Measuring MacBook battery life in straight hours of real-world usage is not always an accurate metric for comparison purposes as so many use and environmental factors play a part. We can, however, rely on straight technical specifications to tell us the stated battery capacities of each MacBook.
Where Apple is secretive about iPhone battery specifications, the company does list MacBook capacities in Watt hours (Wh). We have trawled through the product Tech Specs pages from 2009 to 2026 to bring you as complete a list as we can gather using official Apple battery declarations.
The watt-hour is a unit of energy equivalent to one watt of power utilized for one hour of time. It is calculated by multiplying the number of Amps with the battery voltage. The higher the number of Wh the longer a battery will last using the same application. Batteries will lose efficiency over time so don’t expect a 2010-era MacBook battery to still possess the same power as it did when it was new or more than a 2026 model, even if it had an originally higher Wh rating.
Our list includes older MacBooks that used an Intel processor, and works its way to the latest M-series (for example, M1, M2 Pro, M3, M4, M5, M6) MacBooks. The MacBook Neo with its A18 Pro chip starts us off.
MacBook Neo battery capacity
13-inch MacBook Neo, 2026: 36.5Wh
MacBook Air battery capacities
11-inch MacBook Air (Intel)
- 11-inch MacBook Air, Intel, Late 2010: 35Wh
- 11-inch MacBook Air, Intel, Mid 2011: 35Wh
- 11-inch MacBook Air, Intel, Mid 2012: 35Wh
- 11-inch MacBook Air, Intel, Mid 2013: 38Wh
- 11-inch MacBook Air, Intel, Early 2015: 38Wh
13-inch MacBook Air (Intel)
- 13-inch MacBook Air, Intel, Mid 2009: 40Wh
- 13-inch MacBook Air, Intel, Late 2010: 50Wh
- 13-inch MacBook Air, Intel, Mid 2011: 50Wh
- 13-inch MacBook Air, Intel, Mid 2012: 50Wh
- 13-inch MacBook Air, Intel, Mid 2013: 54Wh
- 13-inch MacBook Air, Intel, Early 2014: 54Wh
- 13-inch MacBook Air, Intel, Early 2015: 54Wh
- 13-inch MacBook Air, Intel, 2017: 54Wh
- 13-inch MacBook Air, Intel, Retina, 2018: 50.3Wh
- 13-inch MacBook Air, Intel, Retina, 2019: 49.9Wh
- 13-inch MacBook Air, Intel, Retina, 2020: 49.9Wh
13-inch MacBook Air (M-series)
- 13-inch MacBook Air, M1: 49.9Wh
- 13-inch MacBook Air, M2: 52.6Wh
- 13-inch MacBook Air, M3: 52.6Wh
- 13-inch MacBook Air, M4: 53.8Wh
- 13-inch MacBook Air, M5: 53.8Wh
15-inch MacBook Air (M-series)
- 15-inch MacBook Air, M2: 66.5Wh
- 15-inch MacBook Air, M3: 66.5Wh
- 15-inch MacBook Air, M4: 66.5Wh
- 15-inch MacBook Air, M5: 66.5Wh
MacBook Pro battery capacities
13-inch MacBook Pro (Intel)
- 13-inch MacBook Pro, Intel, Mid 2009: 60Wh
- 13-inch MacBook Pro, Intel, Mid 2010: 63.5Wh
- 13-inch MacBook Pro, Intel, Early 2011: 63.5Wh
- 13-inch MacBook Pro, Intel, Late 2011: 63.5Wh
- 13-inch MacBook Pro, Intel, Mid 2012: 63.5Wh
- 13-inch MacBook Pro, Intel, Retina, Late 2012: 74Wh
- 13-inch MacBook Pro, Intel, Retina, Early 2013: 74Wh
- 13-inch MacBook Pro, Intel, Retina, Late 2013: 71.8Wh
- 13-inch MacBook Pro, Intel, Retina, 2014: 71.8Wh
- 13-inch MacBook Pro, Intel, Retina, 2015: 74.9Wh
- 13-inch MacBook Pro, Intel, 2016, 2x TB3 ports: 54.5Wh
- 13-inch MacBook Pro, Intel, 2016, 4x TB3 ports: 49.2Wh
- 13-inch MacBook Pro, Intel, 2017, 2x TB3 ports: 54.5Wh
- 13-inch MacBook Pro, Intel, 2018, 4x TB3 ports: 58Wh
- 13-inch MacBook Pro, Intel, 2019, 2x TB3 ports: 58.2Wh
- 13-inch MacBook Pro, Intel, 2019, 4x TB3 ports: 58Wh
- 13-inch MacBook Pro, Intel, 2020, 2x TB3 ports: 58.2Wh
- 13-inch MacBook Pro, Intel, 2020, 4x TB3 ports: 58Wh
15-inch MacBook Pro (Intel)
- 15-inch MacBook Pro, Intel, Mid 2009: 73Wh
- 15-inch MacBook Pro, Intel, Mid 2010: 77.5Wh
- 15-inch MacBook Pro, Intel, Early 2011: 77.5Wh
- 15-inch MacBook Pro, Intel, Late 2011: 77.5Wh
- 15-inch MacBook Pro, Intel, 2012: 77.5Wh
- 15-inch MacBook Pro, Intel, Retina, 2012: 95Wh
- 15-inch MacBook Pro, Intel, Retina, 2013: 95Wh
- 15-inch MacBook Pro, Intel, Retina, 2014: 95Wh
- 15-inch MacBook Pro, Intel, Retina, 2015: 99.5Wh
- 15-inch MacBook Pro, Intel, 2016: 76Wh
- 15-inch MacBook Pro, Intel, 2017: 76Wh
- 15-inch MacBook Pro, Intel, 2018: 83.6Wh
- 15-inch MacBook Pro, Intel, 2019: 83.6Wh
16-inch MacBook Pro (Intel)
- 16-inch MacBook Pro, Intel, 2019: 98.8Wh
17-inch MacBook Pro (Intel)
- 17-inch MacBook Pro, Intel, Early 2009: 95Wh
- 17-inch MacBook Pro, Intel, Mid 2009: 95Wh
- 17-inch MacBook Pro, Intel, Mid 2010: 95Wh
- 17-inch MacBook Pro, Intel, Early 2011: 95Wh
- 17-inch MacBook Pro, Intel, Late 2011: 95Wh
13-inch MacBook Pro (M-series)
- 13-inch MacBook Pro, M1: 58.2Wh
- 13-inch MacBook Pro, M2: 58.2Wh
14-inch MacBook Pro (M-series)
- 14-inch MacBook Pro, M1 Pro: 69.6Wh
- 14-inch MacBook Pro, M2 Pro: 69.6Wh
- 14-inch MacBook Pro, M2 Max: 69.6Wh
- 14-inch MacBook Pro, M3: 69.6Wh
- 14-inch MacBook Pro, M3 Pro: 72.4Wh
- 14-inch MacBook Pro, M3 Max: 72.4Wh
- 14-inch MacBook Pro, M4: 72.4Wh
- 14-inch MacBook Pro, M4 Pro: 72.4Wh
- 14-inch MacBook Pro, M4 Max: 72.4Wh
- 14-inch MacBook Pro, M5: 72.4Wh
- 14-inch MacBook Pro, M5 Pro: 72.4Wh
- 14-inch MacBook Pro, M5 Max: 72.4Wh
- 14-inch MacBook Pro, M6: 72.4Wh
- 14-inch MacBook Pro PROLED XDR Display M5 Pro: 72.6Wh
- 14-inch MacBook Pro PROLED XDR Display M5 Max: 72.6Wh
16-inch MacBook Pro (M-series)
- 16-inch MacBook Pro M1 Pro: 99.6Wh
- 16-inch MacBook Pro M1 Max: 99.6Wh
- 16-inch MacBook Pro M2 Pro: 99.6Wh
- 16-inch MacBook Pro M2 Max: 99.6Wh
- 16-inch MacBook Pro M3 Pro: 99.6Wh
- 16-inch MacBook Pro M3 Max: 99.6Wh
- 16-inch MacBook Pro M4 Pro: 99.6Wh
- 16-inch MacBook Pro M4 Max: 99.6Wh
- 16-inch MacBook Pro M5 Pro: 100Wh
- 16-inch MacBook Pro M5 Max: 100Wh
- 16-inch MacBook Pro PROLED XDR Display M5 Pro: 100Wh
- 16-inch MacBook Pro PROLED XDR Display M5 Max: 100Wh
How much battery life does my MacBook have?
Now that you know the numbers for your model, how does that Wh battery capacity play out in terms of real-life usage? Here are Apple’s claims for the running potential of its M-series MacBook Pro and Air batteries. All the MacBook Air models, whether with a 13-inch or 15-inch screen, M1, M2, M3, M4 or M5 chip, last the same amount of time, according to Apple.
There is more variance with the Pro models, which range in screen size from 13 to 16 inches.
13-inch MacBook Neo (A-series)
- 13-inch MacBook Neo, A18 Pro: Up to 16 hours Apple TV app movie playback; Up to 11 hours wireless web
13-inch MacBook Air (M-series)
- 13-inch MacBook Air, M1: Up to 18 hours Apple TV app movie playback; Up to 15 hours wireless web
- 13-inch MacBook Air, M2: Up to 18 hours Apple TV app movie playback; Up to 15 hours wireless web
- 13-inch MacBook Air, M3: Up to 18 hours Apple TV app movie playback; Up to 15 hours wireless web
- 13-inch MacBook Air, M4: Up to 18 hours Apple TV app movie playback; Up to 15 hours wireless web
- 13-inch MacBook Air, M5: Up to 18 hours Apple TV app movie playback; Up to 15 hours wireless web
15-inch MacBook Air (M-series)
- 15-inch MacBook Air, M2: Up to 18 hours Apple TV app movie playback; Up to 15 hours wireless web
- 15-inch MacBook Air, M3: Up to 18 hours Apple TV app movie playback; Up to 15 hours wireless web
- 15-inch MacBook Air, M4: Up to 18 hours Apple TV app movie playback; Up to 15 hours wireless web
13-inch MacBook Pro (M-series)
- 13-inch MacBook Pro, M1: Up to 20 hours Apple TV app movie playback; Up to 17 hours wireless web
- 13-inch MacBook Pro, M2: Up to 20 hours Apple TV app movie playback; Up to 17 hours wireless web
14-inch MacBook Pro (M-series)
- 14-inch MacBook Pro, M1 Pro: Up to 17 hours Apple TV app movie playback; Up to 11 hours wireless web
- 14-inch MacBook Pro M2 Pro: Up to 18 hours Apple TV app movie playback; Up to 12 hours wireless web
- 14-inch MacBook Pro M2 Max: Up to 18 hours Apple TV app movie playback; Up to 12 hours wireless web
- 14-inch MacBook Pro M3: Up to 22 hours Apple TV app movie playback; Up to 15 hours wireless web
- 14-inch MacBook Pro M3 Pro: Up to 18 hours Apple TV app movie playback; Up to 12 hours wireless web
- 14-inch MacBook Pro M3 Max: Up to 22 hours Apple TV app movie playback; Up to 15 hours wireless web
- 14-inch MacBook Pro M4: Up to 24 hours Apple TV app movie playback; Up to 16 hours wireless web
- 14-inch MacBook Pro M4 Pro: Up to 22 hours Apple TV app movie playback; Up to 14 hours wireless web
- 14-inch MacBook Pro M4 Max: Up to 18 hours Apple TV app movie playback; Up to 13 hours wireless web
- 14-inch MacBook Pro M5: Up to 24 hours Apple TV app movie playback; Up to 16 hours wireless web
- 14-inch MacBook Pro M5 Pro: Up to 22 hours Apple TV app movie playback; Up to 14 hours wireless web
- 14-inch MacBook Pro M5 Max: Up to 20 hours Apple TV app movie playback; Up to 13 hours wireless web
- 14-inch MacBook Pro M6: Up to 24 hours Apple TV app movie playback; Up to 16 hours wireless web
- 14-inch MacBook Pro PROLED XDR Display M5 Pro: Up to 22 hours Apple TV app movie playback; Up to 14 hours wireless web
- 14-inch MacBook Pro PROLED XDR Display M5 Max: Up to 20 hours Apple TV app movie playback; Up to 13 hours wireless web
16-inch MacBook Pro (M-series)
- 16-inch MacBook Pro M1 Pro: Up to 21 hours Apple TV app movie playback; Up to 14 hours wireless web
- 16-inch MacBook Pro M1 Max: Up to 21 hours Apple TV app movie playback; Up to 14 hours wireless web
- 16-inch MacBook Pro M2 Pro: Up to 22 hours Apple TV app movie playback; Up to 15 hours wireless web
- 16-inch MacBook Pro M2 Max: Up to 22 hours Apple TV app movie playback; Up to 15 hours wireless web
- 16-inch MacBook Pro M3 Pro: Up to 22 hours Apple TV app movie playback; Up to 15 hours wireless web
- 16-inch MacBook Pro M3 Max: Up to 22 hours Apple TV app movie playback; Up to 15 hours wireless web
- 16-inch MacBook Pro M4 Pro: Up to 24 hours Apple TV app movie playback; Up to 17 hours wireless web
- 16-inch MacBook Pro M4 Max: Up to 21 hours Apple TV app movie playback; Up to 14 hours wireless web
- 16-inch MacBook Pro M5 Pro: Up to 24 hours Apple TV app movie playback; Up to 17 hours wireless web
- 16-inch MacBook Pro M5 Max: Up to 22 hours Apple TV app movie playback; Up to 16 hours wireless web
- 16-inch MacBook Pro PROLED XDR Display M5 Pro: Up to 24 hours Apple TV app movie playback; Up to 17 hours wireless web
- 16-inch MacBook Pro PROLED XDR Display M5 Max: Up to 22 hours Apple TV app movie playback; Up to 16 hours wireless web
Does the MacBook Pro have a better battery than the MacBook Air?
As you can see from the above battery capacities, the MacBook Pro features higher capacity batteries than the MacBook Air, although not by a truly significant margin.
For example, the 13-inch M3 MacBook Air battery was rated at 52.6Wh, while the 13-inch M2 MacBook Pro had a 58.2Wh battery.
The larger the laptop, the higher wattage is the battery—as they generally require more power to run the larger, brighter screens. The Air features a Liquid Retina display with 500 nits brightness while the Pro has a superior 1,000-nit Liquid Retina XDR display. The latest pro PROLED XDR Display MacBooks can reach 2,000 nits.
The newer MacBooks with more efficient processors will also gain extra battery life by not stressing the batteries as hard to complete the same tasks.
Apple claims that the current 13-inch M5 MacBook Air (53.8Wh) boasts up to 18 hours Apple TV app movie playback. The 14-inch M6 MacBook Pro has a higher capacity 72.4Wh battery and can keep going for 24 hours on movie playback. The 16-inch M5 Pro has the same 24-hour video playback claim despite its 100Wh battery but it has to run the larger screen.
Battery life depends on many factors, particularly which and how many applications you are running at one time, concluding with overall MacBook battery life considerations.
