Apple has introduced a new MacBook Air powered by its latest M5 chip, bringing faster performance, improved wireless connectivity, and double the base storage to its most popular laptop. The refreshed model starts at $1,099 and will be available in 13 inch and 15 inch versions.
Pre orders begin March 4, with retail availability starting March 11.
The new MacBook Air now includes 512GB of storage as standard, replacing the previous 256GB base configuration. Apple says the updated SSD is also faster, helping reduce load times and improve performance for large files and creative workloads.
M5 Chip Brings Faster Performance and AI Capabilities
At the center of the new MacBook Air is Apple’s M5 chip, which includes a 10 core CPU and up to a 10 core GPU. The processor also adds a Neural Accelerator in each core to support machine learning and on device AI workloads.
Apple says the new chip delivers up to four times faster performance in AI related tasks compared with the M4 based MacBook Air and up to 9.5 times faster than models using the older M1 chip.
The company also claims notable gains in creative software and rendering tools. For example, AI video processing in Topaz Video can be up to 6.9 times faster compared with the M1 model. 3D rendering in Blender can reach up to 6.5 times faster speeds.
Unified memory bandwidth has increased to 153GB per second, about 28 percent higher than the previous generation.
Design and Features Remain Familiar
Apple has kept the MacBook Air design largely unchanged. The laptop still features a thin aluminum body and a fanless design for silent operation.
Both models include a Liquid Retina display with up to 500 nits of brightness and support for one billion colors. The 13 inch version focuses on portability, while the 15 inch model offers a larger workspace for multitasking.
Battery life remains rated at up to 18 hours.
Other hardware features include a 12MP Center Stage camera for video calls, a three microphone array, and a speaker system with Spatial Audio and Dolby Atmos support.
New Wireless Chip and Connectivity Improvements
The MacBook Air also introduces Apple’s new N1 wireless chip. It supports Wi Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6, improving wireless speeds and connection reliability.
Connectivity includes two Thunderbolt 4 ports and MagSafe charging. The laptop can also support up to two external displays.
The new MacBook Air will be available in four colors: sky blue, midnight, starlight, and silver.
Apple is positioning the upgrade as a performance boost for students, professionals, and users upgrading from older Intel based MacBook Air models.
