MacBook Air M5: Apple’s Most Popular Macbook Gets a Big Upgrade

The MacBook Air M5 is Apple’s latest update to its most popular Macbook lineup. Although it looks very similar to last year’s M4 model, the real upgrades are happening on the inside. In this article, we will discuss what’s new on the latest MacBook Air M5, its specification, price and availability in Nepal.

Macbook Air M5 vs M4 at a Glance

MacBook Air M5 vs MacBook Air M4
Features
MacBook Air M5
MacBook Air M4
Processor
Apple M5 Chip (10-Core CPU & 10-Core GPU)
Apple M4 Chip (10-Core CPU & 10-Core GPU)
Display
13-inch / 15-inch Liquid Retina, up to 500 nits
13-inch / 15-inch Liquid Retina, up to 500 nits
Base Storage
512GB
256GB
Max Storage
Up to 4TB
Up to 2TB
Memory
16GB (configurable up to 32GB)
16GB (configurable up to 32GB)
Wireless
Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6
Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.x
Camera
12MP Center Stage Camera
12MP Center Stage Camera
Battery
Up to 18 hours video streaming
Up to 18 hours video streaming

Design and Display

The MacBook Air M5 continues its thin fanless Aluminum Body design. It comes in 13-inch and 15-inch size options. The 13-inch model has 13.6 inch panel at 2560 x 1664 and 15-inch model has 15.3 inch panel at 2880 x 1864 native resolution. Both have the same Liquid Retina Display with 500 nits peak brightness with True Tone technology, P3 color gamut and support for 1 Billion Colors. The display hardware hasn’t changed much from the M4 version. It supports external display upto 8K at 60Hz with it’s thunderbolt ports. It comes in the same color options: Sky Blue, Silver, Starlight, Midnight.

Software and Performance

The biggest highlight of the MacBook Air M5 is its new Apple M5 chip. This processor features a 10-core CPU and 10-core GPU with Advanced Neural Engine for AI workloads. The chip also includes improved graphics capabilities with enhanced shader cores and a third-generation ray-tracing engine for a much better performance in 3D tasks and Gaming.

It supports upto 32GB unified memory with bandwidth of 153GB/s, which is about 28% faster than M4. Storage has also been upgraded with base model starting from 512GB SSD which can be configured upto 4TB.

For AI specific tasks, the M5 chip can deliver up to 4x faster performance compared to the previous generation and up to 9.5x faster performance compared to the older M1 models.

Camera and Battery

The laptop now features a 12MP Center Stage camera, which automatically adjusts the frame during video calls to keep users centered in the shot. It also supports features like Desk View, allowing users to show both their face and desk during video calls. For audio, it’s also the same as M4. It has a three-microphone array with noise reduction and Stereo speakers with Spatial Audio and Dolby Atmos support.

Battery has been one of the strong suits of MacBook Air, and it still continues as same with no significant upgrades. The MacBook Air M5 offers up to 18 hours of battery life and supports fast charging using MagSafe or USB. It can charge up to 50% in around 30 minutes using compatible adapters.

Connectivity

The MacBook Air M5 introduces upgraded wireless connectivity through Apple’s new N1 wireless chip, which enables support for Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6. In terms of physical ports, the laptop includes two thunderbolt 4 / USB-C ports, MagSafe 3 charging port, and a 3.5 mm headphone jack

It also features TouchID, backlit Magic Keyboard and force touch trackpad.

Specifications

Here are some of the key specifications of the MacBook Air M5:

• Display: 13-inch: 304.1 x 215 x 11.5mm, 2560 x 1664 / 15-inch: 340.4 x 237.6 x 11.5mm, 2880 x 1864
• Processor: Apple M5 chip, 10-core CPU, upto 10-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
• Memory: 16GB unified memory (configurable upto 32GB), 153GB/s bandwidth
• Storage: base 512GB SSD (configurable upto 4TB)
• Camera: 12MP Center Stage with Desk View
• Audio: 3-mic array with noise reduction, Stereo speakers with Spatial Audio and Dolby Atmos
• Connectivity: Apple N1 Chip with Wifi 7 and Bluetooth 6
• Battery: Up to 18 hours battery life, fast charging with MagSafe or USB-C (50% in about 30 minutes)
• Ports: 2x thunderbolt ports (USB-C), MagSafe 3 port, 3.5mm headphone jack
• OS: macOS

MacBook Air M5 Availability and Price in Nepal

The MacBook Air M5 was officially announced on March 4 and became available globally starting March 11. The official pricing starts at $1,099 (13-inch, 16GB / 512GB) and $1,299 (15-inch, 16GB / 512GB). Although the device has not officially launched in Nepal yet, it is expected to arrive through authorized resellers in a few months.

We’ll keep this page updated with the official launch date, availability and latest price of the MacBook Air M5 in Nepal as soon as it becomes available. If you want something alternative check Macbook Neo which will soon be available at Zolpa Store.