98
Pocket-lintT3★ Editors' ChoiceMar 9, 2026
“For Windows switchers and first-time Mac buyers, the M5 MacBook Air remains the most unambiguous recommendation I can make.”
By Zarif Ali · Rated 4.5/5Full review
Laptop
MacBook Air (M5, 2026)
Apple · From $1,099
Release date Mar 11, 2026
91
Critical Gold
Based on 20 Critic Reviews
17 with a published score, 3 scored from text · How it works
Latest review Jun 22, 2026
15 Rave5 Positive
Critics' Take
Critics call the M5 MacBook Air a faster version of an already excellent laptop. They praise the speed, battery life, keyboard and the doubled 512GB starting storage, and most still name it the best Mac for most people. The main complaints are the $100 price increase, an unchanged design with a 60Hz display and a notch, and a cheaper MacBook Neo that makes the case for M4 owners to upgrade hard to see.
What critics loved
- Fast M5 chip in a silent, fanless body
- Long battery life, up to 18 hours of video
- Base storage doubled to 512GB with a faster SSD
- Excellent keyboard, trackpad and build quality
Common gripes
- $100 more than the M4 Air
- Design, 60Hz display and notch unchanged
- Small gain over the M4, little reason to upgrade
- Cheaper MacBook Neo undercuts it
- Fanless chassis throttles under sustained load
Critic Scorecard
20 reviewsSort:
Weighted by outlet tier:T1100%T275%T340%T420%
97
EngadgetT1Mar 13, 2026
“I think the MacBook Air is by far the best Apple laptop for most people.”
By Nathan Ingraham · Rated 92/100Full review
96
TechRadarT2Mar 9, 2026
“Apple's 13-inch MacBook Air (M5) is the best mix of winning design, near-pro-level performance, and battery life you can find in an ultraportable.”
By Lance Ulanoff · Rated 4.75/5Full review
96
Tom's HardwareT2Mar 23, 2026
“The MacBook Air M5 is the sum of years of refinements, with a mix of premium design, strong performance, and solid battery life, even if it's slightly pricier with new base specs.”
By Andrew E. Freedman · Rated 4.5/5Full review
95
WiredT1Mar 19, 2026
“Set between the MacBook Neo and MacBook Pro, the M5 MacBook Air remains the laptop that I recommend for most people.”
By Luke Larsen · Rated 9/10Full review
95
Trusted ReviewsT2Apr 21, 2026
“The MacBook Air M5 is a small upgrade on the M4, there’s no getting around that.”
By Max Parker · Rated 4.5/5Full review
Show 14 more reviews ▾Show fewer ▴
95
Tom's GuideT2Mar 9, 2026
“While it isn’t a revolutionary update and costs $100 more, it’s a stellar notebook for most people.”
Covers the 13-inch and 15-inch models; the reviewer says he daily-drove the 15-inch.
By Tony Polanco · Rated 4.5/5Full review
95
MacworldT2Mar 13, 2026
“It may not be much different from the model from last year or from 2022, but this is still a winning formula that works just right for most users.”
By Jason Cross · Rated 4.5/5Full review
95
PickrT3Mar 23, 2026
“It’s one of those laptops we expect will keep going, and easily one of the year’s best laptops.”
By Leigh Stark · Rated 4.7/5Full review
94
StuffT3Apr 16, 2026
“If you liked MacBook Airs back to the M2, you’ll love this one.”
By Craig Grannell · Rated 5/5Full review
93
Digital TrendsT2★ Editors' ChoiceJun 22, 2026
“The MacBook Air M5 is a slightly frustrating product to review because there isn't much left for Apple to improve.”
Page shows an Editors' Choice badge and category scores of 8 to 9 out of 10, but no single overall score; the 90 is an estimate of the verdict.
By Moinak Pal · Unrated, scored from textFull review
92
NotebookcheckT3Mar 7, 2026
“The old MacBook Air 13 was already a great everyday laptop, but the new M5 model raises the bar even further.”
By Andreas Osthoff · Rated 92%Full review
89
PCMagT2Mar 14, 2026
“Apple's 2026 MacBook Air is largely unchanged on the outside, but its exceptional build pairs up with an even faster M5 chip and a major storage upgrade to secure its spot as a top-value ultraportable.”
Original publish date 2026-03-14 (page updated 2026-06-25).
By Matthew Buzzi · Rated 4/5Full review
89
Six ColorsT3Mar 10, 2026
“The Air remains a truly great Mac.”
By Dan Moren · Unrated, scored from textFull review
85
Creative BloqT3Mar 31, 2026
“However, given that the performance it provides is much closer to the Macbook Pro than to the Neo, it’s still a relevant purchase for creatives.”
By Ian Evenden · Rated 4.25/5Full review
84
ZDNETT2Apr 5, 2026
“The Apple MacBook Air M5 marks an incremental upgrade over its predecessor, but it’s highly recommended for anyone with an M1 or older machine.”
Tested the 15-inch model.
By Kyle Kucharski · Rated 4/5Full review
84
BGRT3Mar 24, 2026
“It remains incredibly versatile, handling everything from everyday productivity to demanding creative work without flinching.”
Review unit was the 15.3-inch M5 MacBook Air; the outlet publishes no numeric score.
By Christian de Looper · Unrated, scored from textFull review
82
GizmodoT2Mar 12, 2026
“The 15-inch M5 MacBook Air is a sleek laptop built for handling many demanding tasks. Still, a MacBook Neo or MacBook Pro may serve you better.”
Review unit was the 15-inch M5 MacBook Air; the 13-inch shares the chip and design.
By Kyle Barr · Rated 4/5Full review
77
CNETT1Mar 11, 2026
“No longer Apple's MacBook entry point, the 13-inch Air is now a bit of a question mark for students, while the rest of us are probably better off with the larger Air.”
By Matt Elliott · Rated 8/10Full review
76
Expert ReviewsT3Mar 23, 2026
“It’s still dependable, fast, stable and reliable, comfortable to use and lasts as long as you need it to away from the mains.”
Review unit was the 15-inch M5 MacBook Air; the 13-inch shares the chip, design and display tech.
By Jonathan Bray · Rated 4/5Full review
93
Digital TrendsT2★ Editors' ChoiceJun 22, 2026
“The MacBook Air M5 is a slightly frustrating product to review because there isn't much left for Apple to improve.”
Page shows an Editors' Choice badge and category scores of 8 to 9 out of 10, but no single overall score; the 90 is an estimate of the verdict.
By Moinak Pal · Unrated, scored from textFull review
95
Trusted ReviewsT2Apr 21, 2026
“The MacBook Air M5 is a small upgrade on the M4, there’s no getting around that.”
By Max Parker · Rated 4.5/5Full review
94
StuffT3Apr 16, 2026
“If you liked MacBook Airs back to the M2, you’ll love this one.”
By Craig Grannell · Rated 5/5Full review
84
ZDNETT2Apr 5, 2026
“The Apple MacBook Air M5 marks an incremental upgrade over its predecessor, but it’s highly recommended for anyone with an M1 or older machine.”
Tested the 15-inch model.
By Kyle Kucharski · Rated 4/5Full review
85
Creative BloqT3Mar 31, 2026
“However, given that the performance it provides is much closer to the Macbook Pro than to the Neo, it’s still a relevant purchase for creatives.”
By Ian Evenden · Rated 4.25/5Full review
84
BGRT3Mar 24, 2026
“It remains incredibly versatile, handling everything from everyday productivity to demanding creative work without flinching.”
Review unit was the 15.3-inch M5 MacBook Air; the outlet publishes no numeric score.
By Christian de Looper · Unrated, scored from textFull review
Show 14 more reviews ▾Show fewer ▴
96
Tom's HardwareT2Mar 23, 2026
“The MacBook Air M5 is the sum of years of refinements, with a mix of premium design, strong performance, and solid battery life, even if it's slightly pricier with new base specs.”
By Andrew E. Freedman · Rated 4.5/5Full review
95
PickrT3Mar 23, 2026
“It’s one of those laptops we expect will keep going, and easily one of the year’s best laptops.”
By Leigh Stark · Rated 4.7/5Full review
76
Expert ReviewsT3Mar 23, 2026
“It’s still dependable, fast, stable and reliable, comfortable to use and lasts as long as you need it to away from the mains.”
Review unit was the 15-inch M5 MacBook Air; the 13-inch shares the chip, design and display tech.
By Jonathan Bray · Rated 4/5Full review
95
WiredT1Mar 19, 2026
“Set between the MacBook Neo and MacBook Pro, the M5 MacBook Air remains the laptop that I recommend for most people.”
By Luke Larsen · Rated 9/10Full review
89
PCMagT2Mar 14, 2026
“Apple's 2026 MacBook Air is largely unchanged on the outside, but its exceptional build pairs up with an even faster M5 chip and a major storage upgrade to secure its spot as a top-value ultraportable.”
Original publish date 2026-03-14 (page updated 2026-06-25).
By Matthew Buzzi · Rated 4/5Full review
97
EngadgetT1Mar 13, 2026
“I think the MacBook Air is by far the best Apple laptop for most people.”
By Nathan Ingraham · Rated 92/100Full review
95
MacworldT2Mar 13, 2026
“It may not be much different from the model from last year or from 2022, but this is still a winning formula that works just right for most users.”
By Jason Cross · Rated 4.5/5Full review
82
GizmodoT2Mar 12, 2026
“The 15-inch M5 MacBook Air is a sleek laptop built for handling many demanding tasks. Still, a MacBook Neo or MacBook Pro may serve you better.”
Review unit was the 15-inch M5 MacBook Air; the 13-inch shares the chip and design.
By Kyle Barr · Rated 4/5Full review
77
CNETT1Mar 11, 2026
“No longer Apple's MacBook entry point, the 13-inch Air is now a bit of a question mark for students, while the rest of us are probably better off with the larger Air.”
By Matt Elliott · Rated 8/10Full review
89
Six ColorsT3Mar 10, 2026
“The Air remains a truly great Mac.”
By Dan Moren · Unrated, scored from textFull review
98
Pocket-lintT3★ Editors' ChoiceMar 9, 2026
“For Windows switchers and first-time Mac buyers, the M5 MacBook Air remains the most unambiguous recommendation I can make.”
By Zarif Ali · Rated 4.5/5Full review
96
TechRadarT2Mar 9, 2026
“Apple's 13-inch MacBook Air (M5) is the best mix of winning design, near-pro-level performance, and battery life you can find in an ultraportable.”
By Lance Ulanoff · Rated 4.75/5Full review
95
Tom's GuideT2Mar 9, 2026
“While it isn’t a revolutionary update and costs $100 more, it’s a stellar notebook for most people.”
Covers the 13-inch and 15-inch models; the reviewer says he daily-drove the 15-inch.
By Tony Polanco · Rated 4.5/5Full review
92
NotebookcheckT3Mar 7, 2026
“The old MacBook Air 13 was already a great everyday laptop, but the new M5 model raises the bar even further.”
By Andreas Osthoff · Rated 92%Full review
Quick Facts
- Display
- 13.6-inch Liquid Retina, 500 nits, P3 wide color, 60Hz
- Chip
- Apple M5, 10-core CPU, 8-core GPU (10-core GPU optional)
- Memory
- 16GB unified, up to 32GB
- Storage
- 512GB SSD, up to 4TB
- Battery life
- Up to 18 hours video playback (Apple)
- Weight
- 2.7 lb
- Ports
- MagSafe 3, two Thunderbolt 4, headphone jack
- Wireless
- Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6 (Apple N1)
- Price
- From $1,099 (13-inch)