M5 MacBook Air: In summary
- M5 MacBook Air is expected to be released in spring 2026.
- Processor refresh with the new M5 chip anticipated.
- No other design or spec changes expected.
- U.K. and European shoppers will probably have to buy their own Power Adapter.
Now that the M5 MacBook Pro is here it is only a matter of time before the M5 MacBook Air arrives. A gap of a few months between the launch of the M5 MacBook Pro and M5 MacBook Air is likely, so we anticipate that we will see the M5 MacBook Air in the first half of 2026.
A spring launch seems most likely: Apple’s M4 MacBook Air was released in March 2024, about a year after the M3 version was released and Apple appears to be on a yearly cycle with the MacBook Air. We expect that the next generation of MacBook Air could be released in the spring of 2026.
We can get a good picture of what to expect now that the M5 chip has arrived on the scene, with Apple describing the M5 as offering a “big leap” in AI performance. The M5 offers a new 10-core GPU architecture with a Neural Accelerator in each core, which Apple says means it can provide “over 4x the peak GPU compute performance compared to M4”.
How these gains will translate to the MacBook Air remains to be seen, as the MacBook Air is usually a little less powerful than the equivalent MacBook Pro due to cooling space constraints. We will soon be running tests on the M5 chip so will get more of a picture of what to expect.
This article will keep track of what’s being reported and rumored about the upcoming MacBook Air, as well as offer a perspective based on Apple’s current lineup.
M5 MacBook Air: Specs
With the M4 MacBook Air, Apple upgraded the built-in camera to a 12MP Center Stage camera and the ports from Thunderbolt 3 to Thunderbolt 4.
With all those recent changes in mind, the M5 MacBook Air doesn’t have much else that clearly needs an upgrade. So, the new MacBook Air will likely be little more than a processor refresh.
We can paint a picture of what to expect based on the existing M4 MacBook Air and the new M5 MacBook Pro.
As usual, the specs of the entry-level MacBook Air are likely to include a GPU with fewer cores, and the mid-range MacBook Air is likely to match the spec of the entry-level MacBook Pro, but with half the storage.
That is one specification that we’d like to see change: the 256GB SSD is on the small side. However, considering how long it took for Apple to get rid of the 8GB RAM configuration, Apple may stick with the 256GB SSD base model for a couple more generations.
All models will start with the 16GB RAM configuration, as has been the case since Apple introduced it mid-way through the M3 cycle (October 2024).
So, expect the following:
- M5 with a 10-core CPU, 8-core GPU, 16GB unified memory, 256GB SSD, Thunderbolt 4
- M5 with a 10-core CPU, 10-core GPU, 16GB unified memory, 256GB SSD, Thunderbolt 4
- M5 with a 10-core CPU, 10-core GPU, 24GB unified memory, 512GB SSD, Thunderbolt 4
When we benchmark the M5 chip we will include that information here, but we expect gains on the M4 chip.
There will also be build to order options for up to 32GB memory. It’s not known if the 4TB SSD option that is now available on the M5 MacBook Pro will be available, we don’t expect it to be though.
In the U.K. and Europe Apple has left the power adapter out of the box, so it is likely that this will be the case for the MacBook Air when it launches.
In July, AppleInsider reported that the code names for the new laptops are J813 (13-inch Air) and J815 (15-inch Air).
M5 MacBook Air: Design
- No changes expected
The current design for the MacBook Air was introduced in 2022. Since it’s only a few years old, we don’t expect it to change with the M5 release.
With the M4 MacBook Air, Apple introduced a Sky Blue color to replace Space Gray, but it is unlikely that we will see any new colors for this generation.
Apple introduced Sky Blue as a color option with the M4 MacBook Air.
Eugen Wegmann
M5 MacBook Air: Display
The rumor mill has reported on plans for the company to implement OLED displays in its MacBooks, with the MacBook Pro getting the new display first, but that probably won’t happen until 2026.
The MacBook Air could follow in 2027, but it’s also possible Apple will continue to offer the standard Liquid Retina display to keep the lines separate, as with the iPhone and iPad.
M5 MacBook Air: Release date
- Expected in the first half of 2026
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reported in March 2025 that Apple is working on the M5 MacBook Air, but did not mention when it would be ready. But we can guess based on the availability of the M5 series of chips, which are now available in the M5 iPad Pro and M5 MacBook Pro.
A gap of a few months between the launch of the M5 MacBook Pro and M5 MacBook Air is likely, so we anticipate that we will see the M5 MacBook Air in the first half of 2026.
The new MacBook Air could appear even sooner though: On September 28, 2025, Gurman reported that various M5 models were coming between “the end of the year and the first quarter of next year,” and he listed the M5 MacBook Air as well as the M5 MacBook Pro, both of which he said were “nearing mass production”.
On October 16, Gurman reported that the M5 MacBook Air is scheduled for a spring 2026 release.
M5 MacBook Air: Price
We don’t expect the pricing to change, especially as the MacBook Pro pricing hasn’t changed.
When it launched the M4 MacBook Air, Apple also cut the price of all models by $100, bringing the entry-level model down to $999.
We haven’t read any reports about the pricing for the M5 MacBook Air. Apple will likely offer similar configurations to the M4, but it remains to be seen if the new lower prices will remain. The threat of tariffs by the U.S. government is a looming issue, which could affect prices. Apple could also keep the M4 around at $999 and start the M5 Airs at $1,099 like before.
Here are the prices for the current standard configurations of the M4 MacBook Air.
| MacBook Air model | U.S. | U.K. | Canada | Australia |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13in, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD | $999 | £999 | $1,399 | $1,699 |
| 13in, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD | $1,199 | £1,199 | $1,699 | $1,999 |
| 13in, 24GB RAM, 512GB SSD | $1,399 | £1,399 | $1,999 | $2,299 |
| 15in, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD | $1,199 | £1,199 | $1,699 | $2,099 |
| 15in, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD | $1,399 | £1,399 | $1,999 | $2,399 |
| 15in, 24GB RAM, 512GB SSD | $1,599 | £1,599 | $2,299 | $2,699 |
Author: Roman Loyola, Senior Editor, Macworld
Roman is a Macworld Senior Editor with over 30 years of experience covering the tech industry, focusing on the Mac and other products in the Apple ecosystem. He is also the host of the Macworld Podcast. His career started at MacUser, where he received Apple certification as a repair technician (when Apple did that kind of thing). He's also worked for MacAddict, MacLife, and TechTV.