CUPERTINO: Apple on March 3 introduced updated 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air laptops built around its new M5 chip, adding Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6 while keeping the thin, fanless aluminum design. The company said the notebooks start with 512GB of storage, double the prior generation, and come in sky blue, midnight, starlight, and silver. In the United Arab Emirates, Apple priced the 13-inch model from AED 4,599 and the 15-inch from AED 5,499.
Apple said M5 combines a 10-core CPU and up to a 10-core GPU with a Neural Accelerator in each core, plus 153GB per second of unified memory bandwidth, a 28% increase over M4. It also cited enhanced shader cores and a third-generation ray-tracing engine. Apple said AI tasks are up to four times faster than M4 and up to 9.5 times faster than M1, and web browsing can be up to 50% faster than a PC laptop with an Intel Core Ultra X7.
MacBook Air with M5 now starts with 512GB of storage and can be configured up to 4TB, Apple said. The company said the updated solid-state drive delivers twice the read and write performance of the previous generation. The laptops keep a fanless, thin-and-light design and include two Thunderbolt 4 ports and MagSafe charging. Apple said both models support up to two external displays, alongside the built-in screen, and include a 12MP Center Stage camera.
Display and everyday features
Both versions use a Liquid Retina display, measuring 13.6 inches on the smaller model and 15.3 inches on the larger one, with 500 nits of brightness and support for 1 billion colors, Apple said. A 12MP Center Stage camera is standard, along with an immersive sound system with Spatial Audio and a three-microphone array. Battery life is rated up to 18 hours, and Apple said fast charging is supported, while the thin, light notebooks use a durable aluminum enclosure.
Apple said the new MacBook Air uses its N1 wireless chip to support Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6. The laptops run macOS Tahoe and are built to work with Apple Intelligence features across apps and system experiences, the company said. Standard hardware includes two Thunderbolt 4 ports for accessories and displays, plus a headphone jack. Apple said both models support up to two external displays in addition to the built-in screen.
Pricing and rollout
Pre-orders for the 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air with M5 opened at 6:15 a.m. Pacific time on March 4 through Apple’s online store and its Apple Store app in 33 countries and regions, the company said. Apple said the notebooks will begin arriving to customers and reach Apple Store locations and authorized resellers on March 11. The 13-inch starts at $1,099 in the United States, while the 15-inch starts at $1,299, with lower education pricing.
Apple said the MacBook Air with M5 is made with 55% recycled content, including a 100% recycled aluminum enclosure and 100% recycled cobalt in the battery. The company said manufacturing uses 50% renewable electricity across its supply chain, and the paper packaging is 100% fiber-based. Apple also said buyers can apply Apple Trade In credit toward a new Mac and add service coverage through AppleCare plans, depending on market, with deliveries and store availability beginning March 11 – By Content Syndication Services.