MacBook Air 13-inch M5 Review: Still the Ultraportable to Beat

Apple did not redesign the MacBook Air for this generation, but the 13-inch M5 model still feels like a meaningful update. The familiar chassis remains intact, yet the internal changes are practical rather than decorative: faster SSD performance, Wi-Fi 7, quicker charging support and another step forward in CPU and GPU capability.

That matters because the MacBook Air was already one of the strongest ultraportables on the market. Apple did not need to reinvent it. It only needed to remove a few obvious weak spots and keep the overall balance intact. In most important ways, that is exactly what the M5 model does.

The 13-inch MacBook Air M5 starts at 1,199 euros with 16GB of memory and 512GB of storage. That storage change is worth noting because it makes the entry model materially more useful than the older lower-capacity baseline configurations Apple used to ship.

As ever, the Air sits in a very attractive middle ground. It offers enough power for serious work without stepping into MacBook Pro pricing, weight or bulk. For buyers who want one laptop that can handle office work, media creation, travel and long battery-backed days without fuss, this remains the most obvious Mac in the range.

Visually, the 13-inch Air M5 is almost exactly what anyone familiar with the current Air design would expect. It uses the same anodised aluminium body, the same broadly minimalist profile and the same exceptionally travel-friendly size and weight. At 1.23kg, it remains one of the easiest premium laptops to carry daily.

There is not much new to say about the basic construction because it was already excellent. The chassis feels rigid, the finish is clean, and the overall product still gives the impression of being carefully made rather than merely neatly assembled.

The keyboard and trackpad also remain class-leading in practical terms. Apple's keyboard continues to feel precise and dependable, while the large Force Touch trackpad is still one of the best pointing surfaces available on any laptop. The only persistent design annoyance is the display notch, which now feels visibly older than the rest of the machine.

The 13.6-inch Liquid Retina display is one of the Air's familiar strengths. It remains sharp, well calibrated and pleasant to use for long stretches, with strong colour fidelity and enough brightness for most indoor and many outdoor conditions.

Apple's calibration work remains a real advantage. Colour accuracy is outstanding, both in sRGB and P3, which gives the screen a trustworthy feel for photo work, everyday viewing and general productivity. Text is crisp, brightness is solid, and the overall visual quality is comfortably premium.

The frustration is that the panel is still a 60Hz LCD. For many real users, that is not a serious limitation. The display still looks very good. But in a premium ultraportable market where higher refresh rates and OLED are becoming more common, it remains one of the Air's clearest compromises. Apple is still drawing a line between the Air and the Pro, and the screen is where you feel that most clearly.

The four-speaker system continues to impress for a laptop this thin. Sound is broad, clear and much fuller than the form factor suggests, even if deep bass remains limited by the obvious physical constraints. For calls, streaming and casual listening, it is one of the stronger audio systems in the category.

The 12MP webcam remains dependable as well. Centre Stage support keeps calls feeling polished, autofocus helps presentation quality, and overall image quality is more than good enough for professional use. Desk View remains more clever than beautiful, but the camera system as a whole is still strong.

The more meaningful upgrade this year is wireless connectivity. Apple has corrected last generation's strange omission by finally bringing Wi-Fi 7 to the Air, alongside Bluetooth 6. Combined with Thunderbolt 4 ports, MagSafe and the ability to drive two 6K external displays with the lid open, the Air now feels more complete as a desk-and-travel machine.

The M5 chip is not just a cosmetic spec bump. CPU and GPU gains are measurable, storage performance is materially faster, and the laptop continues to feel effortless in everyday use. The Air was already quick; the M5 version simply widens the comfort margin further.

The biggest everyday improvement may actually be storage speed. Faster read and write performance makes large file transfers, media imports and heavier project work more responsive than before. The CPU gains are noticeable too, even if buyers already on M4 will not experience a life-changing jump.

The broader point is that the Air M5 keeps widening the gap between what most people need and what this laptop can deliver. Web work, office tasks, photo editing, light video work and multitasking all feel trivial to it. Even more demanding workflows are handled with an ease that used to require a thicker Pro-class machine.

Just as importantly, it does this without ruining thermals or acoustics. The fanless design remains quiet, and while temperatures rise under load, the machine stays impressively civilised. That combination of speed, silence and comfort is a major part of the Air's appeal.

Battery life remains one of the Air's defining strengths. The tested mixed-use result of around 11 hours 20 minutes keeps it comfortably in the all-day class, and in practical use it is the kind of laptop that can get through a long workday without constant anxiety about the charger.

Charging has also improved enough to matter. Apple has made faster charging more realistic here, and the time to a full refill is now much better than last year's slower result. The remaining annoyance is that the faster 70W adapter is still sold separately, which makes the charging story feel slightly incomplete.

Even with that caveat, the combination of excellent endurance and much more respectable recharge behaviour helps the M5 Air feel easier to live with than its immediate predecessor.

The 13-inch MacBook Air M5 is a strong example of Apple improving an already excellent product in sensible ways. Faster storage, Wi-Fi 7, stronger performance and better charging all make the machine more complete without disturbing the design, portability and battery life that made the Air so easy to recommend in the first place.

The familiar complaints remain. The display is still a 60Hz LCD, the notch feels old, and Apple continues to charge separately for the faster charger that helps show the laptop at its best. None of those issues are new, and none are severe enough to undermine the overall verdict.

For most buyers looking for a premium ultraportable, this remains the safest recommendation in the class. It is not revolutionary, but it is exceptionally well judged.