Apple Introduces New MacBook Air With M5 Chip, 512GB Base Storage, Wi-Fi 7

Apple has updated the MacBook Air with its latest M5 processor. Available in both 13-inch and 15-inch sizes, the new laptops retain the same fanless aluminum design while delivering higher performance, double the starting storage, and faster wireless connectivity.



The M5 chip powers this refresh with a 10-core CPU and up to a 10-core GPU. The most notable architectural change is a Neural Accelerator integrated directly into every core. Apple says this hardware enables AI tasks to run up to four times faster than on the M4 Air, and up to 9.5 times faster than the MacBook Air with M1. Unified memory bandwidth increases to 153GB/s, a 28 percent improvement over M4, providing additional headroom for multitasking and demanding workflows.


Those hardware improvements translate into faster real-world performance. Apple says AI video enhancement in Topaz Video is up to 6.9 times faster than on MacBook Air with M1, and up to 1.9 times faster than on MacBook Air with M4. 3D rendering with ray tracing in Blender is up to 6.5 times faster than on MacBook Air with M1, and up to 1.5 times faster than on MacBook Air with M4. Image processing in Affinity is up to 2.7 times faster than on MacBook Air with M1, and up to 1.5 times faster than on MacBook Air with M4. Web browsing is up to 50 percent faster compared to a PC laptop powered by an Intel Core Ultra X7 processor, with more demanding tasks seeing up to 2x faster performance.



Apple has eliminated the 256GB configuration, making 512GB the new standard across the lineup. Storage can be configured up to 4TB for the first time. The updated solid-state drive delivers up to 2x faster read and write performance than the previous generation, accelerating file access and reducing load times for large photo libraries and local AI models.

For connectivity, the laptop uses Apple's custom N1 chip to support Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6. Physical connections include two Thunderbolt 4 ports and a dedicated MagSafe charging connector. MacBook Air supports up to two external displays.



The overall design remains unchanged. The 13.6-inch and 15.3-inch Liquid Retina displays offer up to 500 nits of brightness and support for one billion colors. The display notch houses a 12MP Center Stage camera with support for Desk View, along with a three-microphone array. Audio is delivered through a multi-speaker system with support for Spatial Audio and Dolby Atmos. The enclosure is made from 100 percent recycled aluminum, and the battery uses 100 percent recycled cobalt.


The laptops ship with macOS Tahoe and its translucent Liquid Glass interface. Apple Intelligence features include Live Translation in Messages, automatic categorization in Reminders, enhanced Shortcuts actions, and the new Edge Light video effect that provides digital fill lighting during FaceTime calls. Battery life is rated for up to 18 hours of use.



Pricing remains unchanged. The 13-inch MacBook Air with M5 starts at $1,099, or $999 for education customers. The 15-inch model starts at $1,299, or $1,199 for education. Pre-orders begin Wednesday, March 4 at 6:15 a.m. PST, with availability and customer deliveries starting March 11. Buyers can choose from sky blue, midnight, starlight, and silver.