Apple MacBook Air M5 Announced

Apple has taken the world’s most popular laptop and done what it always does. Made it faster, given it more storage, improved the wireless, and then wrapped it in the same slim aluminium shell everyone already likes.

The new Apple MacBook Air with M5 arrives with more grunt, more storage as standard, Wi Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and the sort of battery life that makes wall sockets feel optional. If you are a student, a creative, or someone who simply wants a laptop that works every single time you open it, this is Apple doubling down.

Let’s break it down properly.

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M5 Performance, AI and Serious Speed

At the heart of it sits Apple’s new M5 chip. You get a 10 core CPU, including what Apple claims is the fastest CPU core in its class. There is also up to a 10 core GPU, and crucially, a Neural Accelerator in each core.

What does that mean for you?

AI tasks are up to 4 times faster than M4 and up to 9.5 times faster than the old M1. That is not marketing fluff, that is the difference between waiting and not waiting when you are running on device models, enhancing video, or processing large batches of images.

Some real world gains:

• Up to 6.9 times faster AI video enhancement in Topaz Video versus M1
• Up to 6.5 times faster 3D rendering in Blender with ray tracing versus M1
• Up to 2.7 times faster image processing in Affinity versus M1
• Web browsing up to 50 per cent faster than a PC with an Intel Core Ultra X7

M5 also brings 153GB per second of unified memory bandwidth. That is a 28 per cent bump over M4. Translation, smoother multitasking, faster app launches, less spinning wheels.

If you are upgrading from Intel, it will feel like jumping several generations at once.

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Double the Storage, Finally

Apple has quietly fixed one of the biggest pain points.

The Apple MacBook Air with M5 now starts at 512GB. That is double the previous base model. It can also be configured up to 4TB for the first time.

The new SSD is up to twice as fast for read and write speeds compared to the previous generation. If you import huge photo libraries, edit large video projects, or run AI models locally, this matters.

You are not constantly shuffling files to an external drive. You are not playing storage Tetris. You just get on with it.

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Thin, Light, Silent

The design stays true to form. Thin. Light. Aluminium. Completely fanless.

You can choose between 13.6 inch and 15.3 inch Liquid Retina displays, both pushing 500 nits of brightness and supporting one billion colours. Text is sharp. Photos pop. It looks expensive because it is.

Colours this time around are sky blue, midnight, starlight, and silver.

The 13 inch remains the ultimate portable machine. The 15 inch gives you more screen real estate for spreadsheets, timelines, and creative layouts without stepping into MacBook Pro territory.

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Battery Life That Refuses to Quit

Apple claims up to 18 hours of battery life. Compared to an old Intel based MacBook Air, that is up to six extra hours.

In real terms, you can work a full day, stream in the evening, and still not panic about the charger.

Fast charge is supported. MagSafe is still here, so if someone trips over your cable, your laptop does not follow them to the floor.

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Camera, Audio and Connectivity

You get a 12MP Center Stage camera with Desk View support. Video calls stay sharp and framed properly, even if you move around.

There is a three mic array for clearer voice pickup. The speakers support Spatial Audio and Dolby Atmos, delivering proper room filling sound for a machine this slim.

Connectivity takes a leap with Apple’s new N1 wireless chip. That brings Wi Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6. In plain English, faster speeds, better reliability, and more future proofing.

There are two Thunderbolt 4 ports, and you can now run up to two external displays. That is a big deal for professionals and students who live in multi screen setups.

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macOS Tahoe and Apple Intelligence

macOS Tahoe leans hard into personalisation. Liquid Glass design, custom folder colours, tweaked icons and widgets.

Apple Intelligence is built in across the system. Live Translation in Messages, smarter Reminders that categorise tasks automatically, and more powerful Shortcuts that can extract information from a PDF and drop it straight into a spreadsheet.

Continuity remains a standout. You can take calls from your nearby iPhone directly on your Mac. Live Activities show up via iPhone Mirroring. It feels cohesive in a way that rivals still struggle to match.

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Built with the Environment in Mind

The MacBook Air with M5 uses 55 per cent recycled content. That includes 100 per cent recycled aluminium in the enclosure and 100 per cent recycled cobalt in the battery.

Manufacturing uses 50 per cent renewable electricity across the supply chain. Packaging is entirely fibre based.

Apple’s 2030 carbon neutral target is clearly shaping product design now, not just marketing slides.

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Pricing and Availability in Australia

The 13 inch MacBook Air with M5 starts at RRP A$1,799 inc. GST, or A$1,639 for education.

The 15 inch model starts at RRP A$2,199 inc. GST, or A$2,029 for education.

Pre orders open at 1:15 a.m. AEDT on 5 March, with availability from 11 March.

For a machine that doubles the base storage, adds Wi Fi 7, improves SSD speeds, and brings a serious AI performance bump, that pricing feels aggressive rather than ambitious.

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The Bottom Line

The MacBook Air with M5 does not reinvent the formula. It sharpens it.

More speed. More storage. Better wireless. The same slim, silent design that made it the default choice for millions.

If you are on M1 and happy, you can wait. If you are on Intel, this is a no brainer. And if you simply want a thin, light laptop that handles AI, creative work, university, and business without complaint, the MacBook Air with M5 makes a very strong case for itself.