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At a glanceKey specs: A speedy M5 chip, Touch ID, HDR Liquid Retina Display, and Neural Accelerators to support AI workloads — all in a body that's just 2.7 pounds and 0.44 inches thickNew starting price: 13-inch model is $1,299 (originally $1,099); 15-inch model is $1,499 (originally $1,299)Colors: Midnight black, sky blue, silver, starlightOur 100-word review: "The M5 MacBook Air is an impressive piece of machinery. It's incredibly thin and light, and I'm a big fan of macOS 26 Tahoe and Liquid Glass, no matter what the haters say. The default screensaver that plays is completely mesmerizing, and sometimes I find myself staring at it for minutes on end, enjoying a nice moment of zen in the middle of a workday. On top of that, you get all the premium features you expect in a modern MacBook. My one caveat: If I already had an M3 or M4 MacBook Air, I'd probably hold onto it for awhile longer."Apple MacBook Air (M5): Our updated reviewThe newest MacBook Air from Apple is a damn near-perfect machine. And for a few glorious days in late May, when it was discounted to just $899 at Amazon, it was a true 10/10 product. Unfortunately, thanks to the global memory crisis, Apple has since increased the starting price of this laptop from $1,099 to $1,299, and that changes how we feel about this machine.To be clear, from an engineering, user experience, performance, and design standpoint, the M5 MacBook Air is nearly flawless. And as a long-time product reviewer, I try to avoid using words like "perfect" and "flawless" in my reviews at all costs. But after spending five months with this laptop, it keeps impressing me.
