Apple has introduced the new MacBook Air with M5, updating its most popular laptop with stronger performance, expanded base storage, and next generation wireless connectivity. Available in 13 inch and 15 inch sizes, the MacBook Air with M5 keeps its thin and light aluminum design while focusing on AI driven workflows and faster everyday performance.
With 512GB of standard storage and a more capable M5 chip, this refresh makes the MacBook Air a more compelling option for students, creators, and business users. The changes center on real world speed improvements, better SSD performance, and Wi-Fi 7 support rather than a major redesign.
“The new MacBook Air with M5 brings incredible performance and even more capability to the world’s most popular laptop,” said John Ternus, Apple’s senior vice president of Hardware Engineering. “With M5, MacBook Air powers through a wide range of tasks, from everyday productivity to creative workloads, and is even faster for AI. Now featuring double the starting storage, as well as Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6, in a sleek and durable design with long battery life, MacBook Air is the perfect laptop for anyone who values the unrivaled combination of performance and portability.”
M5 performance and expanded AI capabilities
The MacBook Air with M5 features a 10 core CPU and up to a 10 core GPU, along with a Neural Accelerator integrated into each GPU core. Apple says M5 delivers up to 4x faster AI performance compared to M4, and up to 9.5x faster than M1 in certain AI workloads.
Enhanced shader cores and a third generation ray tracing engine improve graphics intensive tasks such as gaming and 3D rendering. Unified memory bandwidth increases to 153GB/s, which helps with multitasking, large creative projects, and running AI models locally on device.
512GB standard storage and faster SSD
For the first time, the MacBook Air starts with 512GB of storage by default, doubling the previous base configuration. It can be configured up to 4TB, offering more headroom for large photo libraries, video projects, and professional apps.
Apple says the updated SSD delivers up to 2x faster read and write speeds compared to the prior generation. That means quicker file transfers, faster app launches, and reduced wait times when importing or exporting large files.
Thin design, long battery life, and improved connectivity
The MacBook Air with M5 retains its fanless aluminum enclosure and is available in sky blue, midnight, starlight, and silver. The 13.6 inch and 15.3 inch Liquid Retina displays offer 500 nits of brightness and support for 1 billion colors.
Battery life is rated at up to 18 hours, providing up to six more hours compared to older Intel based models. The laptop also includes a 12MP Center Stage camera with Desk View, a three mic array, and a speaker system with Spatial Audio and Dolby Atmos.
Connectivity gets a notable upgrade with Apple’s N1 wireless chip, enabling Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6. The MacBook Air with M5 also features two Thunderbolt 4 ports with support for up to two external displays, along with MagSafe charging.
macOS Tahoe and Apple Intelligence features
The new MacBook Air runs macOS Tahoe, which introduces a refreshed interface and deeper Apple Intelligence integration. Users get Live Translation in Messages, smarter Reminders categorization, and enhanced Shortcuts that tap directly into on device AI models.
Continuity features allow users to take cellular calls from a nearby iPhone on their Mac, view Live Activities, and use video call enhancements such as Edge Light for improved lighting.
Pricing and availability
The 13 inch MacBook Air with M5 starts at $1,099 in the U.S., or $999 for education customers. The 15 inch model starts at $1,299, or $1,199 for education. Preorders begin March 4, with availability starting March 11 in 33 countries and regions.
