Apple MacBook Air M5 Review: The One That Gets It Just Right

Not Too Cheap, Not Too Pro, Not Too Different

Apple has a knack for making you feel like upgrading is both completely unnecessary and utterly irresistible. The MacBook Air M5 is the latest embodiment of that paradox. Slotting neatly between the budget-friendly MacBook Neo and the beefy MacBook Pro, it occupies the sweet spot that most laptop buyers actually need. It is, in the most complimentary sense, deeply sensible.

Starting at £1,099 for the 13-inch model (or £1,299 for the 15-inch), the M5 Air does cost roughly £100 more than its M4 predecessor. Before you spit out your tea, consider this: Apple has finally doubled the base storage to 512GB. That alone makes the price bump far easier to stomach, especially when you remember the M4 Air shipped with a frankly embarrassing 256GB.

What the M5 Actually Brings to the Table

Built on a third-generation 3nm process with 28 billion transistors, the M5 chip delivers measurable but not earth-shattering improvements. We are talking 11% faster single-core and 17% faster multi-core performance versus the M4, with Geekbench 6 scores landing around 4,190 (single) and 17,073 to 17,276 (multi). The GPU sees a healthier 31% bump, which is welcome for anyone dabbling in photo editing or the occasional video project.

SSD speeds have genuinely impressed, though. Independent testing by 9to5Mac showed read speeds 125% faster and write speeds a staggering 219% faster than the M4 Air. That is not a marginal tweak. Opening large files and transferring data feels noticeably snappier.

Memory bandwidth has climbed to 153 GB/s (a 28% increase), courtesy of LPDDR5x-9600 RAM. The base 16GB remains standard, configurable up to 32GB if your workflow demands it. Apple also claims up to 4x faster AI performance over the M4, though that specifically refers to Neural Engine tasks rather than general computing. Worth noting before you expect ChatGPT to somehow run four times quicker in Safari.

Battery, Display, and the Usual Suspects

Battery life remains a genuine strong suit. Apple claims up to 18 hours, and independent testing largely backs that up. Tom's Guide measured between 15 hours 37 minutes (web surfing) and 18 hours 24 minutes (movie playback), while Engadget hit exactly 18 hours on local video playback. For a laptop weighing just 1.23 kg, that is remarkable.

Connectivity gets a welcome upgrade with Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6 via Apple's N1 chip, plus two Thunderbolt 4 ports now supporting dual external displays. The 12MP Centre Stage camera with Desk View rounds out a solid feature set for video calls.

Now, the elephant in the room: that display is still locked at 60Hz. In 2026, when Windows ultrabooks at this price routinely offer 120Hz panels, this feels like Apple being deliberately stingy. The 2560x1664 resolution at 500 nits brightness is perfectly sharp and bright enough, but scrolling text and navigating the interface would feel so much better at a higher refresh rate. ProMotion remains a MacBook Pro exclusive, and honestly, it shouldn't be.

The Verdict

Available in sky blue, midnight, starlight, and silver, the MacBook Air M5 is not a revolutionary upgrade over the M4. If you bought last year's model, keep it and feel no guilt whatsoever. But if you are coming from an M1 or M2, or switching from a Windows machine, this is comfortably the best all-round laptop you can buy.

The doubled storage and faster SSD alone justify the modest price increase. The battery life is class-leading. The build quality remains impeccable. Yes, the 60Hz screen is a valid gripe, and yes, Apple will probably fix that precisely when it suits them. But for the overwhelming majority of people who need a reliable, fast, lightweight laptop that just works, the MacBook Air M5 earns its Goldilocks reputation.

Pros:

• Doubled base storage to 512GB offsets the price increase
• Exceptional battery life, independently verified
• Dramatically faster SSD read and write speeds
• Lightweight at just 1.23 kg with a premium build

Cons:

• 60Hz display in 2026 is hard to defend at this price
• Modest CPU gains over the M4 make annual upgrades pointless
• Base model only gets an 8-core GPU, not the full 10-core
• £1,099 is a significant outlay, even with the storage bump

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