The latest MacBook Air with the M5 chip offers improved speed without major design changes, maintaining its position as a top ultraportable laptop. Priced at $1,099 for the 13-inch model, it competes with the new $599 MacBook Neo while delivering superior power for most users. Reviews praise its battery life and overall build, though the display remains at 60Hz.
Apple's MacBook Air lineup has evolved since the 2022 redesign, which introduced the M2 chip and a flat chassis, followed by a 15-inch option in 2023. The 2026 model sticks to this design but upgrades to the M5 chip, previously featured in the MacBook Pro and iPad Pro. This update boosts performance without altering the laptop's thin, 2.7-pound unibody aluminum body.
The 13.6-inch display (or 15.3-inch variant) is sharp, bright, and colorful but limited to a 60Hz refresh rate. Reviewers note minor drawbacks, such as USB-C ports only on the left side and a persistent screen notch. However, the keyboard and trackpad are described as delightful, with the haptic trackpad being huge, smooth, and responsive. The 12-megapixel Center Stage webcam supports movement tracking and desk view, while speakers provide loud, balanced audio from the slim enclosure.
Performance tests show the M5 outperforming the prior M4 Air by 11 percent in single-core, 17 percent in multi-core, and 31 percent in GPU tasks on Geekbench 6 (both with 16GB RAM and 1TB storage). Compared to the M3, gains are 31 percent single-core, 43 percent multi-core, and 56 percent GPU. Against the MacBook Neo's A18 Pro chip, the M5 is 24 percent faster in single-core, 105 percent in multi-core, and 144 percent in GPU. This makes it suitable for video editing, music creation, gaming, and AI tasks.
Gaming on the M5 Air handles titles like Cyberpunk 2077 at a steady 30 frames per second, described as smooth and responsive. Battery life meets Apple's claims, with 18 hours of local 4K video playback in tests and around 10 hours under typical use with multiple apps.
At $1,099, the M5 Air targets users needing more than the basic MacBook Neo, remaining a strong choice for everyday computing despite the lack of excitement in its iterative update.
