Apple Unveils New MacBook Air with M5 with Faster Performance, More Storage, and Wi-Fi 7

Apple has introduced a new generation of the MacBook Air powered by the company’s latest Apple M5 chip, delivering a significant boost in performance, expanded AI capabilities, and improved wireless connectivity.

The updated laptop, available in both 13-inch and 15-inch models, also brings double the starting storage, faster SSD speeds, and support for the latest wireless standards. Apple’s redesigned Air maintains its thin and lightweight aluminum body while continuing to focus on long battery life and portability.

Pre-orders for the new MacBook Air begin March 4, with availability starting March 11.

M5 Chip Brings Major Performance Gains

At the center of the new MacBook Air is Apple’s M5 chip, which introduces a faster CPU and a next-generation GPU architecture designed to handle both traditional computing tasks and demanding artificial intelligence workloads.

The chip includes a 10-core CPU and up to a 10-core GPU, with each graphics core featuring a dedicated Neural Accelerator designed to speed up machine learning tasks.

According to Apple, the new MacBook Air delivers up to four times faster AI performance compared to models powered by the previous generation chip, and up to 9.5 times faster AI performance than the original M1-based MacBook Air.

The M5 chip also includes enhanced shader cores and a third-generation ray-tracing engine, improving performance in graphics-intensive tasks such as 3D rendering and gaming. Memory bandwidth has also increased to 153GB/s — roughly a 28 percent improvement over the previous generation.

These upgrades translate into noticeable performance improvements in real-world workflows. Apple says the system can deliver:

• Up to 6.9× faster AI video enhancement in Topaz Video AI compared with M1-based MacBook Air models

• Up to 6.5× faster ray-traced rendering in Blender

• Up to 2.7× faster image processing in Affinity Photo

More Storage and Faster SSD

Apple has also upgraded storage across the lineup. The new MacBook Air now starts with 512GB of storage — double the base capacity of the previous model.

The laptop can also be configured with up to 4TB of storage for the first time. Apple says the new SSD technology delivers up to twice the read and write speeds compared to the previous generation, which should help accelerate workflows involving large files, such as photo libraries and video projects.

Improved Wireless Connectivity

Another notable upgrade is the introduction of Apple’s new N1 wireless networking chip.

The chip enables support for Wi‑Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6, providing faster speeds and more reliable wireless connections for streaming, cloud work, and connected accessories.

Thin Design with Premium Features

The new MacBook Air continues to focus on portability. The laptop retains its fanless aluminum design and is available in four colors: sky blue, midnight, starlight, and silver.

Both sizes feature Apple’s Liquid Retina display — 13.6 inches on the smaller model and 15.3 inches on the larger one — with up to 500 nits of brightness and support for one billion colors.

Other key features include:

• Up to 18 hours of battery life

• A 12-megapixel Center Stage camera with Desk View support

• A three-microphone array and Spatial Audio speakers with Dolby Atmos

• Two Thunderbolt 4 ports and MagSafe charging

• Support for up to two external displays

Powered by macOS Tahoe and Apple Intelligence

The new MacBook Air ships with macOS Tahoe, Apple’s latest desktop operating system.

The update introduces a refreshed interface along with new features powered by Apple Intelligence, including Live Translation in Messages, improved automation tools in Shortcuts, and smarter organization in Reminders.

Apple’s Continuity ecosystem also continues to play a major role. Features like iPhone Mirroring allow users to access notifications and apps from their phone directly on their Mac.

Pricing and Availability

The 13-inch MacBook Air with M5 starts at $1,099, while the 15-inch model starts at $1,299. Education pricing lowers those starting prices to $999 and $1,199 respectively.

Pre-orders open March 4, with the new MacBook Air arriving in stores and shipping to customers beginning March 11.

With faster performance, expanded AI capabilities, more storage, and next-generation wireless connectivity, Apple’s latest MacBook Air update continues to build on the laptop’s reputation as one of the most popular portable computers on the market.