Apple MacBook Air 13-inch Laptop M5 chip with 10-core CPU and 8-core GPU: Built for AI, 13.6-inch Liquid Retina Display, 16GB Unified Memory, 512GB SSD, 12MP Center Stage, Touch ID, Wi-Fi 7; Midnight

Apple MacBook Air M5 Review: The New Benchmark for Ultrabooks

Key Features

• MIGHT TAKES FLIGHT — MacBook Air with the M5 chip packs blazing speed and powerful AI capabilities into an incredibly portable design. With Apple Intelligence,* up to 18 hours of battery life* and fast SSD storage starting from 512GB,* you can work, create and play anywhere life takes you.
• SUPERCHARGED BY M5 — With its faster CPU and unified memory, the M5 chip delivers even more performance and fluidity across apps, making multitasking and creative workflows smooth and responsive. A powerful Neural Engine and next-generation GPU with Neural Accelerators give you a powerful platform for AI.
• APPLE INTELLIGENCE — Apple Intelligence is the personal intelligence system that helps you write, express yourself and get things done effortlessly. With groundbreaking privacy protections, it gives you peace of mind that no one else can access your data — not even Apple.*
• UP TO 18 HOURS OF BATTERY LIFE — MacBook Air delivers incredible battery life with amazing performance, so you can power through a full day of work or class without worrying about plugging in.*
• A BRILLIANT 13.6 INCH DISPLAY — The Liquid Retina display supports 1 billion colours.* Photos and videos pop with rich contrast and sharp detail, and text appears super crisp.
• 12MP CENTER STAGE CAMERA — Automatically stay in frame during video calls with Centre Stage, or share a top-down view of your workspace with Desk View. And with a three-mic array and four-speaker sound system with Spatial Audio and support for Dolby Atmos, everything sounds great.
• CONNECT IT ALL — MacBook Air features two Thunderbolt 4 ports, a MagSafe charging port and a headphone jack — as well as the Apple N1 chip for Wi Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6.* And it supports up to two external displays.
• MACOS RUNS APPS FAST — All your go-to apps run lightning fast in macOS, including built-in apps like FaceTime and Messages. Plus, built-in virus protection and free software updates help keep your Mac running smoothly and securely.
• IF YOU LOVE IPHONE, YOU’LL LOVE MAC — Mac works like magic with your other Apple devices. View and control what’s on your iPhone from your Mac with iPhone Mirroring.* Copy something on iPhone and paste it on Mac. Send texts with Messages from your Mac, or use your Mac to answer FaceTime calls.*
• POWER ADAPTERS — Please be aware: MacBook Air (13-inch) comes with a USB C to MagSafe 3 charging cable, but does not include a power adapter. A USB C power adapter or other USB PD power source that can provide 30W or higher is required to charge this device. For optimal charging, Apple recommends pairing this Mac with the Apple 30W USB C Power Adapter, or the 70W USB C Power Adapter to take advantage of fast charge (charging up to 50% in 30 minutes).

M5 Performance: More Than Marketing Hype

The M5 chip represents a genuine step forward from the M3, particularly for anyone doing creative work or heavy multitasking. Apple's bumped the CPU to 10 cores and kept the GPU at 8, but the real story is the enhanced Neural Engine. Based on early benchmarks I've seen, this translates to roughly 20% faster performance in CPU-intensive tasks and notably better handling of AI workloads.

What impressed me most in the technical documentation is how Apple's managed thermal efficiency. The M5 maintains peak performance longer without throttling, which matters when you're rendering video or compiling code. The 16GB of unified memory comes as standard too - a welcome change from Apple's previous penny-pinching on RAM.

Apple Intelligence: Finally AI That Makes Sense

I've been sceptical about AI features in laptops, but Apple Intelligence feels different. Rather than throwing chatbots at everything, it focuses on practical improvements: better writing suggestions, smarter photo organisation, and contextual help that doesn't require sending your data to the cloud.

The privacy angle is compelling - everything runs on-device, so your documents and photos never leave your MacBook. For professionals handling sensitive information, this local processing approach beats cloud-based AI hands down. The system learns your writing style and preferences without Apple ever seeing your content.

Display and Audio: Liquid Retina Still Impresses

The 13.6-inch Liquid Retina display remains one of the best in this price bracket. Supporting a billion colours with excellent brightness and contrast, it makes photo editing and video work genuinely enjoyable. Text rendering is razor-sharp, which matters when you're staring at code or documents all day.

Audio quality punches above its weight class. The four-speaker system with Spatial Audio support delivers surprisingly full sound for such a thin chassis. It won't replace proper speakers for music production, but for video calls and casual listening, it's more than adequate.

Battery Life: The 18-Hour Promise

Apple claims up to 18 hours of battery life, and whilst that's clearly under optimal conditions, real-world usage suggests 12-14 hours is achievable with mixed tasks. That's impressive for a laptop with this much processing power. The efficiency of the M5 chip really shows here - you can work a full day without hunting for charging points.

MagSafe charging returns, which I appreciate after years of USB-C-only MacBooks. Having that magnetic connection means fewer accidents, and you still get two Thunderbolt 4 ports for peripherals.

The Connectivity Story

Two Thunderbolt 4 ports should handle most users' needs, though anyone with multiple external displays might find it limiting. The inclusion of Wi-Fi 7 support via the N1 chip is forward-thinking - most routers don't support it yet, but when they do, you'll be ready. Bluetooth 6 is another nice touch for future-proofing.

The 12MP Centre Stage camera finally brings MacBooks up to modern video call standards. The automatic framing works well, and Desk View is genuinely useful for presentations. Not groundbreaking, but competent.

One genuine frustration: no SD card slot. For photographers and videographers, this remains a glaring omission that forces you into dongle life.