MacBook Air with M5 launched; brings more power and double the storage to Apple’s bestseller

Apple has refreshed its most popular MacBook with a new chip, double the base storage, and upgraded wireless connectivity. The new MacBook Air now runs on Apple’s M5 processor, starts at 512GB of storage instead of 256GB, and adds support for Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6 through Apple’s in-house N1 wireless chip.

Available in both 13-inch and 15-inch sizes, the updated Air keeps the same slim, fanless aluminium design, Liquid Retina display and long battery life, but pushes performance forward for users upgrading from older Apple silicon models or Intel-era machines. Here’s everything you need to know about the M5-powered MacBook Air.

MacBook Air M5: More speed, more headroom

At the heart of the update is Apple’s M5 chip, featuring a 10-core CPU and up to a 10-core GPU. Apple says the chip includes a Neural Accelerator in each core, aimed at speeding up on-device AI tasks alongside more traditional creative workloads.

Compared to the M1-based MacBook Air, Apple claims substantial gains across AI video enhancement, 3D rendering and image processing apps such as Blender and Affinity. There are also improvements over the M4 model, though the jumps are understandably smaller year on year. Memory bandwidth now reaches 153GB/s, up from the previous generation, which should help with multitasking and larger creative projects as well.

Storage sees one of the more practical upgrades. The base model now starts at 512GB, double the previous configuration, and can be configured up to 4TB for the first time! Apple also says the new SSD offers up to twice the read and write speeds compared to the outgoing model, which should translate into quicker file transfers and faster imports for large photo or video libraries.

Beyond performance, the Air keeps its familiar hardware features. You get a 13.6-inch or 15.3-inch Liquid Retina display with 500 nits of brightness, a 12MP Centre Stage camera, support for two external displays via Thunderbolt 4, and MagSafe charging. Battery life remains rated at up to 18 hours.

ALSO READ: Apple iPad Air (8th gen) launched in India with upgraded M4 chipset: Price, availability and more

Connectivity gets a generational bump with Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6, delivered through Apple’s new N1 wireless chip. For users working across multiple devices, macOS Tahoe introduces updated personalisation options and deeper integration with Apple Intelligence features, including live translation in Messages and enhanced Shortcuts automation.

On the sustainability front, Apple says the new MacBook Air uses 100 per cent recycled aluminium in its enclosure and 100 per cent recycled cobalt in the battery, with 55 per cent recycled content overall. So, props to Apple there.

MacBook Air M5: Price and availability

The 13-inch MacBook Air with M5 starts at Rs 1,19,900, with discounted pricing of Rs 1,08,900 available through Apple’s education programme for eligible students and teachers. The 15-inch model starts at Rs 1,44,900, or Rs 1,33,900 with the same education discount.

The new MacBook Air with M5 goes on pre-order from March 4, with general availability beginning March 11. Colour options remain Sky Blue, Midnight, Starlight and Silver.

Are you itching to pick the new M5-powered MacBook Air for yourself? Drop a comment with your thoughts, and stay tuned to Unboxed by Croma for all things tech.