Image: Apple · source
MacBook Air (13-inch, M5, 2026)
M5 and 512 GB of storage arrive on the 13-inch Air.
Overview
The 2026 MacBook Air kept the thin fanless chassis and Liquid Retina display while upgrading the internals. The M5 chip has a ten-core CPU and an eight- or ten-core GPU with a Neural Accelerator in each core, and unified memory bandwidth rose to 153 GB/s.
Base storage doubled to 512 GB with a faster SSD, and memory started at 16 GB with options of 24 or 32 GB. Wireless networking moved to the N1 chip with Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6, and the battery was rated for up to 18 hours.
It came in Sky Blue, Midnight, Starlight and Silver, with a 12MP Center Stage camera and two Thunderbolt 4 ports plus MagSafe.
Why it mattered
Doubled base storage and brought the M5 generation to the most popular Apple laptop.
At a glance
- Announced
- March 3, 2026
- Released
- March 11, 2026
- Launch price
- $1,099
- Chip / processor
- Apple M5
- Display
- 13.6"
- Storage
- 512 GB to 4 TB
- Status
- Available
Highlights
- Apple M5 chip
- 512 GB base storage
- Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6
- Up to 18 hours battery
- Starts at $1,099
Tech specs
Specifications as published at launch. Some values (like battery life) are manufacturer estimates.
Display
- Size
- 13.6-inch
- Type
- Liquid Retina IPS LED-backlit, True Tone
- Resolution
- 2560 x 1664
- Brightness
- 500 nits
Chip
- Chip
- Apple M5
- CPU cores
- 10
- GPU cores
- 8 or 10
Memory
- RAM
- 16 GB, 24 GB or 32 GB unified memory
- Storage options
- 512 GB to 4 TB SSD
Battery
- Battery life
- Up to 18 hours
- Battery capacity
- 53.8 Wh
Ports
- Ports
- 2 Thunderbolt 4, MagSafe, headphone jack
Connectivity
- Wi-Fi
- Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be)
- Bluetooth
- Bluetooth 6
Camera
- Camera
- 12MP Center Stage camera with Desk View
Design
- Dimensions
- 1.13 x 30.41 x 21.5 cm
- Weight
- 1.23 kg (2.7 lb)
Software
- Launch OS
- macOS Tahoe 26.2
How it compares
More in the MacBook Air family
MacBook Air (Original, 2008)
The laptop that came out of an envelope.
MacBook Air (11-inch, Late 2010)
A wedge-shaped 11-inch laptop with instant-on flash storage.
MacBook Air (13-inch, Late 2010)
The 13-inch Air gained a higher-resolution display and an SD slot.
MacBook Air (11-inch and 13-inch, Mid 2011)
Sandy Bridge power, a backlit keyboard and Thunderbolt for the Air.
MacBook Air (Mid 2013)
Haswell brought all-day battery life to the Air.
MacBook Air (Retina, 13-inch, 2018)
A Retina screen and Touch ID finally reached the Air.
MacBook Air (Retina, 13-inch, 2020)
The last Intel MacBook Air brought the Magic Keyboard to the entry level.
MacBook Air (M1, 2020)
The first Apple silicon MacBook Air, fast and fanless.
MacBook Air (13-inch, M2, 2022)
A flat redesign with a bigger display, MagSafe and a 1080p camera.
MacBook Air (15-inch, M2, 2023)
The first 15-inch Air: a big screen with a thin body.
MacBook Air (13-inch, M3, 2024)
M3 speeds and dual-display support for the 13-inch Air.
MacBook Air (15-inch, M3, 2024)
The big Air gets M3 and a faster wireless chip.
MacBook Air (13-inch, M4, 2025)
16 GB of memory as standard and a new Sky Blue color.
MacBook Air (15-inch, M4, 2025)
The bigger Air got M4, 16 GB and a better camera.
MacBook Air (15-inch, M5, 2026)
The large Air gets the M5 chip, 512 GB and Wi-Fi 7.