The Apple M5 chip has landed as expected in the MacBook and MacBook Pro, and perhaps the best news to go along with it is that the new baseline storage for the MacBook Air has been increased to 512GB, with the ability to customize up to 4TB. RAM configuration starts at 16GB, with options for 24GB and 32 GB
The new baseline M5 features a 10-core CPU, an 8-core GPU, and Neural Acceleration on every core. Next-generation connectivity isn’t left out either, with Apple’s N1 chip backing up Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5 to help ensure stability for high-bandwidth workloads. You get two Thunderbolt 5 ports on the MacBook Air; no Thunderbolt 5 here yet, but it supports up to two external displays.
Battery life claims still hold strong with Apple saying up to 18 hours. You still get the 13-inch and 15-inch variations with the 12MP Center Stage camera array. Color options keep things interesting with Sky Blue, Midnight, and Starlight Silver.
The starting price is $1,099, which is up $100 from the M4 models. If there’s anything to be disappointed about here the screen is still not a high refresh rate model, sticking with the standard 60hz. You can preorder your M5 MacBook Air starting on March 4th, with availability on March 5th.
