MacBook Air Gets M5 Chip, Faster SSD, and 512GB Base Storage

Alongside today’s MacBook Pro announcement, Apple has also introduced an upgraded MacBook Air powered by the new M5 chip. The ultrathin laptop brings improved performance and increased base storage while retaining the same slim design and Liquid Retina display.

The MacBook Air has long been a popular option among photo and video creators, offering a balance between portability and performance. The new model keeps its lightweight design while adding meaningful hardware upgrades that should appeal to content creators and everyday users alike.

“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 Chip Brings Faster Performance

The new MacBook Air is powered by Apple’s M5 processor paired with a next-generation GPU that includes a Neural Accelerator in each core. This allows the laptop to handle demanding creative workloads and AI-powered tasks more efficiently.

The M5 chip features a 10-core CPU and up to a 10-core GPU. Apple says the new MacBook Air delivers up to four times faster performance than the previous generation M4 model and up to 9.5 times faster performance than the M1 version. These improvements should make the laptop well-suited for editing photo and video projects while working on location.

Memory bandwidth has also improved. The M5 supports up to 153GB/s of memory bandwidth, a 28 percent increase over the M4 version. Apple says this results in up to 2.7 times faster image processing performance in Affinity compared to MacBook Air with M1, and up to 1.5 times faster than MacBook Air with M4.

Storage and Display

The MacBook Air M5 also receives a storage upgrade, with base storage now starting at 512GB — double the capacity of the previous generation. The laptop can be configured with up to 4TB of internal storage, making it suitable for storing high-resolution photos and video projects. Apple says the SSD offers up to twice the read and write speeds of earlier models, helping accelerate editing workflows.

The MacBook Air is available with either a 13.6-inch or 15.3-inch Liquid Retina display. Both displays offer 500 nits of peak brightness and support for one billion colors. The smaller model prioritizes portability, while the larger version provides additional workspace for multitasking and creative work.

Connectivity and Features

The new MacBook Air includes a 12-megapixel Center Stage camera with Desk View support. It also features a three-microphone array and an immersive sound system with Spatial Audio and Dolby Atmos support for improved audio quality.

Apple’s new N1 wireless chip enables Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6 connectivity, improving both performance and reliability. The MacBook Air includes two Thunderbolt 4 ports and supports up to two external displays, making it suitable for expanded workspaces. MagSafe charging is also included.

Apple says the MacBook Air delivers up to 18 hours of battery life — around six hours longer than Intel-based MacBook Air models — along with fast-charging support for quicker top-ups.

Pricing and Availability

The MacBook Air M5 starts at $1,099 for the 13-inch model and $1,299 for the 15-inch version. Pre-orders begin March 4, with shipping scheduled to start on March 11.