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Key takeaways
- Apple announces MacBook Air with M5 processor.
- It costs $100 more with faster SSD and 512GB storage.
- It keeps the base 16GB of unified memory.
Apple just announced its new MacBook Air with the M5 processor, refreshing its thin and light laptop lineup with the latest in Apple's silicon chip technology.
More expensive
Notably, the MacBook Air M5 is $100 more expensive than last year, starting at $1,099, but it comes with double the starting local storage at 512GB and twice as fast read and write speeds as the previous generation.
Also, for the first time, the MacBook Air will support up to 4TB of local storage.
Also: Everything Apple may unveil at its March event: MacBook M5, iPad 12, and more
The new M5 processor features a 10-core CPU and 10-core GPU, with Apple citing speeds 9.5 times faster than the MacBook Air M1. It also features Apple's N1 wireless chip for improved connectivity, supporting Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6, and backing up its thin and light form factor with physical portability.
Incremental upgrade
Last year, the MacBook Air M4 standardized the minimum starting RAM at 16GB, and that stays the same this year, bringing the MacBook Air a little closer to the Pro in terms of hardware and capabilities. It also features the same 18-hour battery life and comes in the same colorways: Silver, Sky Blue, Starlight, and Midnight.
Also: Apple's new M4 iPad Air is here - and it's twice as fast as your old M1 model
Things also look similar to last year's Air M4, with a 12MP Center Stage camera, up to 18 hours of battery life, and two Thunderbolt 4 ports that support two external displays with the lid open.
Overall, this is an incremental upgrade to the Air with a bump in hardware and more storage options. However, raising the price of the MacBook Air inches it closer to the MacBook Pro, which was also recently updated with the M5, and potentially makes room for the rumored budget MacBook option that will also be announced this week.
Pricing and availability
The 13-inch MacBook Air M5 starts at $1,099, and the 15-inch MacBook Air M5 starts at $1,299.
Also: The iPhone 17e is here: 6 ways Apple just upgraded its cheapest phone
It will be available for preorder on March 4, with general availability beginning Wednesday, March 11.
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