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May 27, 2026
Analyzed by Llama- 4 Scout 17B 16E Instruct

MacBook Air M5 review: Apple's best consumer laptop speeds up

AI Summary
The MacBook Air M5 is Apple's latest and most powerful consumer laptop, featuring a new M5 chip, double the starting storage, and improved performance. It starts at £1,099 and offers pro-level performance, long battery life, and sustainability features.

The Lead

Apple's latest MacBook Air is its most powerful yet, comes with double the starting storage and is better than ever for getting work done and as the benchmark for a consumer laptop.

The Event Details

The M5 MacBook Air starts at £1,099 (€1,199/$1,099/A$1,799) for the 13in version, which is £100 or equivalent more than last year's excellent M4 version, but comes with at least 512GB of storage. It sits above the £599 MacBook Neo and below the £1,699 M5 MacBook Pro, making the Air Apple's mid-range machine.

The Data Analysis

  • Screen: 13.6in LCD (2560x1600; 224 ppi) True Tone
  • Processor: Apple M5 with eight or 10-core GPU
  • RAM: 16, 24 or 32GB
  • Storage: 512GB, 1, 2 or 4TB SSD
  • Operating system: macOS 26 Tahoe
  • Camera: 12MP centre stage
  • Connectivity: wifi 7, Bluetooth 6, 2x Thunderbolt/USB 4, headphones
  • Dimensions: 215 x 304.1 x 11.3mm
  • Weight: 1.23kg

The Impact Analysis

The new M5 chip marks a watershed moment for Apple's laptop line. It is about 10-20% faster than the M4 in the previous edition, which is nothing to be sniffed at. But with the progress over the last few years, the M5 makes this MacBook Air between 75% and 108% faster than the M1 MacBook Air depending on the task.

The Prediction

The MacBook Air M5 is a top-notch consumer laptop that offers pro-level performance, long battery life, and sustainability features. With its improved performance, storage, and features, it is likely to remain a top choice for consumers in the market for a reliable and powerful laptop.