Return of the Mac(Book): Apple’s MacBook Air gets supercharged with the M5 chip

Fresh off the back of announcing the iPhone 17e and M4-powered iPad Air, Apple has unveiled an updated range of laptops and monitors for 2026. I’m focusing on the M5 MacBook Air here, while Jon Bray has broken down the details about the new MacBook Pro lineup in a separate article.

The MacBook Air has been our recommended laptop for students and MacBook fans alike for several years, and this latest generation model promises to be the best version yet. As you will no doubt have gathered – and to absolutely no one’s surprise – it houses Apple’s M5 chip, which is the same silicon found in the 14in MacBook Pro, launched in October 2025.

Apple MacBook Air (M5, 2026): To the power of 5

In fact, there are two variants of the M5 chip available, one with a 10-core CPU, 8-core GPU and 16-core Neural Engine, and the other adding two more GPU cores to boost graphical performance even further.

You can choose which you’d like if opting for the 13in MacBook Air (the more advanced chip costs £100 more), but the larger 15in model is only available with the chip featuring a 10-core GPU. Whichever you go for, you can expect a big improvement from last year’s M4 MacBook Air, with the faster CPU and more advanced GPU giving it additional grunt to handle everything from basic tasks to creative projects using demanding software.

Not only will you be getting a much more powerful machine, but you’ll also be getting twice the storage when buying the cheapest model. Both the 13in and 15in MacBook Air come with a 512GB SSD as standard, and Apple says the new SSD can deliver twice the read and write speeds of its M4 predecessor.

If you plump for a device with the more expensive M5 chip, you’ll have the opportunity to upgrade the storage to 1TB, 2TB or 4TB – the first time a MacBook Air has been configurable up to 4TB. It’s a similar story on the memory front: the base models of the 13in and 15in M5 MacBook Air come with 16GB, and only those with the extra couple of GPU cores can be customised with 24GB or 32GB of unified memory.

Wireless connectivity has received an upgrade, too, with Apple’s N1 chip unlocking support for both Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6. On the physical connections front, you’ve got a pair of Thunderbolt 4 ports, as well as MagSafe charging for support devices.

Apple MacBook Air (M5, 2026): Sticking to a winning design formula

Aesthetically, very little, if anything, has changed. Both the 13.6in and 15.3in models sport the classic MacBook Air clamshell design and Liquid Retina displays capable of hitting 500 nits, and stated battery life remains the same at up to 18 hours. The laptops are also going to be available in the same four colours as last year: Sky Blue, Starlight, Midnight and Silver.

Given how good last year’s MacBook Air was – it aced our tests and won a Best Buy award – it’s unsurprising that Apple hasn’t made any drastic changes to the formula. It’s playing it safe by building on what the laptop does well, improving performance in several key areas, and giving consumers more choice when it comes to customisation.

Apple MacBook Air (M5, 2026): When will it be available and how much will it cost?

Unfortunately, the improvements this year come at a cost, with the cheapest M5 MacBook Air priced at £1,099 and the cheapest 15in variant costing £1,299. That’s £100 more than the respective M4 versions cost at launch, and that price differential plays out across the extensive selection of configurations, which I’ve detailed below.

The M5 MacBook Air will be live for preorder at 2.15pm on Wednesday, 4 March, a week before it officially releases on 11 March.

13.6in Apple MacBook Air (M5 with 8-core GPU)

• 16GB memory and 512GB SSD: £1,099

13.6in Apple MacBook Air (M5 with 10-core GPU)

• 16GB memory and 512GB SSD: £1,199

15.3in Apple MacBook Air (M5 with 10-core GPU)

• 16GB memory and 512GB SSD: £1,299

Additional memory

• 24GB: £200
• 32GB: £400 

Additional storage

• 1TB: £200
• 2TB: £600
• 4TB: £1,200

Written By

Andy White

Andy was appointed Tech Editor in 2024 following four years spent putting a huge range of products through their paces. Formerly a sports journalist at Greenways Publishing, he cut his tech teeth testing laptops before taking over as the site’s TV and audio expert. He’s cast his eye over more headphones and televisions than you can shake a stick at but has also reviewed football boots, handheld game consoles and just about everything in between. As well as testing, writing and editing, Andy covers product launches and key industry events in the UK and overseas.

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