Apple announces M5 MacBook Air with 2x storage, $1099 starting price

Apple has officially announced the new M5 MacBook Air. While the starting price has increased by $100, it now comes with double the starting storage, faster SSD speeds, and higher top-end storage.

Higher starting price meets higher base storage

While the M4 MacBook Air started at $999, the new M5 MacBook Air returns to the $1099 price that previous models have had.

The $100 price increase isn’t all bad though. Apple has doubled the base storage from 256GB to 512GB. Apple also includes 16GB RAM across the board compared to just 8GB a few versions ago when the MacBook Air was priced from $1099.

While the M4 MacBook Air was configurable with up to 2TB storage, the new M5 MacBook Air doubles the top-tier storage to 4TB for the first time.

RAM configuration remains the same between models with 16GB, 24GB, and 32GB options.

The move from M4 to M5 also sees the MacBook Air upgrade from Wi-Fi 6E to Wi-Fi 7, and Bluetooth 6 replaces Bluetooth 5.3.

Battery life remains unchanged at 18 hours, and the charger included in the box now appears to be a 40W Dynamic Power Adapter with 60W Max instead of either the 30W USB-C Power Adapter or 35W Dual USB-C Port Compact Power Adapter.

Like the previous model, the M5 MacBook Air is available in two sizes, 13- and 15-inch, and four colors: sky blue, midnight, starlight, and silver.

Apple today announced the new MacBook Air with M5, bringing exceptional performance and expanded AI capabilities to the world’s most popular laptop. M5 features a faster CPU and next-generation GPU with a Neural Accelerator in each core, enabling MacBook Air to power through a variety of workflows, from creative projects to complex AI tasks. MacBook Air now comes standard with double the starting storage at 512GB with faster SSD technology, and is configurable up to 4TB, so customers can keep their most important work on hand. Apple’s N1 wireless chip delivers Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6 for seamless connectivity on the go. MacBook Air features a beautifully thin, light, and durable aluminum design, stunning Liquid Retina display, 12MP Center Stage camera, up to 18 hours of battery life, an immersive sound system with Spatial Audio, and two Thunderbolt 4 ports with support for up to two external displays. Combined with the power of macOS Tahoe and Apple Intelligence, MacBook Air delivers unmatched value for college students and creative professionals, and it’s the most popular laptop for business users.

Apple says the M5 MacBook Air will be available for pre-order starting on Wednesday, March 4. The M5 MacBook Air will reach customers a week later on Wednesday, March 11.

In the meantime, the excellent M4 MacBook Air in 13-inch and 15-inch configurations will stick around from other retailers while supplies last for anyone looking to avoid the price increase.

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