Apple announced a refreshed MacBook Air with an M5 chip, contradicting reports that suggested no such reveal was planned.
The new model starts at $1,099, a $100 increase from the M4 version’s $999 starting price. Apple claims the M5 chip delivers four times faster AI performance than the M4 model and up to 9.5 times faster performance than the M1 model.
The base model includes 16GB of RAM with 153GB/s bandwidth, which Apple said is a 28 percent improvement over the M4 model. It can be configured up to 32GB of memory. Starting storage is doubled to 512GB, and Apple stated the SSD has two times faster read/write performance than the previous generation.
The laptop features a new N1 wireless chip, enabling support for Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6. It runs macOS Tahoe and supports Apple Intelligence features.
The M5 MacBook Air includes a Liquid Retina display, a 12MP Center Stage camera, and a sound system with Spatial Audio. It has two Thunderbolt 4 ports, allowing support for up to two external displays. Apple claims the laptop will run for up to 18 hours on a single charge.
The M5 MacBook Air is available in 13-inch and 15-inch models, with the 15-inch starting at $1,299. It comes in sky blue, midnight, starlight, and silver. Pre-orders begin on March 4 at 9:15 AM ET, with in-store availability starting March 11 in 33 countries and regions.
