Apple just released the M5 MacBook Air last month, but it’s already on sale on Amazon for $949 for the 13-inch, and $1,149 for the 15-inch. That’s $150 off for both models; the lowest price since they were released.
Apple has its sights set on capturing users coming from Windows, and at this price, it’s hard to argue with the value. The M5 MacBook Air comes with 16GB of unified memory standard, as well as more storage (512GB starting, compared to 256GB in last year’s MacBook Air M4). Its SSDs are twice as fast, too — producing commendable read/write speeds in my testing.
Review: MacBook Air M5 (15-inch)
With the addition of the MacBook Neo (and five generations of chip and hardware upgrades), the MacBook Air is no longer the baby of Apple’s laptop family. Instead, it’s the quintessential laptop for everyone: well-suited for both professional workflows and everyday tasks, with enough power to inch closer to the MacBook Pro and an accessible starting price.
Both versions of the MacBook Air M5 feature Apple’s Liquid Retina display and scale up to 32GB of unified memory. Both also offer up to 18 hours of battery life on one charge.
The differences lie in a slightly more powerful GPU in the 15-inch model, providing a little oomph for gaming or creative tasks like video and photo editing. The large 15-inch screen is also more conducive to creative tasks and gaming, so I’d recommend that model for anyone looking to use it for those purposes. For portability, however, the 13-inch MacBook Air is king.
Both models come with two Thunderbolt 4 USB-C ports and a MagSafe charger, so you can stay powered and use both ports for accessories. The M5 MacBook Air also supports two additional monitors when the lid is open, offering even more versatility whether you’re working in the office or at home.
If you have an Apple iPhone, the MacBook Air offers all the same integrations as the MacBook Pro — including Continuity, iPhone Mirroring, and FaceTime and Messaging.
To top it off, the 12MP Center Stage Camera on the MacBook Air M5 fuels the best videocall experience on pretty much any laptop on the market right now, with outstanding audio and a natural, bright camera that blows most PCs around the same price point out of the water.
Also: After using MacBook Neo, it’s clear Windows needs to rethink its PC strategy (and fast)
So who should upgrade to the M5? The fifth generation of Apple’s Silicon chipset marks a natural upgrade point for anyone with an M1 MacBook or earlier. Although hardware upgrades are incremental compared to the M4, they add up to a significant leap forward in power, battery life, and bang-for-your-buck features like more RAM and storage for less.
The pricing is also poised for a very specific crowd: PC users looking to jump ship from Windows and join Apple’s ecosystem. For this price point, you’re getting a complete package laptop that can do it all — a worthy competitor to any PC in this price range.
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