs 1,79,900.
MacBook Pro 14-inch, M5: Rs 2,39,900 with 16GB memory and 1TB storage. 14-inch, M5 Pro with 15-core CPU and 16-core GPU: Rs 2,99,900. 16-inch, M5 Pro with 18-core CPU and 20-core GPU: Rs 3,59,900. The M5 Max models go up to Rs 6,19,900.
The cheapest MacBook Pro costs Rs 60,000 more than the 15-inch Air, which is the closer match if screen size is what pulls you towards the Pro. The 15-inch Air weighs 1.51 kg, almost the same as the 14-inch Pro, and carries a 66.5 watt-hour battery.
Same chip, different machines
Apple's spec sheets list a 10-core M5 CPU, with four super cores and six efficiency cores, and 153GB/s memory bandwidth for both laptops. The base Air has an 8-core GPU and the Pro a 10-core GPU, the same as the Rs 1,61,900 Air.
On paper, then, the base Pro is not a faster computer than the Rs 1,61,900 Air in the way the name suggests. Both support up to two external displays. The step up in raw power comes only with the M5 Pro and M5 Max models, which Apple lists with Thunderbolt 5 ports and support for three and four external displays respectively.
Display: the biggest difference
The Air's 13.6-inch Liquid Retina panel is an LED-backlit IPS screen at 2560 by 1664 pixels and 500 nits. The 15-inch Air uses the same type of panel at 15.3 inches.
The Pro's 14.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR display runs at 3024 by 1964 pixels, holds 1,000 nits full-screen for HDR content and peaks at 1,600 nits. It also offers ProMotion with refresh rates up to 120Hz, and Apple rates its SDR brightness at up to 1,000 nits outdoors. A nano-texture finish is an option on the Pro. For anyone editing photos or HDR video, or working near a window, this is the main reason to pay more.
Battery, ports and weight
Apple quotes up to 18 hours of video streaming and 15 hours of wireless web use for the 13-inch Air from a 53.8 watt-hour battery. The 14-inch Pro with M5 is rated at up to 24 hours of video and 16 hours of web use from a 72.4 watt-hour battery, and ships with a 70W adapter. The base Air comes with a 30W adapter, and the 10-core GPU Air with a 35W dual-port adapter.
The Air has two Thunderbolt 4 ports, MagSafe 3 and a headphone jack. The Pro adds a third Thunderbolt 4 port, an HDMI port and an SDXC card slot. Photographers who load memory cards daily, or anyone who plugs into a projector in a classroom or office, will notice that difference more than the benchmark scores.
The Air weighs 1.23 kg and is 1.13 cm thick. The 14-inch Pro weighs 1.5 kg and is 1.55 cm thick, so it is the heavier bag every day. The Pro also gets a six-speaker system with force-cancelling woofers, against four speakers on the 13-inch Air.
One point goes the Air's way: Apple lists Wi-Fi 7 on the MacBook Air, while the 14-inch Pro with M5 is listed with Wi-Fi 6E. Both have a 12MP Center Stage camera.
Which one to buy
For students, writers, office users and most developers, the 13-inch Air at Rs 1,49,900 does the job, and the Rs 90,000 saved is enough to raise its storage or add a monitor. If you want a bigger screen without the Pro's price, the 15-inch Air at Rs 1,79,900 is the middle option.
The 14-inch Pro makes sense if you need the XDR display, HDMI and SD card slot, or the longer battery life, and if 1TB of storage is something you would have paid to add to an Air anyway. Buyers who need more graphics power should look at the M5 Pro models from Rs 2,99,900 rather than the base Pro.
Our full Mac price list for India has every configuration, and our MacBook Neo vs MacBook Air M5 comparison covers the cheaper end. Before you buy, read about Apple Store India's return and price-drop rules. Prices are from the Apple India Mac store.
