After about 4 years with the M1 MacBook Air, I lastly pulled the set off on the M5, and I obtained there simply in time to dodge Apple’s latest worth hike by eleven days, a narrative I already instructed elsewhere, and one that also makes me really feel unreasonably smug. Upgrading from the M1 was a multi-generational leap for me, not within the methods talked about on the spec sheet, however in ways in which really modified how I work daily.
Right here’s why that issues in 2026, when the reminiscence disaster has hit the patron electronics market so badly that even giants like Apple needed to cave. MacBook Air M5 launched at $1,099, then climbed to $1,299.
The display screen isn’t a significant improve, and the audio system are a downgrade as a substitute
Nonetheless, after utilizing the gadget for about two months now, I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s nonetheless one of the vital aggressive laptops out there within the section, particularly for somebody who doesn’t want a discrete GPU and the majority that comes together with it.
I’ll admit the 13.6-inch show on the M5 doesn’t really feel dramatically completely different from the 13.3-inch panel on the M1. I even have some opinions concerning the notch, none of them flattering. Telephones deserted the notch years in the past, so it’s slightly ironic that Apple’s hottest laptop computer remains to be rocking one in 2026.
The 100-nit distinction in peak brightness doesn’t make a significant influence both. And right here’s an sudden twist: the audio system on my six-year-old M1 MacBook really sounded fuller and louder. That one stung slightly.
The design modifications that made a much bigger distinction than anticipated
However that’s the place the record of disappointments wraps up fairly rapidly. Essentially the most fast change for me was the Midnight colorway, particularly the way in which its matte end shifts between charcoal and a near-silver relying on how the sunshine hits it.
It’s a kind of finishes that pictures terribly and appears incredible in individual, which, for my part, is the best order.
Subsequent, MagSafe. I didn’t understand how a lot I used to be quietly irritated by fumbling for a USB-C port at midnight till I ended having to do it. MagSafe snaps into place by way of really feel alone, which is genuinely helpful at a standing desk or if you’re reaching round cables in a dim room.
It additionally frees up each USB-C ports for precise work, whether or not that’s connecting an exterior drive or operating a monitor with out occupying your major knowledge connections.
The M5 lastly makes multi-monitor setups extra sensible
On that word: the M5 MacBook Air helps two exterior screens concurrently, which the M1 couldn’t do. I personally don’t use exterior shows, so I didn’t get hands-on time with that function, however for designers and video editors operating a multi-monitor setup, it is a legitimately important change.
Thunderbolt 4 on the M5 additionally doubles minimal PCIe bandwidth to 32 Gb/s, up from 16 Gb/s on my M1, which suggests multi-gigabyte venture transfers that was once a coffee-break scenario now take a fraction of the time.
The efficiency soar is unattainable to overlook
My every day workload entails holding a big variety of Chrome tabs alive directly: information feeds, articles, AI instruments, YouTube, streaming platforms, Google Docs, and a few internet dashboards. On the M1 with 8GB of RAM, that ceiling was round 15 to twenty tabs earlier than issues began getting gradual and the machine began voting towards me.
The M5, with a CPU that’s roughly twice as quick and 16GB of unified reminiscence, handles 50 to 60 tabs with out breaking a sweat. In different phrases, I can comfortably run 4 occasions the Chrome Tabs.
In the course of the latest Amazon Prime Day sale, I had 78 tabs open concurrently whereas looking down offers throughout a number of retailer pages. No lag, no stuttering, simply the gentle heat of a machine that was really working for as soon as as a substitute of complaining about it. My outdated MacBook Air would have tapped out round tab 30 and made me really feel unhealthy about it.
It does depend on reminiscence swapping, a macOS method the place a slice of the SSD acts as overflow RAM, however even with that in play, the expertise feels genuinely quick reasonably than merely practical.
The battery life modified how I exploit my MacBook
With all of the Chrome Tabs and a few Apple apps within the background (Music, Calendar, Notes, and Pages), the M5 Air remains to be delivering round 13 to 14 hours of screen-on time on a single cost with common utilization (round 20 tabs and 4 to 6 apps within the background). My M1 gave me 9 or 10 hours, which was fairly good should you ask me, however the extra 4 hours have rewired my habits.
I now cost my MacBook each alternate day. Once I stroll out for the day, I confidently go away the charger at residence and don’t give it some thought. That may sound trivial, however should you’ve ever killed a presentation or began the morning on time since you forgot to plug within the evening earlier than, you perceive precisely how a lot that issues.
I dodged the Macflation disaster by just a few days
What surprises me even right this moment is how I paid roughly $1,000 for this machine earlier than the value hike, and I haven’t second-guessed the choice as soon as. Sure, I’m not wherever close to the ceiling of what the M5 chip can do. However that’s really the purpose.
It’s not pretending to be a top-tier gadget with distinctive CPU or GPU efficiency. Apple already has the MacBook Professional for that. The Air is for individuals who want a quick, gentle, and dependable machine for on a regular basis duties with out ready or rationing their workflow. It’s going to remain aggressive for 4 or 5 years with out making an attempt very arduous.
The MacBook Air doesn’t must be a MacBook Professional
The M5 MacBook Air was a gem at $1,099, and whereas Apple makes it barely harder to advocate at $1,299, it’s nonetheless arguably among the finest transportable, productivity-based laptops you’ll be able to presumably get in the marketplace. All of the Continuity options make it an excellent higher purchase for Apple customers.
In case you’re on an M1 or an M2, the soar is actual, and it’s value making. Nonetheless, should you’re on an M4 or an M3, the maths in all probability doesn’t work in your favor simply but. In case you’re on an Intel-based MacBook, I’m unsure what you’re ready for, particularly since macOS 27 ends assist for all of the Intel-based Apple machines, however I genuinely hope this helped.
