Apple MacBook Air 13" M3 vs Samsung Galaxy Book4 Pro
Apple's M3 MacBook Air delivers exceptional value at $1099, offering impressive performance in an ultraportable 13.6-inch package with genuine 18-hour battery life and macOS's software optimization. Samsung's Galaxy Book4 Pro counters with a larger 16-inch Dynamic AMOLED display (120Hz refresh rate), double the RAM (16GB), twice the storage (512GB), and superior port selection including HDMI and SD card—making it better for content creators and multitaskers. However, the Galaxy Book4 Pro costs $350 more, weighs noticeably heavier (1.55kg vs 1.24kg), and delivers only 15 hours of battery life. For productivity work and creative tasks, the Samsung excels with its expansive screen and hardware specs. Students and casual users seeking maximum portability and battery life should choose the MacBook Air M3, which remains Apple's most balanced and affordable laptop.
Full Specifications
| Spec | Apple MacBook Air 13" M3 | Samsung Galaxy Book4 Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Software | macOS Sequoia | Windows 11 Home |
| Body | ||
| Weight | 1.24 kg | 1.55 kg |
| Material | Aluminum unibody | Aluminum |
| Dimensions | 304.1 x 215.0 x 11.3 mm | 355.4 x 227.9 x 12.5 mm |
| Ports | ||
| MagSafe | — | |
| Thunderbolt ports | 2 | 2 |
| HDMI | — | 1 |
| USB-A ports | — | 2 |
| USB-C ports | — | 1 |
| SD card | — | |
| Battery | ||
| Battery life | Up to 18 hours wireless web | Up to 15 hours mixed use |
| Capacity | 52.6 Wh | 76 Wh |
| Display | ||
| Size | 13.6 inches | 16.0 inches |
| Type | Liquid Retina IPS LED | Dynamic AMOLED 2X |
| Resolution | 2560 x 1664 | 2880 x 1800 |
| Refresh rate | 60Hz | 120Hz |
| Brightness (nits) | 500 | 500 |
| Storage | ||
| SSD | 256 GB | 512 GB NVMe |
| Expandable storage | ||
| Keyboard | ||
| Backlit | ||
| Touch Bar | ||
| Processor | ||
| RAM | 8 GB unified | 16 GB LPDDR5x |
| Cores | 8-core CPU, 8-core GPU | 16-core (6P+8E+2LPE) |
| Chipset | Apple M3 | Intel Core Ultra 7 155H |
Category Scores
Pros & Cons
Apple MacBook Air 13" M3
Pros
- Light and portable at 1.24 kg
- Excellent fanless M3 efficiency
- Bright 500-nit Liquid Retina display
- Up to 18 hours of battery life
- Supports two external displays with lid closed
Cons
- 8 GB base RAM increasingly limiting
- Only two Thunderbolt ports
- 256 GB SSD uses single NAND chip with slower speeds
- No high-refresh display
- Limited port selection
Samsung Galaxy Book4 Pro
Pros
- Gorgeous Dynamic AMOLED 2X display with vivid color
- Slim 12.5 mm profile for a 16-inch laptop
- Excellent Samsung ecosystem integration with Galaxy devices
- Good port selection including SD card and HDMI
- Up to 15-hour battery life is class-leading
Cons
- No discrete GPU option on this model
- RAM and SSD are soldered — no upgrade path
- Samsung DeX for PC still limited in scope
- AMOLED display may develop burn-in over time
- Higher price than similarly-specced Windows ultrabooks
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