The Tool Desk
Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →The MacBook Air M5 is a worthwhile step up for new buyers who want more base storage, newer wireless standards, or faster performance in certain demanding creative and AI workloads. For most people who already own an M4 Air and use it for everyday tasks, the upgrade is hard to justify. Both generations retain the same 13-inch and 15-inch size choices and much of the same core feature set.
What changed between the MacBook Air M5 and M4?
The M5, announced in 2026, updates the chip, memory bandwidth, SSD, and wireless connectivity. The M4 is the 2025 generation. Apple’s specifications show that both are available in 13-inch and 15-inch models, with a Liquid Retina display, 12MP Center Stage camera, two Thunderbolt 4 ports, and an up-to-18-hour video-streaming claim.
| Feature | MacBook Air M4 (2025) | MacBook Air M5 (2026) | What it means |
|---|---|---|---|
| CPU and GPU | 10-core CPU; 8-core or 10-core GPU, depending on configuration | 10-core CPU; up to 10-core GPU, with Neural Accelerators in GPU cores | The M5’s added acceleration is most relevant to supported AI and graphics tasks. |
| Memory bandwidth | 120GB/s | 153GB/s; Apple describes this as 28% higher than M4 | More bandwidth can help demanding workloads, but does not mean every task runs 28% faster. |
| Starting and maximum SSD | 256GB starting capacity; configurable up to 2TB | 512GB starting capacity; configurable up to 4TB | M5 offers more room before you need to pay for a storage upgrade. |
| SSD performance | Previous-generation SSD | Apple says read and write performance is 2x the previous generation | The claimed improvement is most relevant to large transfers and storage-heavy work. |
| Wireless | Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3 | Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6 | You need compatible routers and accessories to benefit from the newer standards. |
| Display sizes | 13-inch and 15-inch | 13-inch and 15-inch | Choose based on portability and workspace, not generation. |
Apple’s current M5 specifications are on its MacBook Air technical specifications page. Apple’s announcement and M4 specifications provide the generation-to-generation details: M5 announcement, 13-inch M4 technical specifications, and 15-inch M4 technical specifications.
How much faster is the M5 in real use?
Apple reports substantial gains in selected workloads, not a universal speed increase. Its comparisons used preproduction M5 systems, and the software, configurations, and methods differ by benchmark. Treat these figures as Apple’s workload-specific results rather than a promise about every app or everyday task.
#1 Best Overall
- BUILT FOR COLLEGE. AND BEYOND — MacBook Air with the M5 chip packs blazing speed and powerful AI capabilities into an incredibly portable design. And with up to 18 hours of battery life,* this thin and light powerhouse is ready to take on almost any major, just about anywhere.
- TEAR THROUGH TOUGH ASSIGNMENTS — With its faster CPU and unified memory, the M5 chip delivers even more performance and fluidity across apps, making multitasking and creative workflows smooth and responsive. A powerful Neural Engine and next-generation GPU with Neural Accelerators give you a powerful platform for AI.
- MAKE QUICK WORK OF YOUR TO-DO LIST — Apple Intelligence helps you write, express yourself, and get things done effortlessly — whether it’s for school or everyday life. With groundbreaking privacy protections, it gives you peace of mind that no one else can access your data — not even Apple.*
- UP TO 18 HOURS OF BATTERY LIFE — MacBook Air delivers incredible battery life with amazing performance, so you can power through a full day of classes without worrying about plugging in.
- A BRILLIANT 13.6-INCH DISPLAY* — The gorgeous Liquid Retina display on MacBook Air supports 1 billion colors, making photos and videos pop with rich contrast and sharp detail, and text appears supercrisp. So everything — from class presentations to movies to games — looks truly stunning.
- Up to 4x faster AI task performance than MacBook Air with M4.
- Up to 1.9x faster AI video enhancement in Topaz Video.
- Up to 1.5x faster ray-traced 3D rendering in Blender.
- Up to 1.5x faster image processing in Affinity.
- 153GB/s memory bandwidth, which Apple describes as a 28% improvement over M4.
- 2x faster SSD read/write performance than the previous generation.
These are Apple’s reported comparisons in its March 2026 announcement. They matter most if you use the named apps or similar supported workloads. For browsing, documents, video calls, streaming, and basic editing, the difference is unlikely to feel as dramatic as the headline multipliers suggest. MacRumors’ May 2026 buyer’s guide likewise sees little general-purpose reason for most M4 owners to upgrade, while identifying local LLMs, diffusion models, video enhancement, and ray-traced production as more meaningful M5 use cases: M4 vs. M5 MacBook Air Buyer’s Guide.
Should you upgrade from an M4 Air to an M5?
Keep the M4 if it already handles your work
If your M4 is comfortable for browsing, office work, video calls, streaming, and ordinary photo editing—and you are not running short on storage—the M5 is unlikely to make enough difference to warrant replacing it. The same applies if you rely on the M4’s current connectivity and do not run the demanding AI or graphics workloads where Apple reports its largest gains.
Rank #2
- BUILT FOR COLLEGE. AND BEYOND — MacBook Air with the M5 chip packs blazing speed and powerful AI capabilities into an incredibly portable design. And with up to 18 hours of battery life,* this thin and light powerhouse is ready to take on almost any major, just about anywhere.
- TEAR THROUGH TOUGH ASSIGNMENTS — With its faster CPU and unified memory, the M5 chip delivers even more performance and fluidity across apps, making multitasking and creative workflows smooth and responsive. A powerful Neural Engine and next-generation GPU with Neural Accelerators give you a powerful platform for AI.
- MAKE QUICK WORK OF YOUR TO-DO LIST — Apple Intelligence helps you write, express yourself, and get things done effortlessly — whether it’s for school or everyday life. With groundbreaking privacy protections, it gives you peace of mind that no one else can access your data — not even Apple.*
- UP TO 18 HOURS OF BATTERY LIFE — MacBook Air delivers incredible battery life with amazing performance, so you can power through a full day of classes without worrying about plugging in.
- A BRILLIANT 13.6-INCH DISPLAY* — The gorgeous Liquid Retina display on MacBook Air supports 1 billion colors, making photos and videos pop with rich contrast and sharp detail, and text appears supercrisp. So everything — from class presentations to movies to games — looks truly stunning.
Consider the M5 for specific performance or storage needs
The upgrade case is stronger if you regularly run local AI models, diffusion workflows, AI video enhancement, ray-traced 3D rendering, or storage-heavy projects. The doubled base SSD capacity may also solve a practical problem if 256GB has felt cramped. Check whether the app or workflow you use supports the relevant acceleration; a faster chip alone does not guarantee a large improvement in every application.
Which MacBook Air should a new buyer choose?
The M5 is the more capable default if you are buying new at a similar price: it starts with 512GB rather than 256GB, supports newer wireless standards, and offers Apple’s newer chip. An M4 may still be the better value if it is discounted enough and its memory and storage configuration meets your needs. No regional street-price comparison is established here, so check current local pricing and availability rather than assuming the older model is always cheaper.
Rank #3
- BUILT FOR COLLEGE. AND BEYOND — MacBook Air with the M5 chip packs blazing speed and powerful AI capabilities into an incredibly portable design. And with up to 18 hours of battery life,* this thin and light powerhouse is ready to take on almost any major, just about anywhere.
- TEAR THROUGH TOUGH ASSIGNMENTS — With its faster CPU and unified memory, the M5 chip delivers even more performance and fluidity across apps, making multitasking and creative workflows smooth and responsive. A powerful Neural Engine and next-generation GPU with Neural Accelerators give you a powerful platform for AI.
- MAKE QUICK WORK OF YOUR TO-DO LIST — Apple Intelligence helps you write, express yourself, and get things done effortlessly — whether it’s for school or everyday life. With groundbreaking privacy protections, it gives you peace of mind that no one else can access your data — not even Apple.*
- UP TO 18 HOURS OF BATTERY LIFE — MacBook Air delivers incredible battery life with amazing performance, so you can power through a full day of classes without worrying about plugging in.
- A BRILLIANT 13.6-INCH DISPLAY* — The gorgeous Liquid Retina display on MacBook Air supports 1 billion colors, making photos and videos pop with rich contrast and sharp detail, and text appears supercrisp. So everything — from class presentations to movies to games — looks truly stunning.
Compare like-for-like configurations before deciding. Both generations can be configured with up to 32GB of unified memory, and memory is a purchase-time choice. Match the screen size, memory, and SSD capacity first, then weigh the price difference against the work you do. Official M5 and M4 specs are available from Apple’s M5 announcement and Apple’s pages for the 13-inch M4 and 15-inch M4.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How to identify which MacBook Air you have
If you are unsure whether your current laptop is an M4 model, check Apple’s model-identification guide before comparing or trading it in: Identify your MacBook Air model. The M4 generation is listed as the 2025 model; the M5 announcement identifies the newer generation as 2026.
Quick Recap
Rank #4
- BUILT FOR COLLEGE. AND BEYOND — MacBook Air with the M5 chip packs blazing speed and powerful AI capabilities into an incredibly portable design. And with up to 18 hours of battery life,* this thin and light powerhouse is ready to take on almost any major, just about anywhere.
- TEAR THROUGH TOUGH ASSIGNMENTS — With its faster CPU and unified memory, the M5 chip delivers even more performance and fluidity across apps, making multitasking and creative workflows smooth and responsive. A powerful Neural Engine and next-generation GPU with Neural Accelerators give you a powerful platform for AI.
- MAKE QUICK WORK OF YOUR TO-DO LIST — Apple Intelligence helps you write, express yourself, and get things done effortlessly — whether it’s for school or everyday life. With groundbreaking privacy protections, it gives you peace of mind that no one else can access your data — not even Apple.*
- UP TO 18 HOURS OF BATTERY LIFE — MacBook Air delivers incredible battery life with amazing performance, so you can power through a full day of classes without worrying about plugging in.
- A BRILLIANT 15.3-INCH DISPLAY* — The gorgeous Liquid Retina display on MacBook Air supports 1 billion colors, making photos and videos pop with rich contrast and sharp detail, and text appears supercrisp. So everything — from class presentations to movies to games — looks truly stunning.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
